Figure maker
James Manalli
A basswood carver whose first figure went straight into the collection.
The collection announced Manalli as newly carving basswood ventriloquist figures and taking orders. His very first figure is the one photographed here: 38 inches, with a wooden body under muslin and carved basswood hands and feet.
One detail is worth recording. He put the mouth control on the center front of the head stick, the way Paul Winchell had his figures built, so the mouth is worked with the forefinger of either hand.
The mechanics
Slot jaw only, with a front-mounted mouth control in the Winchell arrangement.
What we can document about James Manalli comes from the objects themselves. There is no biography of him in our sources, and we would rather say so than pad one out. If you know more, tell us.
The figures
7 photographs across 1 cataloged object. Each object is one entry in the register — where a character name covers two physical figures, they stay two entries, because the character outlives the object more often than the record admits.
Manalli 01 7 photographs
- Size
- 38"
- Materials
- basswood
- Movements
- slot jaw / moving mouth; head stick
Recorded owner Ventriloquist Central Collection as stated on the source page when it was written — not current ownership
