''I'm No Dummy'' is a 2009 documentary film about
ventriloquism
Ventriloquism, or ventriloquy, is a performance act of stagecraft in which a person (a ventriloquist) creates the illusion that their voice is coming from elsewhere, usually a puppeteered prop known as a "dummy". The act of ventriloquism is ve ...
directed by
Bryan W. Simon
Bryan. W. Simon, is a stage and film director, and writer. Simon grew up in Waukegan, Illinois and attended Waukegan High School, College of Lake County. Simon directed his first professional stage play at age 17, the regional tour of a childrenâ ...
, produced by Marjorie Engesser through Montivagus Productions. It premiered at the 2009
Seattle International Film Festival
The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees. The SIFF runs for more th ...
before being released theatrically in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
by Salient Media and
NBCUniversal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate corporation owned by Comcast and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States.
NBCUniversal is primari ...
in 2010.
A Two Disc Limited Edition IâM NO DUMMY was released on September 18, 2015, by Pop Twist Entertainment and MVD. It was subsequently released in Germany, Great Britain, France and Spain on August 22, 2016.
[IMDB Release Info](_blank)
/ref>
The comic documentary examines and deconstructs this now obscure art form through clips, photos and interviews with many of the greatest âventsâ from today and yesterday as well as their puppets. The idea came to Simon while on a bike ride in Los Angeles, as he kicked around ideas for a new project and decided to focus on a documentary about something he loved as a child. The film stars Jeff Dunham, Jay Johnson and Lynn Trefzger and features Kelly Asbury, Tom Ladshaw, Jimmy Nelson and Willie Tyler. Archival footage of Edgar Bergen, Paul Winchell and Senor Wences is also included in the feature.
/ref>
Cast
* Jeff Dunham
Jeffrey Douglas Dunham (born April 18, 1962) is an American ventriloquist, stand-up comedian and actor who has also appeared on numerous television shows, including ''Late Show with David Letterman'', ''Comedy Central Presents'', ''The Tonigh ...
* Jay Johnson
* Lynn Trefzger
Lynn may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Lynn (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Lynn (surname)
* The Lynns, a 1990s American country music duo consisting of twin sisters Peggy and Patsy Lynn
* Lynn ...
* Jimmy Nelson
* Tom Ladshaw
Tom or TOM may refer to:
* Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or TomĂĄs or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name)
Characters
* Tom Anderson, a character in '' Beavis and Butt-Head''
* Tom Beck, a character ...
* Kelly Asbury
Kelly Adam Asbury (January 15, 1960 â June 26, 2020) was an American animated film director, writer, voice actor, and illustrator. He was best known for directing animated films, including ''Shrek 2'', '' Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron'', '' ...
The Filmâs Structure
Director Simon poses two questions or themes in the film. First, is ventriloquism an art form or some inconsequential variety act? And two, if it is an art form, is it a dying art form?
In order to deconstruct ventriloquism, Simon approached IâM NO DUMMY like a book, dividing the various aspects into âchapters.â Each chapter, utilizes interviews, photos and performance clips and examines a specific facet that changed and advanced ventriloquism. There is approximately 45 minutes of performance footage and nearly 100 photos in the film.
Prologue/Teaser
IâM NO DUMMY opens with a comical, fast-paced prologue with clips and puppets stating in their own way that they are not âdummies.â
What's ventriloquism?
This chapter defines ventriloquism from the ventriloquistsâ and puppetsâ point of view, such as Jay Johnson who states, âVentriloquism is the art form of acting and reacting within the same word, much less the same scene.â Lynn Trefzger says, âItâs a way of expressing different sides of my personality,â and Israeli ventriloquist Allan Blumenstyk states, âGiving a character life aside from yourself. Itâs not just speaking, itâs what you are speaking. And how you are speaking it and how you are conveying what you want to say through yourself and through your figure. â German ventriloquist Stevo Schulling defines ventriloquism as, âVery much a focus through which I can see life and our times.â These and many more definitions are illustrated using performance clips.
Why vent?
In this chapter, four ventriloquists â Lynn Trefzger, Jeff Dunham, Willie Tyler, and Jay Johnson â discuss and illustrate through performance clips why they are âVents.â
Don't move your lips.
This chapter begins, with a clip from âThe Dyke Van Dyke Showâ in which Mel Cooley, portrayed by Richard Deacon, performs ventriloquism very badly. Ventriloquists such as Jimmy Nelson, Stevo Schulling, Jeff Dunham, and Jay Johnson explain and prove through performance clips just how important technique is to the art form. Author Dr. David Goldblatt states, âI think that itâs not so much the lips moving, but is the personality exchange going seamlessly? And I think thatâs what really makes the best of the ventriloquists. The idea of that seamless exchange, that one can switch those personalities or characters between the ventriloquist and the dummy very quickly.â
There's two of us here!
Jeff Dunham states, âIf I believe onstage that these guys are carrying on a conversation with me and are actually real, that audience is easily sucked into that reality as well. But then, every once I have to throw in something to break that wall down and go, âLook, you people. This is all fake. You realize I am arguing with myself?ââ This section dissects the illusion of ventriloquism with performance clips featuring British vent Arthur Worsley, Jeff Dunham, Jimmy Nelson, Lynn Trefzger, and others. As an historian, Tom Ladshaw aptly states, âThere is not only the suspension of disbelief, but the suspension of belief there on the puppetâs part.â
What's SOAP got to do with it?
Jay Johnson co-starred for four years on the ground-breaking sitcom SOAP. His performance permanently changed the modern audiences view of ventriloquism. He also starred in the one man Tony AwardÂź winning Broadway show Jay Johnson: The Two and Only! A ventriloquism first.
It's old school?
As opposed to an overview of each ventriloquist's life, âItâs old school?â highlights a singular contribution by four historic ventriloquists that elevated ventriloquism. Interviews and performance clips offer a look into their influence.
Paul Winchell
Paul Winchell (''nĂ©'' Wilchinsky; December 21, 1922 â June 24, 2005) was an American actor, comedian, humanitarian, inventor and ventriloquist whose career flourished in the 1950s and 1960s. From 1950 to 1954, he hosted ''The Paul Winchell S ...
As author Kelly Asbury points out, âPaul Winchell really was determined to get the dummy off his knees. He knew if he wanted to set himself apart from what people usually associated with ventriloquists, the little wooden dummy on a ventriloquistâs knee, he had to change something.â As illustrated through numerous clips, Paul Winchellâ s puppets were extremely animated, changing forever the possibilities for puppet manipulation. Clips from Paul various television shows and his appearance on The Ed Sullivan show are used throughout the segment.
Senor Wences
Senor Wences forever changed the way people looked at ventriloquism. He often used a combination of ventriloquism, magic and juggling, having appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show a record number of times. Historian Tom Ladshaw stated, âSo he had these various talents and he put them together in this bizarre mixture that probably no one else in the world ever would have come up with. And today we describe it as surrealist in nature.â
Jimmy Nelson
Author Kelly Asbury states, âEvery ventriloquist today had Jimmy Nelsonâs instructional album. So many people working today go back to that,â and Historian Tom Ladshaw points out âThatâs what so many of us in the early sixties learned with, was that album.â He, Danny OâDay and Farfel were the spokespersons for Nestles Quick for over 10 years. Kelly Asbury concludes, âJimmy Nelson really has two legacies. On a broad scale, his legacy is as one of the greatest television pitch men of all time. He really is part of an era of people who did television commercials, who did them live. His other legacy is also as a very generous guy in teaching young ventriloquists; up and coming ventriloquists over the years who were interested in the art form from his instructional records.â Clips include his appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show, Texaco Star Theater as well as Nestles Quick commercials.
Edgar Bergen
Edgar John Bergen (born Edgar John Berggren; February 16, 1903 â September 30, 1978) was an American ventriloquist, actor, comedian, vaudevillian and radio performer, best known for his proficiency in ventriloquism and his characters Ch ...
Kelly Asbury
Kelly Adam Asbury (January 15, 1960 â June 26, 2020) was an American animated film director, writer, voice actor, and illustrator. He was best known for directing animated films, including ''Shrek 2'', '' Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron'', '' ...
opens this segment by stating, âEdgar Bergenâs considered the great master in this day and age. Certainly his great accomplishment, and itâs really a testament to how well-rounded and believable his characters were, was because he was able to gain such giant super stardom. Historian Tom Ladshaw continues, âHe created in Charlie McCarthy a living, breathing character. Charlieâs not a puppet, even a puppet with a personality. Heâs a person. Itâs not Edgar Bergen and his dummy, Charlie McCarthy. Itâs Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy.â Clips from many of Bergen's films are used to illustrate his influence.
Where do dummies go when they die?
âWhere do dummies go when they die?â is an overview of the Vent Haven Museum located in Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky. This is the only museum in the world dedicated to the art of ventriloquism.
End of an era?
âEnd of an era?â poses the question, is ventriloquism a dying art? Ventriloquists weigh in on that very important question. Jay Johnson shares his thoughts, âBut I know itâs not a dying art, because art never dies. Art is an expression. And we have to stop expressing to kill an art form.â This section ends with Jeff Dunham, the most prominent modern ventriloquist, employing interviews, comments from fans and concert footage.
Epilogue
Presents what ventriloquists from the past and present are doing today.
Critical reception
The documentary has received high praise from film critics as well as the general public. The website Serious Comedy said, "''I'm No Dummy'' gives voice to the history and art of ventriloquism. This is a fascinating, interesting, fun to watch, and funny documentary." Patrick Hickey of ReviewFix.com stated, "With all of his segments a complete success, itâs easy to see why ''I'm no Dummy'' is a quality piece of cinema. Charming, thoughtful and fun, from start to finish."ReviewFix.com review
/ref> Edward Yerke-Robins of LAist commented that, "''I'm No Dummy'' presents ventriloquism as a complicated, controlled, and nuanced exercise. ''I'm No Dummy'' isn't interested in throwing the last word on ventriloquism; its only wish is to entertain while it educates, and it does so beautifully."[Edward Yerke-Robins of LAist review](_blank)
References
{{reflist
2009 films
2009 documentary films
American documentary films
Documentary films about entertainers
Ventriloquism
2000s English-language films
2000s American films