There have been some brilliant double acts over the years, but when one partner passes away, the other can carry on, retire or like Sooty or Basil Brush, find another Human to take over the reins.
Not so with a ventriloquist.
Keith Harris (21 September 1947 – 28 April 2015 )
Not that I was a fan, and I still cringe if I hear Orville’s song (it got to Number 4 in the charts in 1982) on the radio, but it is unlikely that he and Chuckles will see the entertainment limelight again.
It got me thinking about ventriloquists I ‘grew up’ with, their shows and humour, which wasn’t all directed at a child.
Ray Alan (18 September 1930 – 24 May 2010) and Lord Charles
Ray Alan was one of Dad’s favourites, and for years I thought Lord Charles was real, just small.
The conversations between Puppeteer and Dummy were like anything you’d hear between two adults discussing the weather, politics or voicing personal opinions.
Ray Alan was the ‘straight guy’ in the partnership, accepting the put downs from his posh and slightly sloshed ‘colleague’ completely deadpan. In my opinion, he was one of the best ventriloquists ever, as his act was effortless and believable.
Terry Hall (20 November 1926 – 3 April 2007 ) and Lenny the Lion were another classic act in my childhood. Lenny was more expressive and tactile than Lord Charles, but the charm was there, especially as Terry Hall is credited as being the first ventriloquist to use a non human puppet. Lenny was made out of an old fox fur with a paper mache face, though the original teeth were removed in order not to scare youngsters in the audience!
Lenny would put on a bashful stance and was renowned for his catchphrase “Aw, don’t embawass me!”
And who can forget Shari Lewis (January 17, 1933 – August 2, 1998) and Lamb Chop?
Made from a sock, this little puppet had me in stitches, though I can’t remember too much about Hush Puppy and Charlie Horse, two of her other creations.
Here’s a few little snippets I didn’t know either:
Source : WIKI
When Lewis appeared before Congress in 1993 to testify in favor of protections for children’s television, Lamb Chop was granted permission to speak.
An accomplished musician, she conducted major symphonies in the United States, Japan, and Canada.
She was also a strict vegan.
Shari Lewis had a daughter, Mallory, by her second husband Jeremy Tarcher.
Having legally changed her name to Mallory Lewis, she resumed her mother’s work with Lamb Chop in 2000.
Ventriloquism is probably a dying art, having been overtaken by the likes of The Muppets, and yes I was a fan of theirs too (my favourite was Animal!).
The last guy I remember to hit the headlines with a dummy was Nookie Bear Roger De Courcey.
They won New Faces, a talent show which together with Opportunity Knocks was a forerunner to Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor of today, in 1976.
I could never warm to him, or the Bear, which apparently was originally called Bollocks.
pensitivity101 
I remember all of these ventriloquists, except the last one. They were really great entertainment, and as you say, not just for the kids! My Dad particularly liked Shari Lewis and Lamb Chops 🙂
IMO you’re not missing much with Nookie. Mr De Courcey is apparently an agent for Rick Wakeman and DJ/Broadcaster David ‘Kid’ Jensen.
Not sure whether they were stars in Britain, but Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy were huge in America from the 30s to the 70s. Imagine – a ventriloquist on the radio – what a concept! But Edgar Bergen was funny – so people didn’t care. And they didn’t care when he got to TV too, and found that he was a terrible ventriloquist – his lips moved something awful. But again, he was sweet and funny.
I don’t remember seeing or hearing either of these guys. Times have certainly changed though.
Oddly enough, ventriloquism here in the States seems to be enjoying something of a resurgence – Jeff Dunham and Terry Fator come to mind as people currently working as ventriloquists (I think one of them won America’s Got Talent). I can’t say I’m a big fan, but they are popular enough that I know who they are!