Word: ventriloquists
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...really a sly and wicked midget. It was unpleasant to imagine the shrill, false pipe in which such a monstrosity might have whispered to his cronies. As a talkie, The Unholy Three is less hair-raising because its sounds have become explicit. Lon Chancy still impersonates Professor Echo, a ventriloquist in a carnival who, when he turns thief, capitalizes his talents to make dumb parrots talk, to visit complaining purchasers in the guise of a muddled old lady while making notes for robbery. Later, when his associates have committed a murder, Echo takes the witness stand...
Critics of minstrelsy thought that the show's failure was not the result of any inadequacy of the "First Part," but by the mediocre character of the "Olio" (vaudeville). Producer Kilpatrick's Olio contained a series of antediluvian skits which included a ventriloquist, a female impersonator and some more singing, performed before a splendid example of early American opera-house curtain which bore advertisements for a patent electric belt, a dry goods store, and Mike's saloon. By far the best act in the Olio was not in the oldtime minstrel tradition, but bore the stamp...
...most unfortunate effect of the demand for musical interpolations is to be found in "The Great Gabbo" in which Erich von Stroheim is starred. Here was a striking and original dramatic idea about an arrogant ventriloquist who could only be human when talking through the mouth of his dummy and finally became so jealous of the little figure that he broke it and felt himself a murderer. Since the story belonged legitimately enough backstage there had to be a series of chorus numbers, with the result that the drama was entirely submerged. Most screen plots, of course, are not worth...
Smack! Whack! Twice on the face she slapped Critic Swaffer for referring in print to "her affected baby voice, [like] that of a ventriloquist's doll...
...Great Gabbo (Sono-Art) As a ventriloquist in silk stockings and a dinner shirt, Erich von Stroheim keeps his round, bristle-covered head unbowed under bludgeonings written for him by Ben Hecht. He is in love with the girl who helps him in his act. Off stage he cannot tell her what he feels - something makes him abuse her and act mean, but in the act he throws his voice into the dummy and lets it express his love. The imagery giving power to this anecdote was certainly apparent to von Stroheim. He started out to act it stiffly...