By Cecil H. Bullivant
VENTRILOQUIST FIGURE MANIPULATION
Always adhere to a prearranged order of ventriloquist figures. If you commence your entertaining career with the old man on the right knee and the old woman on the left, keep to that arrangement all along. A change will inevitably result in putting the wrong voice into the wrong mouth, and the result will be disastrous.
Bear in mind that all the while the endeavors of the figures are to make you appear ridiculous in the eyes of the audience, and they should turn all your sensible remarks into nonsensical ones, so that the laugh is always against yourself. Of course the audience will join in the laugh against you, and it is the taking of this in the proper spirit that will signal your success as a ventriloquist.
When putting words into the mouth of an automaton, its face should be turned towards you; inversely, whilst you yourself are talking the automaton should be engaged in looking curiously about him at the audience, as if taking not the slightest interest in your remarks. Suddenly, however, he will snatch the opportunity of scoring off you, to the great enjoyment of his partner, the old woman.
Immediately you have finished speaking in your natural voice, keep your lips absolutely fixed during the time the figure is supposed to be talking.
It is not proposed here to give specimens of ventriloquist dialogue, because the humor of these depends so much upon the natural ability of the performer in presenting the joke or funny story.
Fig. 4.
Construction of
a laughing head.
Undoubtedly the best plan is to form a cutting-book out of the tit-bits extracted from the humorous periodicals of the day, and to paste them in In this way a voluminous collection of anecdotes, tales and riddles will be made, and by a judicious combination and selection of these, enough material can be speedily gained to last months without fear of repetition.
The most entertaining form of presenting riddles is for the " old man" or "little boy," whichever is being used, to propound them, and the entertainer to give some practical answer to them. The real point of the joke should be brought out by the " lay" figure, to the accompaniment of considerable mirth.
Home-made automata are not recommended, because the cost of purchasing serviceable " dummies " is so reasonable, as not to make it worth while spending a deal of time and trouble, to say nothing of money, on their construction. Moreover, the great point about the "lay figure " is that it should possess a funny face, and expressions are rather difficult for an amateur to obtain.
Fig. 5.
Principle of ventriloquist
figure manipulation.
Many entertainment stores deal largely in ventriloquist outfits, and reliable " dolls " may be purchased.
