Ventriloquism.org

Ventriloquist

Marshall Montgomery

He ate a full dinner, drank his glass, smoked, and whistled with a handkerchief stuffed in his own mouth, and never once let the dummy on his knee stop talking. That was the whole act, and vaudeville paid to watch him do it for thirty years.

Marshall Montgomery at a restaurant table with his figure George, two drinks on the table between them
Montgomery with "George," working the table where the whole act happened. Travalanche (Trav S.D.)

Folks, here's a stunt I have never seen topped, and I have spent a career chasing stunts. Marshall Montgomery ate a whole dinner onstage, a real meal, real chewing, while the wooden sailor on his knee sang and cracked wise the entire time without missing a beat.[1] He drank a glass while that same dummy kept talking. He smoked. He whistled with a handkerchief stuffed in his own mouth, on purpose, so the crowd could see for themselves that his lips had nothing to do with any of it.[4] For better than thirty years, from a forgotten piano act to a bill he shared with Houdini, that was the whole show: a man arguing with his own mouth in front of a paying crowd, and winning, night after night. Pull up a chair. This one's about proof.

From the keyboard to the throat

He didn't start as a ventriloquist. He started as a musical comedy act built around a George M. Cohan impersonation and trick harmonica and piano playing, a "pianologist" in the trade slang of the day, and nothing else.[1][3] The turn came around November 1908, and the newspapers caught the actual scene: Montgomery ran into A. O. Duncan, already a famous ventriloquist, who looked down his throat, gave a knowing nod, and told him, "You can do it, boy." A few simple instructions followed, and Montgomery was on his way.[3] By the week of April 26, 1909, at the Bijou in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, he was billed as "Marshall Montgomery, Pianologue and Ventriloquist," the two trades side by side while he worked out which one would carry him.[3]

The training that followed was described in print, and it reads like nothing else in this act's own record. A reporter watching him prepare wrote that every minute Montgomery wasn't onstage or asleep, he was practicing: the constant use of the throat and neck muscles had visibly thickened his neck, and the muscles around his stomach had gone hard as nails. To prove it, Montgomery squared up and let a hard blow land square on his own solar plexus, right there for the reporter to see. It had no effect at all.[3] That's not a gag line. That's eighteen months of a grown man rebuilding his own body around a stage trick.

The whistling, six language vent

By 1911 he had a new trademark. A Bridgeport newspaper billed him as "the only artist in the world who has accomplished the whistling idea in ventriloquism," and by January 1912 he was working Hammerstein's Victoria in New York on the same bill as Houdini, billed simply as "a ventriloquist who whistles."[4] By April 1913, a Detroit paper spelled out exactly how the bit worked: singing, smoking and drinking while the dummy talked, and then whistling with a handkerchief stuffed in his mouth for good measure.[4] A handkerchief jammed in your own mouth isn't a joke prop. It's there so the audience can see your lips and tongue are out of the picture entirely, and the dummy keeps right on talking anyway. Montgomery built his whole act out of proof like that: eat, drink, smoke, gag the mouth, and let the sound keep coming.[4] He kept the whistling trick working for two decades. In November 1932, an Indianapolis review still had him whistling and playing harmonica at the same time.[4]

He picked up a second reputation too. An October 1912 New Haven paper called him "the linguistic ventriloquist," able to make his figures talk in any one of six languages, and noted he'd just come home from an extended tour abroad with new tricks in tow.[5] A vaudeville pianologist who taught himself a second voice in eighteen months, then taught that second voice six languages. That's not luck. That's a man who found a formula and rode it as far as it would go.

"A hard blow on the solar plexus had not the slightest effect upon Mr. Montgomery." That's a newspaper reporter, not a press agent, describing what two years of practice had built.

An Evening at Home

Somewhere around 1916 a partner joined the act: Edna Courtenay, billed alongside him across at least seven cities over two seasons, her name spelled four different ways in as many papers (Courtenay, Courtney, Courtnay, Courtna) and not another fact about her surviving in this record beyond that.[6] She's real, she worked the stage with him for years, and she deserves better than a footnote. Somebody should go find her.

It was with Courtenay in the act that the eating bit reached its full form. A Little Rock paper in April 1916 described Montgomery "eating an entire meal while performing his ventriloquial offering, something never attempted before."[6] By July 1918 a Bridgeport paper had the whole picture built out: a furnished dining room set on the stage, a real meal at a real mealtime, and the dummy talking the entire way through it, "the hitherto unattainable feat."[7] And by March 1924, playing the Pantages circuit in Indianapolis, the whole thing had become a proper sketch with a name: "An Evening at Home," Montgomery eating his dinner while the dummy sang and, in the reviewer's words, made "many wise remarks," an act called out by name as being "away from the regular run" of that kind of turn.[8]

Years later, writing in the Oracle, Charles Hook set Montgomery's act next to the Great Lester's in print: much the same lines, eating, drinking and whistling with a handkerchief in his mouth, "an act of skill" that scored big on the two-a-day. But Hook was honest about the rest of it too. When variety shifted to the three-a-day and acts needed more comedy and less pure mechanism, Montgomery's turn didn't register as well, Hook wrote, "for he lacked comedy, and 'skill' acts were hard to put across on that time."[10] That's a fair trade for what he'd built. Montgomery sold the audience a body doing the impossible. He never much needed the jokes to sell it, and when the jokes started mattering more than the mechanism, the act aged the way skill acts do.

After the applause

He played the Hippodrome in May 1918, about as big a stage as vaudeville had, and stepped away from the business for a stretch in the 1920s.[1][2] He came back in the 1930s, and this time the rooms were smaller and louder: a regular at Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe and the New York night club circuit, the same eat drink smoke whistle proof he'd built thirty years earlier, now working for a cocktail crowd instead of a vaudeville house.[1] Figure maker Guy Jarrett built him a free-walking figure for the act, and while he lived at Brooklyn's St. George Hotel, Al Baker served as his consultant.[2]

He also took the skill somewhere vaudeville never sent him: undercover. Per the Oracle's own account, Montgomery toured hotels for the Philip Morris Company, playing an innocent looking guest while quietly throwing the line "Call for Philip Morris" into the air around him, an early planted-ventriloquism advertising stunt years before anyone called it native advertising.[9] The same throat that argued with itself onstage for thirty years spent an evening or two arguing on behalf of a cigarette brand, and nobody in the room ever saw his lips move either way.

Marshall Montgomery died in Brooklyn on September 30, 1942.[2] Ring No. 2 of the International Brotherhood of Ventriloquists, in Chicago, was named in his honor.[2]

The names beside him

taught by A. O. Duncan stage partner Edna Courtenay figure "George" figure maker Guy Jarrett consultant Al Baker honor IBV Ring No. 2, Chicago
Marshall Montgomery in formal top hat and tails, a studio portrait from his headline years
A formal studio portrait from his headline years. Photo: Conjuring Arts, via Magicpedia (Genii)

A career built entirely on what the body could be trained to do rarely leaves behind a signature joke. It leaves behind witnesses. Reporters watched a man's neck thicken from practice, watched a hard blow land on his stomach and do nothing, and wrote it up straight. That's the whole record for a man like this: not what he said, but what he proved, over and over, until the last night club let him go on and do it one more time.

Freddy Fiddlesticks, the Ventriloquism.org spokesdummy

Thirty years of dinners onstage and not once did George the wooden sailor get so much as a breadcrumb, all that talking and never a seat at his own table.— Freddy Fiddlesticks, spokesdummy

Sightings in the newspapers

842 dated notices between 1909 and 1949, sampled evenly across the career to show 60 here. Each links to the scanned page at the Library of Congress. Browse all Career Snippets

  1. 1909Apr 27 Marshall Montgomery, described as 'a versatile performer,' appeared at the Bijou (per April 27, 1909 paper) singing songs, telling jokes, playing trick piano (including with his nose, head, feet, and while standing on his head), introducing ventriloquism, and finishing his act with singing. page
  2. 1909Oct 6 Marshall Montgomery, billed as 'Ventriloquist,' performed Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday on the Bijou Circuit vaudeville bill that also featured Gennaro and his Royal Italian Band, Joe Flynn, Perry Sisters, Jack Marsa, Rice LaDell, and others (Bijou Theater, per October 6, 1909 paper). Bijou Theater page
  3. 1910Jan 26 Ventriloquist Marshall Montgomery performed at a prominent cafe (Montgomery area), described in the Jan. 26, 1910 newspaper as playing tricks on the superstitions of a black waiter, throwing his voice to sounds of chickens, fish, a dog, and a cat while eating, drinking and smoking. page
  4. 1910Mar 28 Marshall Montgomery's ventriloquist figure was called 'Little Willie.' page
  5. 1910Apr 2 Billed as 'The unparalleled Ventriloquist' on a vaudeville bill with Anna Laughlin, Fred Bay's Players, Five Juggling Normans, and Larose & Lagusta, with an Orpheum Orchestra, per a newspaper page dated 1910-04-02. Orpheum page
  6. 1910May 18 Marshall Montgomery, the ventriloquist, appeared on a variety bill (reported May 1910) alongside the three Kloss sisters (acrobatics), the five juggling Normans, the Avon Comedy Four, tenor John McCloskey, and prima donna Anna Laughlin. page
  7. 1910May 28 Marshall Montgomery, billed as 'Ventriloquist,' appeared on a vaudeville bill that included the Lancton-Lucier Co. in 'A Fool Errand,' as printed in a May 28, 1910 newspaper listing. page
  8. 1910May 31 A newspaper review said Marshall Montgomery 'triumphs again with his feats of talking, singing and whistling with his mouth closed.' page
  9. 1910Sep 20 Marshall Montgomery, billed as 'a bright Ventriloquist,' appeared on a variety bill alongside Paul Seldom's 'Poems in Marble,' Lola Merrill and Frank Otto, Lina Pantzer and Tom MacDonald, and Jarrow (sleight-of-hand), per a 1910 newspaper review. page
  10. 1911Apr 22 Appeared on the same bill as Maria Racko and Brothers (balancing act) and Carl Randall, a fifteen-year-old performer, at Manager Poli's theater, 1911. page
  11. 1911Dec 28 Described as 'the best American born ventriloquist,' who will offer 'unique voice throwing oddities' on a variety bill including Houdini, Charley Case, Leander de Cordona, T. Roy Barnes, Dick Gardner and Anna Revere, the Three Bradenbecks, and Laura Buckley. page
  12. 1912Jun 25 Marshall Montgomery, billed as 'America's foremost ventriloquist,' performed at the New Brighton Theatre and was well received, on a bill that also included Leslie Leigh and Harry Griffith in 'Miss California,' Billy Gould and Belle Ashlyn, Yosco, Franklyn Ardell and company, Annie Kent, Adonis and Dog, The Two Parroffas, and the Altus Brothers. New Brighton Theatre page
  13. 1913Feb 17 Billed as 'the extraordinary ventriloquist' making a welcome appearance on a vaudeville bill that also included W. Fields ('the silent humorist'), Newbold and Gribben, the LaGrohs, and the Jollen sisters (week of Feb 17, 1913, venue not named in clipping). page
  14. 1913Feb 21 A critic wrote that Montgomery 'is unquestionably the most finished ventriloquist in the profession,' noting he smokes, eats, and drinks while his figure carries on a witty conversation or sings topical songs. page
  15. 1913Feb 25 Marshall Montgomery, described as 'a master of ventriloquism,' performed a novel ventriloquism number as part of a vaudeville bill on 1913-02-25 that also included George Whiting and Sadie Burt, Amy Butler and the All-Star Quartet, Frank Fogarty, the Ellis Nowlan acrobatic troupe, Cartmell Harris, Paulins Moran, Edgar Berger, Blanche Sloan, Charles and Ada Latham, and Francis Stevens Co. page
  16. 1913Aug 31 Billed as 'the exceptional ventriloquist' Marshall Montgomery appeared this week on a vaudeville bill alongside violinist Ota Gygl, sketch performers Joe F. Willard and Harry V. Bond, vocalist Virginia Rankin, and the Romano brothers. page
  17. 1913Dec 11 Marshall Montgomery was billed as 'the Extraordinary Ventriloquist' at the Orpheum theater, appearing on a bill with Taylor Granville and Laura Pierpont's 'The System,' Lyons and Yosco, Clayton Kennedy and Mattie Rooney, La Toy Brothers, Billy Gould and Belle Ashlyn, and John E. Hazzard (Dec. 11, 1913). Orpheum page
  18. 1914Jan 26 His act included new ventriloquism stunts as well as older, well-liked tricks, and he was noted for ending his act promptly when the audience had had enough. page
  19. 1914Apr 26 Marshall Montgomery appeared at the Princess Theater on Monday billed as 'Ventriloquial Novelty' (April 26, 1914). Princess Theater page
  20. 1914May 18 Marshall Montgomery was billed as 'Ventriloquist Extraordinary' in an advanced vaudeville program running Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, in a Philadelphia, Pa. venue (per this 1914 newspaper listing). page
  21. 1914Jun 7 Marshall Montgomery, billed as 'the comedian ventriloquist', appeared as an added attraction on a vaudeville bill, his figure singing and talking while he ate, smoked, and otherwise used his facial muscles (per 1914-06-07 newspaper). page
  22. 1914Oct 3 Marshall Montgomery, the ventriloquist, performed at the Lyric theatre, appearing on a children's matinee bill with a dog and monkey pantomime act; a Saturday matinee (children's day) was expected to draw a great crowd, per the newspaper dated 1914-10-03. page
  23. 1915Aug 6 Marshall Montgomery, billed as the Lyric theater's headliner for the latter part of the week, performed as a ventriloquist, reviewed August 6, 1915. page
  24. 1915Nov 15 Shared the bill at the Lyric with the Colonial Quintette, Myrl and Delmar, Ernie and Ernie, and Brickman and Tatum. page
  25. 1915Dec 18 Marshall Montgomery was billed as 'An Extraordinary Ventriloquist' offering 'A Holiday Treat for Children' in a Christmas Week Festival program at a Chestnut and Twelfth Streets theatre (Philadelphia), per a notice dated 1915-12-18. page
  26. 1916Feb 13 Marshall Montgomery, billed as a ventriloquial comedian assisted by Edna Courtney, appeared on the bill (with Mike and Meyer, Josie Heather, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Voelker, Gertrude Long and Spencer Ward, Bert Melrose, Burns and Lynn, and the Grazers) for a Sunday night show, per a 1916 newspaper listing. page
  27. 1916Oct 7 Marshall Montgomery was billed as a ventriloquist on an Orpheum vaudeville program (per a 1916 newspaper listing), appearing alongside acts including Paul, Laura, Morton, Nelson, Hall, Naomi, Britt Wood ('The Juvenile Jester'), and Jack Wyatt and His Scotch Lads and Lassies. Orpheum page
  28. 1917Mar 4 During his vaudeville act (per 1917-03-04 clipping), Montgomery eats an entire meal—soup, chops, dessert and demi-tasse coffee—while performing, described as 'something unheard of among ventriloquists.' page
  29. 1917Mar 9 Marshall Montgomery, a ventriloquist of many years' experience on the Keith circuit, performed at the Lyric theater in Richmond for the last half of the week, entertaining a large audience at the final performance (reviewed in March 9, 1917 newspaper). page
  30. 1917Apr 2 Marshall Montgomery, billed as a ventriloquist extraordinary and 'the best ventriloquist in the world,' appeared on the Keith vaudeville bill at the Lyric theater on April 2, 1917, assisted by Miss Edna Courtney. page
  31. 1917Dec 17 At the Palace theater (per Dec. 17, 1917 newspaper), Marshall Montgomery appeared as 'a clever ventriloquist, assisted by Miss Edna Courtney,' among other acts on the bill. Palace page
  32. 1918Jan 28 Marshall Montgomery, billed as 'the extraordinary ventriloquist,' assisted by Miss Edna Courtney, headlined a vaudeville bill at Erber's Theatre for two days (Monday and Wednesday), described as 'the acknowledged peer of all ventriloquists.' Erber's Theatre page
  33. 1918Feb 7 Billed as 'World's Foremost Ventriloquist' in a theater program, assisted by Edna Courtney (as printed 'KIna Courtney'). page
  34. 1919Jan 12 Marshall Montgomery, billed as 'the most proficient ventriloquist in the world' by competent critics, performed that week (week of January 12, 1919) with two assistants, giving a novel and diverting entertainment featuring ventriloquism, on a vaudeville bill that also included jugglers Swan and Swan and new motion pictures. page
  35. 1919Feb 21 A feature of Montgomery's act was a 'ventriloqulal whistle' which captivated the audience. page
  36. 1919Feb 22 Marshall Montgomery was billed as 'Extraordinary Ventriloquist' among '5 Big Keith Acts' at the Bijou Theatre, with performances noted for February 22-25, 1919 (matinee 10-15c, night 10-20-30c). Bijou Theatre page
  37. 1920Feb 4 Marshall Montgomery, billed as 'Extraordinary Ventriloquist,' appeared supported by Edna Courtney in a vaudeville bill starting Tuesday matinee, February 3, 1920, alongside acts including Hyams & McIntyre, Jack Osterman, and Grace De Mar. page
  38. 1920Mar 31 Marshall Montgomery, supported by Edna Courtney (billed as 'Extraordinary Ventriloquist'), appeared in a continuous vaudeville show (11 A.M.-11 P.M.) on a bill with Kennedy Rooney, Smith Kaufman, Saranoff and Billy Abbott with Winter Garden Violin Girls, Cliff Bailey Duo, Jeanet Childs, and Takta Kawana, alongside the feature photoplay 'The White Dove' with H. B. Warner; admission 11c for children under 10, 17c general, 25c for matinees. page
  39. 1920Jun 2 Billed as 'Marvelous Ventriloquist' during 'Race Week Special' vaudeville program, appearing alongside Chas. Mack Co. Irish Comedy ('A Friendly Call'), Dixon, Bowers & Dixon, 3 Country Bumpkins, Melnotte & Leedom, Harvey & Caryl, and Art Brown and 'Yank' (Indiana Daily Times, June 2, 1920). A Friendly Call page
  40. 1920Sep 7 Marshall Montgomery, described as an 'exceptional ventriloquist,' 'won laughs with his talented dummy' in a vaudeville show that also featured Primrose's Minstrels, Albert Perry and company, and Miller and Lyles, reported in a 1920 newspaper (Sept. 7, 1920 issue). page
  41. 1921Jun 21 Marshall Montgomery put on a ventriloquist act that 'scored' in a vaudeville program reviewed in the June 21, 1921 paper, on a bill with the Barr Twin sisters, Pat and Julia Levolo, Dave Roth, Brown and O'Donnell, and the Tuscano Brothers. page
  42. 1922Feb 26 Marshall Montgomery, ventriloquist, appeared on a vaudeville bill (week of Feb 26, 1922) with Billy Arlington (headliner), Elinore Arlington, C. I. Taylor, E. F. Hennessey, Gertrude Moody and Mary Duncan in 'Opera and Jazz, Inc.', Margaret Taylor, Al Abott, and Andrew Lydon. page
  43. 1922Apr 16 Marshall Montgomery, billed as 'the world's best ventriloquist,' headlined the Majestic vaudeville circuit bill at the Rialto Theater in Laredo, Texas, for Easter Sunday-Monday (1922), supported by Miss Lucille DeHaven; his act reportedly included eating a whole meal during the performance. Rialto Theater, Laredo, Texas page
  44. 1922Jun 27 A critic wrote of Marshall Montgomery's ventriloquism act at the Lyric: 'Montgomery dons some extraordinary stunts. He is one of the best of his kind.' page
  45. 1923Apr 11 Marshall Montgomery, billed as 'the great ventriloquist,' was to top the bill at the Strand next Sunday (per a 1923-04-11 newspaper item). page
  46. 1923Apr 15 Ventriloquist Marshall Montgomery performed 'An Evening at Home' as part of a vaudeville bill, with a matinee that day; supporting acts included Ha Zar and Dale, Fletcher Clayton Revue, Artur and Lydia Wilson, and Francis Wilson. page
  47. 1923Apr 16 Marshall Montgomery, described as a great ventriloquist, headed the bill at the Strand theater (week of April 16, 1923), performing an act called 'An Evening at Home' assisted by Lucille De Haven and a dummy figure; the bill also included the Fletcher Clayton Revue and the blackface act La Zar and Dale. page
  48. 1923May 13 On the same Miller theater bill as Marshall Montgomery were the Fletcher-Clayton revue, La Zarr and Dale, Arthur and Lydia Wilson (in 'Sweethearts a la Carte'), Allen's Cheyenne minstrels, and Francis and Wilson. page
  49. 1924Aug 16 Marshall Montgomery, ventriloquist, co-headlining with the Yong Wong troupe at the Strand theater, week of Aug. 1924. page
  50. 1924Aug 23 Marshall Montgomery, billed as 'the cleverest ventriloquist in vaudeville,' topped a five-act bill at the Strand theater, sharing the bill with the Yong Wong troupe of Chinese performers, Tony Cornetta and Co., Jack Danger, and Healy, Reynold, and Saxton; the film feature was 'The Spitfire' with Betty Blythe. page
  51. 1924Aug 23 Marshall Montgomery received gifts from three monarchs, including a gold watch from King George V after a command performance at the time of his coronation, inscribed 'To M. M. from G. REX to a Great Artist—30 July 1911,' and a gift from the late Czar Nicholas of Russia (per Terry Turner, 1924-08-23). page
  52. 1924Aug 25 A reviewer called Marshall Montgomery 'one of the best ventriloqulal artists who ever appeared on a local stage' and said his work with his boy dummy 'is the acme of perfection in the art of ventriloquism' (Strand Theater, Washington, D.C., August 25, 1924). Strand Theater page
  53. 1924Sep 11 Billed as 'America's Premier Ventriloquist' on the stage at Loew's Bijou theater, appearing today (per the 1924-09-11 edition), sharing the bill with Yong Wong Troupe, Healy, Reynolds, Saxton, Tony Cornetta Co., and Jack Danger, alongside the screen showing of Tom Mix in 'Ladies to Board'. page
  54. 1926May 8 Appeared alongside Franklin (the 'beloved red head') and pianist-husband Jerry Jarnagin, Naughton and Gold, Larry Stoutenburgh, the M Gat Anos, Ted and Al Waldman, Long Tack Sam and company, and Mehlinger and Williams at B.F. Keith's, May 9, 1926. page
  55. 1926Jul 16 Marshall Montgomery, billed as 'Extraordinary Ventriloquist,' performed at Poli's Capitol for Thursday, Friday, Saturday (week of July 16, 1926), supported by Lucille De Haven and Virginia Rucker in 'Four in One,' with other acts on the bill including Carl Shaw, Roberts and Rose, Gene Jenkins, Harold William in 'Moran Warner–Collegiate and How,' and Bobo Yosco, an Italian comedian. page
  56. 1930Mar 22 Billed as 'America's Foremost Ventriloquist' appearing on 'The Laff Stage Festival' program, alongside Jimmy Burchill and the revue 'Blondes of 1930'. page
  57. 1930May 22 Marshall Montgomery, billed as 'Foremost Ventriloquist,' appeared in an RKO Vaudeville stage show starting Saturday (per the 1930-05-22 newspaper), alongside the Dixie Four quartette and the Six Franklins acrobatic act, with all seats 25c until 1 P.M. page
  58. 1930Jun 3 Marshall Montgomery, ventriloquist, appeared on a vaudeville bill (reviewed in a 1930-06-03 newspaper) alongside The Dixie Four, the Willard Singley musical comedy company, and Winchester and Ross; the review said he 'will please those who haven't seen too many ventriloquists' and noted he 'gets good support from his teammates.' page
  59. 1934Feb 12 A 1934-02-12 review describes Marshall Montgomery's ventriloquist act with his 'dummy' as 'better than the average of its kind,' noting he 'has an actual scene for his tricks and eats, smokes, walks about the stage as his dummy carries on the conversation,' calling it 'Very good showmanship.' The bill also included Joe Christie and partner, Reed and LaVere, and Mammy and her Log-Cabin boys. page
  60. 1937Mar 3 O. O. McIntyre's column (March 3, 1937) notes that since the vaudeville starring days of Marshall Montgomery there had been a lapse in ventriloquist acts. page

Sources

  1. Trav S.D., "Marshall Montgomery: Vent Who Did Cohan," Travalanche, January 9, 2013
  2. Magicpedia (Genii Magazine's magic-history wiki), "Marshall Montgomery"
  3. "The Vaudeville World," Los Angeles Herald, May 29, 1910, p.37 — Library of Congress, Chronicling America
  4. The Bridgeport Evening Farmer, April 26, 1911 — Library of Congress, Chronicling America
  5. The New Haven Union, October 21, 1912 — Library of Congress, Chronicling America
  6. Union Labor Bulletin (Little Rock, Ark.), April 29, 1916 — Library of Congress, Chronicling America
  7. The Bridgeport Times and Evening Farmer, July 31, 1918, p.9 — Library of Congress, Chronicling America
  8. The Indianapolis Times, March 25, 1924, p.3 (Home edition) — Library of Congress, Chronicling America
  9. The Oracle (International Brotherhood of Ventriloquists), November 12, 1953
  10. The Oracle (International Brotherhood of Ventriloquists), July 8, 1957, p.14 (Charles Hook)