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Senor Wences: Loved as ventriloquist on TV
April 21, 1999
FREE PRESS NEWS SERVICES
NEW YORK -- Senor Wences, the master ventriloquist who delighted "Ed Sullivan Show" audiences with his puppet-head-in-a-box, Pedro, and his falsetto-voiced hand-puppet, Johnny, died Tuesday at 103.
The Spanish-born ventriloquist, whose real name was Wenceslao Moreno, died at home in New York City.
During the 1950s, Mr. Moreno bickered and bantered with his puppets while he drank, smoked and juggled.
He conversed with Pedro, a head in a box ("S'OK?" "S'AWRIGHT"). And he was defeated by Johnny, who boasted, "Deefeecult for you; easy for me."
Mr. Moreno created Johnny by scrunching up his fist, drawing a mouth where thumb and index finger met, and draping a blond wig over the top.
His character Pedro was a gravelly voiced head in a box, born of necessity when Mr. Moreno's ventriloquist's dummy was accidentally damaged and only the head was spared.
Mr. Moreno would talk to his puppets with his face right in theirs, as if daring the audience to watch his lips -- which, of course, never moved.
He would stuff a hankie in Johnny's mouth and have the puppet speak with a muffled voice while he himself smoked a cigarette. Then he would give Johnny a drag, and the puppet -- that is, Mr. Moreno's hand -- would somehow emit perfect smoke rings.
Mr. Moreno also entertained four presidents, toured with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, did a Broadway show with Danny Kaye, and played casinos in Las Vegas. He was born in Penarada, Spain.
A memorial service and burial will be in Spain this weekend.
and some history from another site:
THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW/CBS/1949-70
**(Senor Wences) Senor Wences, internationally known ventriloquist (born Moreno Wenceslao in Salamanca, Spain) who frequently appeared on television in the 1950-60s, especially on the CBS Sunday night variety program THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW. His act consisted of throwing his voice into a number of objects including a box, his own hand and animal hand puppets like Cecilia Chicken. The most famous puppet in his gallery of characters was Johnny (Wences' hand decorated with two eyes, a large mouth painted along the juncture of the thumb and index fingers). Sometimes, Wences placed Johnny on top of a headless dummy to create the illusion of a small person talking. Senor Wences' interest in ventriloquism was inspired by his exposure to vaudeville acts seen in silent movie theaters where his violinist father played with the orchestras. Wences honed his vocal skills by throwing his voice in school sometimes answering "present" for students not in attendance. It was one such time that the idea for his Johnny character was conceived. Punished for causing a disturbance in class by throwing his voice, Wences had to clean all the ink wells in the classroom. When he finished, however, he noticed some ink stains on his hand that resembled a face. When he moved his thumb, it appeared to be talking. Synchronizing his ventriloquist talents with the movements of the cartoon like face, Johnny was born. Originally, Johnny smoked a cigarette, but with the changing social values, Wences eliminated the smoking from his act. The Johnny character appeared in the vaudeville film Mother Wore Tights (1947) starring Betty Grable & Dan Dailey. Senor Wences usually dressed in tuxedo and tails, as he entertained in supper clubs and vaudeville halls throughout Spain and South America. When he translated his act into English, Senor Wences took his act to North America, England and Europe. During World War II he entertained troops at military bases and hospitals. His contacts with then newspaper columnist Ed Sullivan later garnered him some 48 guest appearances on THE TOAST OF THE TOWN which later became THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW/CBS/1948-71. Another of Wences' popular puppet characters was Pedro, the face in the box. Throwing his voice into a small black box, Wences carried on a conversation with the bodiless entity. At the conclusion of each encounter, Senor Wences inquired about Pedro's feelings by saying "Sall right?" Pedro quickly replied "S-all right!" Senor Wences also appeared on THE PERRY COMO SHOW; at a command performance at the London Paladium with King George VI, Queen Elizabeth; and with the US Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower and Nixon. His admirers included Walt Disney, Danny Kaye and Edgar Bergen. Senor Wences was the mystery guest on the October 23, 1969 installment of the syndicated quiz/panel program WHAT'S MY LINE/CBS/1950-67/SYN/1968-75.
Young Guys?
You had to be there. He was a delight, each and every performance.
Be well and safe.
April 21, 1999
FREE PRESS NEWS SERVICES
NEW YORK -- Senor Wences, the master ventriloquist who delighted "Ed Sullivan Show" audiences with his puppet-head-in-a-box, Pedro, and his falsetto-voiced hand-puppet, Johnny, died Tuesday at 103.
The Spanish-born ventriloquist, whose real name was Wenceslao Moreno, died at home in New York City.
During the 1950s, Mr. Moreno bickered and bantered with his puppets while he drank, smoked and juggled.
He conversed with Pedro, a head in a box ("S'OK?" "S'AWRIGHT"). And he was defeated by Johnny, who boasted, "Deefeecult for you; easy for me."
Mr. Moreno created Johnny by scrunching up his fist, drawing a mouth where thumb and index finger met, and draping a blond wig over the top.
His character Pedro was a gravelly voiced head in a box, born of necessity when Mr. Moreno's ventriloquist's dummy was accidentally damaged and only the head was spared.
Mr. Moreno would talk to his puppets with his face right in theirs, as if daring the audience to watch his lips -- which, of course, never moved.
He would stuff a hankie in Johnny's mouth and have the puppet speak with a muffled voice while he himself smoked a cigarette. Then he would give Johnny a drag, and the puppet -- that is, Mr. Moreno's hand -- would somehow emit perfect smoke rings.
Mr. Moreno also entertained four presidents, toured with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, did a Broadway show with Danny Kaye, and played casinos in Las Vegas. He was born in Penarada, Spain.
A memorial service and burial will be in Spain this weekend.
and some history from another site:
THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW/CBS/1949-70
**(Senor Wences) Senor Wences, internationally known ventriloquist (born Moreno Wenceslao in Salamanca, Spain) who frequently appeared on television in the 1950-60s, especially on the CBS Sunday night variety program THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW. His act consisted of throwing his voice into a number of objects including a box, his own hand and animal hand puppets like Cecilia Chicken. The most famous puppet in his gallery of characters was Johnny (Wences' hand decorated with two eyes, a large mouth painted along the juncture of the thumb and index fingers). Sometimes, Wences placed Johnny on top of a headless dummy to create the illusion of a small person talking. Senor Wences' interest in ventriloquism was inspired by his exposure to vaudeville acts seen in silent movie theaters where his violinist father played with the orchestras. Wences honed his vocal skills by throwing his voice in school sometimes answering "present" for students not in attendance. It was one such time that the idea for his Johnny character was conceived. Punished for causing a disturbance in class by throwing his voice, Wences had to clean all the ink wells in the classroom. When he finished, however, he noticed some ink stains on his hand that resembled a face. When he moved his thumb, it appeared to be talking. Synchronizing his ventriloquist talents with the movements of the cartoon like face, Johnny was born. Originally, Johnny smoked a cigarette, but with the changing social values, Wences eliminated the smoking from his act. The Johnny character appeared in the vaudeville film Mother Wore Tights (1947) starring Betty Grable & Dan Dailey. Senor Wences usually dressed in tuxedo and tails, as he entertained in supper clubs and vaudeville halls throughout Spain and South America. When he translated his act into English, Senor Wences took his act to North America, England and Europe. During World War II he entertained troops at military bases and hospitals. His contacts with then newspaper columnist Ed Sullivan later garnered him some 48 guest appearances on THE TOAST OF THE TOWN which later became THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW/CBS/1948-71. Another of Wences' popular puppet characters was Pedro, the face in the box. Throwing his voice into a small black box, Wences carried on a conversation with the bodiless entity. At the conclusion of each encounter, Senor Wences inquired about Pedro's feelings by saying "Sall right?" Pedro quickly replied "S-all right!" Senor Wences also appeared on THE PERRY COMO SHOW; at a command performance at the London Paladium with King George VI, Queen Elizabeth; and with the US Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower and Nixon. His admirers included Walt Disney, Danny Kaye and Edgar Bergen. Senor Wences was the mystery guest on the October 23, 1969 installment of the syndicated quiz/panel program WHAT'S MY LINE/CBS/1950-67/SYN/1968-75.
Young Guys?
You had to be there. He was a delight, each and every performance.
Be well and safe.
