"Stunning Charlie McCarthy Ventriloquist Figure. 100% handmade"

A guy from Pennsylvania has made and is selling this replica
of Charlie McCarthy on the auction-site.

Does anyone know the maker?

I know someone in Pennsylvannia who is not the maker

I'm not an expert but I am guessing the original Charlie has a flat neck...

In any case... that is a stunning figure.

Actually, the smithsonian Charlie (which may or may not be the actual 'original' Charlie). has a rounded neck bottom (which looks like an add-on piece held in place with screws). The Smithsonian figure has moving eyes as well.

I've attached a picture of the Smithsonian Charlie's head (pic was taken before the head was repainted by someone, for display at the Smith)

I have also seen and handled another genuine 'vintage' Charlie which has the identical rounded neck bottom, constructed the same way (it doesn't have moving eyes).

Click here to view attached image.

I've read things before regarding just how many Charlies there actually were, and how many there still are. The count always seems to be slightly different...and I don't remember that Charlie's eyes ever moved, though it's been awhile since I've seen some of the films.

-Philip

Back in November I did a blog with pictures of this fellow doing his work up of Charlie Mccarthy. Here is the link
http://ventriloquistcentralblog.com/char......ore-5101
Dan
http://www.ventriloquistcentral.com

What is the auction site?

We're not allowed to say the name here, but it's that large auction site everyone knows, do a search for;
Stunning Charlie McCarthy Ventriloquist Figure

Thanks, Dave. It is a very beautiful piece and probably worth the price to a collector.

There was some discission on facebook as to how accurate a copy it was, but that aside, it does look like a fine figure in it's own right.

It is not a flawless replica, but superbly executed. Definitely a talented artist with a wonderful attention for detail. I even like that he has an "original" leg on there. How cool is that? He mentioned that he sculpted every aspect of this figure except for the leg. The attention to detail in the costuming, monacle, etc are exceptional. Love the work this man put into his creation -- and an absolute give-away price considering the quality of the wig and all of the labor he put into this creation.

Yes, as Mr. Semok stated, Bergen had the rounded neck added on at a later point in time. The Smithsonian Charlie also had all-direction eyes! I was fortunate enough to receive a neat poster from Dennis Alwood a number of years ago. It has Dennis in the middle holding the Charlie head as he was packing it up. There are other shots in the poster showing Charlie's mechanics, and various angles. I'm not sure how many he made, but mine is framed and I love looking at it. A cool piece of history, and a great figure on ebay.

Very nice reproduction.

He is very talented however I do wonder how the Bergen Estate would view the sale.

That is a good question Jim, I've always heard they were very diligent about pursuing such matters.

Very interesting... thanks for letting us know...

Thanks, Dave. It is a very beautiful piece and probably worth the price to a collector.

Thanks, Dave. It is a very beautiful piece and probably worth the price to a collector.

Three hours left and NO bids.
Interesting.

B

Some may feel it's too pricey, considering the fact that the family, in protecting the trademark, could easily keep someone from using it in performance.

-Philip

I think there are a few factors influencing this, Bob.

The economy has been so tough - and extra spending money is at a low for many, except for Donald (wink). A collector would probably prefer to invest that kind of money in a known quantity, such as a Semok, or a Hartz (etc, etc, etc).

This gentleman certainly did a great job in his initial effort, but just like anyone else, he will have to build up his reputation in order to increase the value of his work. While doing a beautiful job, there are still too many fundamental imperfections in his work to warrant that kind of price. The jaw placement is wrong (you can notice that from the photo of the open mouth). The flesh is a bit pail. The lip shade he selected is not complimentary either. (Those observations are my own, of course) Fortunately, these are extremely easy fixes. I think he needs to look at old color photos of Charlie and reference those for the paint. No sense in attempting to re-invent the wheel when the hard work is already done.

Someone mentioned the Bergen Foundation earlier. Yes, the Bergen foundation could certainly contact ebay to have this taken down if they wanted.