Charlie McCarthy Ventriloquist Doll

Edgar Bergen once said, "Ventriloquism is one of the oldest forms of entertainment. It was practiced by the ancient Greeks... why, ventriloquists were even found up among the Eskimos!" To which Charlie McCarthy responded, "They weren't found up there, they were chased up there!" Charlie McCarthy makes a timely reappearance here as a 31-inch working Celebrity Ventriloquist Doll. Charlie's immaculate hair and features are painted on, and his transparent plastic monocle is removable, as is his velvet top hat. Beneath a satin-trimmed, black tuxedo coat, Mr. McCarthy sports a white shirt front and white satin bow tie. While not the classic tailcoat he wore in the 1940s, his jacket has a straight hem that does an admirable job of disguising the string that controls his jaw. A hidden string pull at the back of his neck works his jaw; it seemed stiff, but its tendency to pull his head back was easily worked out with some practice at positioning the doll. Charlie would make a terrific gift for your favorite theater buff or aspiring ventriloquist--and he cuts a dashing figure sitting on a bookshelf or bedstead. Simple instructions for the beginning ventriloquist are included. --Julie Ubben