54 - EDGAR BERGEN AND CHARLIE McCARTHY

EDGAR BERGEN AND CHARLIE McCARTHY The Hollywood Ventriloquist and His Puppet, 1930s photo, vintage silver print, stamped and annotated on the back. 25.3 x 20.6 cm, including white borders. Some signs of handling. Note: Edgar Bergen poses with Charlie McCarthy, his famous puppet wearing a monocle, top hat, and irreverent tuxedo. Created with the help of a carpenter when Bergen was still young, Charlie became his sassy alter ego. The duo enjoyed considerable success after their radio debut in 1936, followed by their own show, which launched in 1937. In a remarkable paradox for an art form based on visual illusion, Bergen established himself as one of the most famous ventriloquists in the United States thanks to radio, where Charlie McCarthy’s caustic retorts captivated audiences for nearly twenty years.