The Art of Ventriloquism

Ventriloquism is an illusion to the ear that involves manipulating one's voice in order to create the impression that someone else is speaking. The skilled artist speaks without moving his lips while manipulating a puppet that takes on an identity through appearance, verbal interaction, and body language. An audience hears the voice coming from the ventriloquist's mouth, but because only the mouth of the puppet is moving, a bit of trickery occurs in the minds of observers.

Ventriloquism was originally called "belly-talking," from the Latin words ventri (stomach) and loqui (speech) and the belief that the sounds rose from the stomach. The first ventriloquists were mystical beings (often women), believed to be possessed. By the mid 1700s, ventriloquists were viewed as tricksters. By the mid-1800s, ventriloquists were entertaining; the dummy or puppet was not introduced until the 1900s.

Modern-Day Illusionists
In the mid-1900s Edgar Bergen and full-body puppet buddy Charlie McCarthy made ventriloquism popular. The notion that McCarthy was alive already existed from their popular radio program, so when McCarthy and Bergen interacted in front of audiences, both appeared to be live performers. Paul Winchell and his sidekick Jerry Mahoney continued the comic tradition; Mahoney radiated intelligence, humor, and a touch of belligerence and naughtiness.

In the late 50s, actress/puppeteer Shari Lewis and her sassy sock puppet, Lamb Chop (who later evolved into a full-body hand puppet) taught valuable lessons to young audiences. Ventriloquism became a tool for educating, and puppets of all styles, especially half- and full-body puppets, moved into early education classrooms.