History of Ventriloquism in the US

[Dzuckerbrot]

https://daily.jstor.org/americas-first-ventriloquist/

[Bob Farmer]

I can hardly wait for the other shoe to drop: America's first mime.

[Tarotist]

In that case I suppose I should talk a tiny bit about the history of British ventriloquism. After all we are a wiser and older nation. There was a ventriloquist little known nowadays but a big name in his day, one of the greatest ventriloquists ever. His name was Dennis Spicer. He died in a car crash quite young and at the height of his fame. Here is a video of him performing at a royal command performance. The opening routine will make more sense if you realise that the Queen was in the audience and she was quite famous for her Corgi dogs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdGK6Q6wzcM

Anyway here is the historical bit. You see a lot of ventriloquists nowadays doing the stunt where they make human beings into the vent dummies. I still remember two ventriloquists arguing at a convention accusing each other of stealing the idea. I remember smirking because I knew perfectly well that neither of them invented the bloody thing. It was Dennis Spicer who originated it. You can see him performing it here before those people were even born. He was a wonderful performer who died far too young.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD8SkIAUpjI

[AJM]

Now you’re just trying to put words in my mouth…

[Jack Shalom]

Anyway here is the historical bit. You see a lot of ventriloquists nowadays doing the stunt where they make human beings into the vent dummies. I still remember two ventriloquists arguing at a convention accusing each other of stealing the idea. I remember smirking because I knew perfectly well that neither of them invented the bloody thing. It was Dennis Spicer who originated it. You can see him performing it here before those people were even born. He was a wonderful performer who died far too young.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD8SkIAUpjI

I really enjoyed that. Thanks, Mark.

[Tarotist]

Anyway here is the historical bit. You see a lot of ventriloquists nowadays doing the stunt where they make human beings into the vent dummies. I still remember two ventriloquists arguing at a convention accusing each other of stealing the idea. I remember smirking because I knew perfectly well that neither of them invented the bloody thing. It was Dennis Spicer who originated it. You can see him performing it here before those people were even born. He was a wonderful performer who died far too young.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD8SkIAUpjI

I really enjoyed that. Thanks, Mark.

So sad he died at only 29 years old. He was one of the really great ventriloquists. Anyway here is some more information.

https://ventriloquistcentralblog.com/gr ... is-spicer/

[Jack Shalom]

Here's more info including his tragic death:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Spicer

[Leo Garet]

I remember seeing Denis Spicer on TV several times.

I have the vaguest of memories that he did a short routine with a flip-top cigarette packet, possibly Embassy. He operated the packet with his index finger.

I could be thinking of somebody else, but in the eye of memory it was Denis Spicer. Anyway, whoever it was, there's no mistake about the cig packet bit. A great idea back then and probably a good idea today, if it could be linked to an anti-smoking theme.

[jplibby]

You'd think I would have heard of Dennis Spicer before now. But thank you for sharing the clips. I really enjoyed both of them!

In that case I suppose I should talk a tiny bit about the history of British ventriloquism. After all we are a wiser and older nation. There was a ventriloquist little known nowadays but a big name in his day, one of the greatest ventriloquists ever. His name was Dennis Spicer. He died in a car crash quite young and at the height of his fame. Here is a video of him performing at a royal command performance. The opening routine will make more sense if you realise that the Queen was in the audience and she was quite famous for her Corgi dogs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdGK6Q6wzcM

Anyway here is the historical bit. You see a lot of ventriloquists nowadays doing the stunt where they make human beings into the vent dummies. I still remember two ventriloquists arguing at a convention accusing each other of stealing the idea. I remember smirking because I knew perfectly well that neither of them invented the bloody thing. It was Dennis Spicer who originated it. You can see him performing it here before those people were even born. He was a wonderful performer who died far too young.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD8SkIAUpjI

[Tarotist]

In 2011, The Magic Circle (established in London in 1905) placed a bronze plaque upon his previously unmarked grave, considering ventriloquism to be an allied art and Spicer well worthy of commemoration.