This is a lovely little documentary about the history of American ventriloquism over the last 70 years. While not comprehensive nor scholarly it is genuine and heartfelt. If you’re a fan of Jeff Dunham then you should enjoy this little examination, but if the only ventriloquist you know of is Dunham, then do yourself a favor and watch this pint-sized flick.
You’ll be introduced to some remarkable talents like Paul Winchell who was not only a wonderful entertainer but responsible for the invention of the first artificial heart and the disposable pen; Senor Wences who was a mainstay of the long running Ed Sullivan variety show, and Edgar Bergen (father of Candice) some of whose comedies with his wooden pal Charlie McCarthy are available on Netflix, Amazon Instant Video and other Online Vendors. They are well worth a watch. All in all this is a sweet, funny film featuring a bunch of folks who you’d love to have at your next birthday party.
I’m No Dummy available on DVD and Blu-ray. Also available On Demand for streaming.
Here’s a clip:
Directed by Bryan Simon
Starring Jeff Dunham, Jay Johnson, Lynn Trefzger, Jimmy Nelson, Paul Winchell
No Rating
Release year (2009)
(Salient Media)
