Showing posts with label Puppet - Ventriloquist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Puppet - Ventriloquist. Show all posts

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Walk of Fame Animals Godzilla, Muppets, Kermit the Frog Big Bird

Hollywood Walk of Fame Animals
Godzilla, The Muppets, Big Bird & Kermit

Animals on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Featured on this page are Godzilla, Kermit the Frog, Big Bird and the Muppets as a group. They're sometimes live-action and not exclusively animated. This is the second half of a two-part series.

 
The only actual animals with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame are three dogs: Strongheart, Rin Tin Tin and Lassie. Links to other pages at the end of this article.

Godzilla Posters, Cases, Shirts
Retro/Contemporary, Customize
Godzilla
6925 Hollywood Blvd.

Godzilla Hollywood Walk of Fame: Godzilla (Gojira) is a daikai, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishiro Honda's 1954 film Godzilla.

The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games, novels, comic books, television series and an American remake. 

Where Godzilla is from: With the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki still fresh in the Japanese consciousness, Godzilla was conceived as a monster created by nuclear explosions and a metaphor for nuclear weapons in general. As the film series expanded, the stories took on less serious undertones portraying Godzilla in the role of a hero, while later movies returned to depicting the character as a destructive monster. ....

I read that the name Godzilla comes from the Japanese words for gorilla and whale. Do you know a BrideZilla, a BossZilla, Mom-in-Law-Zilla? What character started it all?

Attributes

Godzilla's appearance has changed over the years, but many of his characteristics have remained constant. His roar has remained the same, only changing in pitch. Godzilla's approximate appearance, regardless of the design of the suit utilized for the creature, remains the same general shape, which is instantly recognizable: a giant, mutant dinosaur with rough, bumpy charcoal-gray scales, a long powerful tail, and jagged, bone-colored dorsal fins.

Godzilla's iconic character design is a blended chimera inspired by various prehistoric reptiles, gleaned from children's dinosaur books and illustrations from an issue of Life magazine: Godzilla has the head and lower body of a Tyrannosaurus, a triple row of dorsal plates reminiscent of a Stegosaurus, the neck and forearms of Iguanodon and the tail and skin texture of a crocodile.


Godzilla's dorsal plates have themselves altered in size and appearance over the years. A Tokyo mall had a huge lighted Godzilla-shaped holiday tree recently that was a social media sensation. 

Godzilla Costumes aren't that common but they are really varied. You can find dinosaur or dragon costumes, gorilla or sea creature costumes more easily. Put them all together and have a really fun event. The adult onesie costumes, such as the dragon, dinosaur Kigurumi are Snuggie-like and really popular.


Godzilla movie trailer 1954


Godzilla's coloration has been debated. Early on when the black and white films were produced, Godzilla was thought to be green. Artwork, toys and the Hanna-Barbera cartoon showed him this way. Later his color changed in different depictions to having a greenish hue to being "his classic charcoal gray" in films in the Millennium series starting with Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack.

Although his origins vary somewhat from film to film, he is always described as a prehistoric creature, who first appeared and attacked Japan at the beginning of the Atomic Age. In particular, mutation due to atomic radiation is presented as an explanation for his size and powers. The most notable of Godzilla's resulting abilities is his atomic breath: a powerful heat ray of fire from his mouth.
--  Wikipedia

Ellie Shoes, Zilla Wedge w/Coil Trim
also available thru
Sole Boutique Velvet Bootie
Godzilla got his (its?) star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on November 29, 2004.
Artists, dress and shoe designers use these iconic characters for inspiration all the time. 

The Zilla shoe has a hidden platform of nearly 2" and silver coil trim. Are you into ruffles?

Jeffrey Campbell, known for his incredible design sense, has done a wedge shoe named after the Little Shop of Horrors character of Audrey II. Like many of these shoes they sell out fast and can be hard to find.

The larger-than-life carnivorous Venus flytrap plant's teeth are referenced with zig-zag detail. The ones that are embellished with spikes and studs are that much better.



Kermit the Frog
Kermit Disco Dancer

6801 Hollywood Blvd.

Kermit the Frog is puppeteer Jim Henson's most famous Muppet creation, first introduced in 1955. He is the main protagonist of many Muppet projects, most notably as the host of The Muppet Show, and has appeared in various sketches on Sesame Street, in commercials and in public service announcements over the years. 

Kermit was performed by Henson until his death in 1990. Since then, Kermit has been performed by Steve Whitmire. He was voiced by Frank Welker in Muppet Babies and occasionally in other animation projects.

Kermit performed the hit single The Rainbow Connection in 1979 for The Muppet Movie, the first feature-length film featuring Henson's Muppets. The song reached #25 on the Billboard Hot 100. Kermit's iconic look and voice have been recognizable worldwide since and in 2006, the character was credited as the author of Before You Leap: a frog's eye view of life's greatest lessons, which is an "autobiography" told from the perspective of the character himself. ....

Awards and commemorations

Kermit was awarded an honorary doctorate of Amphibious Letters on May 19, 1996 at Southampton College, New York, where he also gave a commencement speech. He is also the only amphibian to have had the honor of addressing the Oxford Union. A statue of Henson and Kermit was erected on the campus of Henson's alma mater, the University of Maryland, College Park in 2003.

Kermit was given the honor of being the Grand Marshal of the Tournament of Roses Parade in 1996.
Kermit/Muppets Postage
With current postage rates
On Kermit's 50th anniversary in show business, the United States Postal Service released a set of new stamps with photos of Kermit and some of his fellow Muppets on them. 

The background of the stamp sheet features a photo of a silhouetted Henson sitting in a window well, with Kermit sitting in his lap looking at him.

In 2006, on Kermit's 50th anniversary, Kermit, Texas was taken over by the frog during their homecoming week, ending with Kermit himself crowning the homecoming queen. The city of Kermit's main water tower was then painted with the face and signature of the frog. 

Musicians who play left-handed: Kermit the Frog plays the banjo. Jim Henson was left handed. Like Paul McCartney, Dennis Wilson, Jimi Hendrix and Tony Iommi, Kermit plays his banjo left-handed.

Kermit also grand-marshaled Michigan State University's homecoming parade in 2006.
-- Wikipedia  

Muppets Kermit disco dancing (seen above) posing by Disney; The Muppet Shop is just one of the Disney specialty selections. Get designs on clothing and different products.

Kermit got his star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame on November 14, 2002.

Jim Henson and some Puppet Trivia

Jim Henson, Muppets creator, also has a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame, 6631 Hollywood Blvd. He posthumously received his star on September 24, 1991, which would have been his 55th birthday. He isn't the only puppeteer on the Walk. 

Shari Lewis is one of a select group of puppeteers or ventriloquists who have stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Remember Kukla, Fran and Ollie? Jim Henson, Edgar Bergen, Paul Winchell, Fred Rogers and Fran Allison are other puppeteers or ventriloquists who have been honored with stars.


First Emmy Award 1949

On January 25, 1949 the first person to win the Emmy Award for Most Outstanding Television Personality was Shirley Dinsdale and her puppet Judy. Dinsdale was a ventriloquist for the children’s show Judy Splinters

So the first Emmy winner was not only a woman but a ventriloquist on a kid's show, to boot.  It further shows the importance of the art and children's programming.

Kermit Costume : Kermit the Frog Toddler Costume : Infant Costume Kermit the Frog costumes for adults, kids, toddlers and infants Your little one can sing and dance along to the Jim Henson's The Muppet Show with our Kermit the Frog toddler costume. The Muppets Kermit the Frog Infant costume is an officially licensed The Muppets product by Jim Henson.



Lady Gaga costume
In 2010, Lady Gaga went on German television wearing a coat made of hundreds of Kermit the Frog dolls. It was designed by Jean Charles de Castelbajac.  She wore a headband featuring a Kermit head shimmering with crystals.

"My friends and I in New York ... we believe in vanity," Gaga says, her Kermit headband staring down at her face. "I dress this way all the time because it inspires my life. I dress this way because my whole life is art and my whole life is performance." She also said, "You don't need money to live the way that I live. You just need a good idea and creativity."

The outfit was said to be a statement in honor of wearing something personalized and to call attention to the need to not wear fur and animal products.
-- quote from New York Magazine


Lady Gaga Kermit Costume : Adult Lady Gaga Frog Costume She rocks, she's eco-friendly - She won't wear real animal skin, she wears something else.....

2 piece Adult Lady Gaga Frog Costume
Comes with frog boa with lots of frogs. Would you use it as a Halloween costume? For the cocktail party at the local aquarium? Also includes frog headband. When you need a green costume, when you need to wear frogs or get noticed by the costume judges, when you want to be covered in amphibians for reasons of your own. One size. Wig and glasses are not included.

This was among the costumes featured when the characters on Glee did an homage to Lady Gaga (and Kermit?). 

Union Bay Women's U149 Sunglasses, Three colors
"Encrusted with sparkling "diamonds," logo-scripted ear pieces, and gorgeous gradient lenses with 100% UV protection."

Style and safety without the big designer price tag. Similar to a style worn by reality stars such as Kim Kardashian. Budget friendly but look great and real UV400 protection included.


Are Kermit and Miss Piggy Married??



"In The Muppet Movie, she has just won such a contest (Miss Bogen County) when she first meets Kermit and joins the Muppets.

In The Great Muppet Caper Piggy proves she has a talent for tap dancing, seemingly without knowing it. She and Kermit also kiss (on the lips, yet slightly covered) while Miss Piggy is a prisoner in jail; Miss Piggy ends up wearing Kermit's fake mustache, while Kermit has X-marks on his upper lip.

Eventually in the films, Kermit started returning her affections and (unwittingly) married her in The Muppets Take Manhattan (though subsequent events suggest that it was only their characters in the movie that married, and that their relationship is really the same as ever.)"
-- From Miss Piggy's Wikipedia entry



Kermit the Frog serenades us with Rainbow Connection





What's My Line?  November 16, 1952
First guest is a is a frog catcher, Then a woman who hand paints men's shorts.
Walter Winchell is the mystery guest



Can you do a Kermit the Frog impression?




Big Bird

7021 Hollywood Blvd.

Gund Soft and Shaggy Big Bird doll
Big Bird is the main protagonist of the children's television show Sesame Street. Big Bird, like many of the other Sesame Street characters, is a Muppet character. He is sometimes referred to simply as "Bird" by his friends.

Officially performed by Caroll Spinney since 1969, he is an eight-foot two-inch tall bright yellow bird. He can roller skate, ice skate, dance, sing, write poetry, draw and even ride a unicycle. ...

He lives in a large nest behind the 123 Sesame Street brownstone (which he had to completely rebuild in Season 32 after it was destroyed by a hurricane). 

He has a teddy bear named Radar, after Walter "Radar" O'Reilly of M*A*S*H, who had a teddy bear and was also lovably naive and innocent. Radar was given to Big Bird by Gary Burghoff when he guest starred on the show. Later on, however, it was said that Big Bird got the bear as a gift from Mr. Hooper. ....

What kind of bird is Big Bird?

It is believed that Big Bird is probably a giant canary. However, in an episode of Sesame Street Big Bird was asked if he was related to the cassowary, he replied, "I'm more of a condor." On a 1976 episode of Hollywood Squares, he said he was a lark. 

In the film, Don't Eat the Pictures, Osiris calls Big Bird an ibis. Zoologist Mike Dickison hypothesizes that Big Bird or Grandicrocavis viasesamensis, is a type of flightless crane.
 -- Wikipedia

The Colbert Report Finale




In September 1970, Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch were among the guests on the premiere episode of The Flip Wilson Show. Running on NBC, it is the first successful network variety series starring an African American.

October 2012, Big Bird has appeared on Saturday Night Live (at least once with Seth Meyers). He didn't appear on SNL alongside Paul Simon when he wore a turkey costume and sang Paul Simon still crazy after all these years November 20, 1976.

He also appeared on The Colbert Report and on the finale of Stephen Colbert's The Colbert Report in December 19, 2014, singing We'll Meet Again. Here's a list of those who appeared courtesy of the LA Times:

"Barry Manilow shared the stage with Gloria Steinem, Ken Burns and Doris Kearns Goodwin, James Franco hummed along with Henry Kissinger, Cyndi Lauper, Big Bird, Tom Brokaw and the Cookie Monster. 

"Mandy Patinkin was there and Bryan Cranston, singing along with Michael Stipe, Yo-Yo Ma, Mike Huckabee, George Lucas, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Katie Couric to name just a few. Pussy Riot showed up on tape as did former President Bill Clinton."

Cookie Monster must've appreciated the fact that Stephen Colbert had a C-shaped desk and "Cookie, Cookie, Cookie starts with C."

Big Bird was added to The Walk of Fame in Hollywood on April 21, 1994.


Big Bird Gets Political in 2012

Big Bird Costumes were popular in 2012 partly due to the mention of Big Bird and the funding of public broadcasting in a presidential debate.

Sesame Street characters are iconic, nostalgic characters for young and old
Find Big Bird Halloween Costumes Including the:
Big Bird Plush Vest Toddler/Small Child

Muppets Star on Walk of Fame

The group star for The Muppets received their group star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Tuesday, March 20, 2012

6834 Hollywood Boulevard in front of the El Capitan Theatre



 

Emcee was Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, President/CEO Leron Gubler

Guest Speakers: Walt Disney Studios President, Rich Ross; The Jim Henson Company CEO, Lisa Henson and Writer/Actor Jason Segel
How cool that families were able to attend the ceremony



Related articles of interest: 

Animals on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Part One

Animated Characters on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Part One

Celebrity family members who have Hollywood Walk of Fame stars next to or near one another

Raymond Burr Rear Window to the Senate floor : Burr remembered for playing Steve Martin (not THAT Steve Martin) in Godzilla, King of the Monsters

Contemporary Pop Rock Country Memorial Songs: Pop, Rock & Country Tribute, Memorial Songs, Inspiration from Paul McCartney, the members of Monty Python, the friends and colleagues of Jim Henson, more

Shari Lewis Lamb Chop, Las Vegas and Outer Space

There's a Skeleton in My Love Story; Love Your Local Paleontologist 

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Classic TV Christmas memories : Christmas TV Episodes

                          Retro Christmas Episodes
             Bringing Holiday Memories Back to Life

Here are some fun, memorable video clips of classic TV Christmas moments for
your viewing pleasure. It can seem like some of these characters are old friends.

Holiday TV shows can remind us of where we were, how old we were, who we were with when we first watched that episode. The characters are old familiar faces that we see on television as we're getting ready to visit our own friends and family for the season.

Christmas television shows can be a lot of fun. Each year, TV shows try to come up with new ideas for holiday shows, but the same pretty much ingredients always work for Christmas gatherings, just like in real life.

Think about all the fun, and not so fun, holiday office parties. Are you looking forward to or dreading this year's get-together with family, the in-laws? Going to make the best of a Christmas in a new town? Find feel-good memories you didn't know you remembered.

Let me know your favorite holiday TV memories. We're always updating this page, changing and adding similar videos. Due to some technical fluctuations, the page is being relocated here to the blog. Thanks and Happy Holidays. As always thank the good folks who upload these videos with comments and Likes. Videos are apt to change or be removed.
Image from Public Domain Pictures

Here are some 1950s-1960s comedies, specials, children's shows....

The Honeymooners

Jackie Gleason, Audrey Meadows, Art Carney, Joyce Randolph


The Jack Benny Program

Jack Benny Program 1957 The Jack Benny Program: Christmas Shopping...
Do you work here? No, I'm just standing behind this counter because I lost my pants....


Mr. Ed Sings Christmas Carols  
Of Course, of course


Love that Bob! Robert Cummings, Ann B. Davis is Schultzy






The Judy Garland Christmas Show 1963
Judy Garland Christmas Special 1963, with her children and much more. Her children appear and perform. 17-yr-old Liza Minnelli dances sings w/Tracy Everett. She talks about "older dancers" Fred Astaire & Gene Kelly. Mel Torme and Jack Jones appear. Lorna Luft and Joseph Luft sing, too.

The Beverly Hillbillies Christmas


Kukla, Fran and Ollie Christmas is a Time, trimming their tree, Fran Allison





Betty White A Date With the Angels, 1957



Petticoat Junction Christmas



Related Pages of Interest:

Retro Christmas TV Episodes in Color, 1960s-1970s, It's a Wonderful Life radio show, Yule Log, with Jimmy Stewart & Donna Reed


Classic Television Holiday Music, The Monkees Christmas Show, Dark Shadows, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Christmas story read by Vincent Price, Kristy MacNichol, Karen Carpenter, Charlie Chaplin, Angela Lansbury and that's not all :)

Holidays of Drama and Suspense, Retro Christmas Quiz Shows Dragnet, Alfred Hitchcock, I've Got a Secret, What's My Line

Friday, June 13, 2014

Ventriloquists Dummies, Bad Dolls on The Twilight Zone

Ventriloquist's Dummies, Bad Dolls on
The Twilight Zone
Part Three


This is the third and final part of a series. Talks about the episodes:
  • Living Doll
  • Stopover in a Quiet Town
  • Caesar and Me
  • 1947, 1949 Puppets on TV milestones

~* Living Doll *~

November 1, 1963 : Season Five 

Annabelle (Mary LaRoche) gets her daughter, Christie (Tracy Stratford) a doll called Talky Tina. The doll repeats "My name is Talky Tina and I love you very much!" Her stepdad, Erich (Telly Savalas) doesn't like the fact that Annabelle spent the money on a doll. 

On this famous episode of The Twilight Zone, Talky Tina and the stepfather don't see eye to eye. The doll has special powers. She is indestructible and the man is not. Tina quickly becomes irritated because Erich does not treat anyone in the house, including the doll well at all. Do you have a fear of evil dolls?


Voice-over artist June Foray was the voice of Talky Tina.

Talky Tina, referred to by some fans as Talking Tina, has some unflattering words for the stepdad such as "My name is Talky Tina and I don't think I like you." Only he hears her say these things.

The episode's original score is by Bernard Herrmann. Have you ever heard Cliff Richard and The Drifters' version of the song, Living Doll from 1959? 

4th Dimension iPhone 4 Case




Talky Tina Doll Replica : Gift Idea Photo Opp Talky Tina Action Figure : Comic Con Exclusive, Oooo what she said. Display your creepy dolls for an event, Halloween, Day of the Dead or everyday.

The Twilight Zone Talky Tina Doll Replica - EE Exclusive This authentically reproduced black-and-white Talky Tina Doll Replica from The Twilight Zone is a lifelike piece that stands 18" tall and features rotocast Vinyl head, arms, and legs; a soft fabric body and fabric clothing; rooted hair; eyelids that open and close and a talking mechanism. 

This is an individually-numbered, limited edition of just 1,000 pieces,  If you always wanted your own Talkie Tina doll or you want to give one as a gift to the fan in your circle of friends, here's a chance to get a licensed item that will be appreciated and admired.

~* Stopover in a Quiet Town *~
April 24, 1964

Bob and Millie Frazier (Barry Nelson, Nancy Malone) wake up in a strange house, in a deserted strange town. They vaguely recall leaving a party the night before. Who was driving?? Oh yeah, remember that on the way home, a large shadow appeared over the car. That was unusual.

Strangeness multiplies inside and outside the house as appliances are only props, food is fake, the phone doesn't work. Animals and even trees outside are fake. No one is around but they hear a girl's laughter. Are they dead? What's going on??


"The moral of what you've just seen is clear: if you drink, don't drive. And if your wife has had a couple, she shouldn't drive, either. You might both just wake up with a whale of a headache, in a deserted village, in the Twilight Zone." ... Stopover in a Quiet Town






~* Caesar and Me *~ 

April 10, 1964 : Season Five 

Jonathan West (Jackie Cooper) is unsuccessful as a ventriloquist. Little Caesar or just Caesar, his dummy suggests he commit robberies to supplement his income. The dummy has nothing to do with the famous film starring Edward G. Robinson, nor does he have anything to do with the famous pizza chain.


The niece of West's landlady knows the story and will expose him. Will Jonathan go to jail? What's to become of the ventriloquist doll, Caesar? How about the annoying niece? Will she get her due?
 




Young Candice Bergen joins her father, ventriloquist Edgar Bergen on stage on Hollywood Palace December 1964 



1947, 1949 Puppets on TV

October 13 1947: The puppet show series Junior Jamboree, later known as Kukla, Fran and Ollie, premieres on WBKB in Chicago, Illinois

December 27: Puppet Television Theater (later called Howdy Doody), a children's television program, makes its debut (NBC) (1947-1960).

January 25, 1949 : First Emmy Awards
The first person to win an Emmy Award was ventriloquist Shirley Dinsdale (& her puppet Judy). Shirley is star of the children's show Judy Splinters. The awards are given solely to Los Angeles programs.

May 19, 1975
Ventriloquist Shirley Dinsdale appeared on Tom Snyder's late-night program, Tomorrow, live from Hollywood. The other guest was comedy writer Paul Keyes.

In The Big Broadcast of 1937, a group of performing showgirls at a nightclub sit down, pull out top-hatted ventriloquist's dummies and sing along with them.

Actor Don Knotts was a ventriloquist early in his career


Ventriloquist Shirts to Customize 
Double Throat Ad T Shirts
Double Throat Ad T Shirts by clarachandler
Create your own custom tshirts at Zazzle Lots of fun for a dime Creepy Shirt
Creepy Shirt by mhaukom1
See other Dummy T-Shirts at zazzle Your Image or Text Here T-shirts
Your Image or Text Here T-shirts by CelebrationZazzle Your own artwork, business logo, image, text, maybe a drawing made by your child :: Size, quantity and style of your choice
Design unique customizable clothing online at Zazzle. BE HAPPY Clothing!!! shirt
BE HAPPY Clothing by ErniesShop Master of Puppets T Shirt
Master of Puppets T Shirt Charlie McCarthy Tshirts
Charlie McCarthy T-shirts 
Create your own shirt online at zazzle.com Ezmerelda Postage Stamp stamp
Ezmerelda Postage Stamp 


See the assortment of Mobile Phone Cases for iPhone, Samsung Galaxy & Blackberry


 

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Wooden Dummies and Wax Figures of The Twilight Zone

Dolls and Wooden Dummies
of The Twilight Zone
Part two

This is part of a short series of pages on this topic. This page talks about:

  • The Dummy
  • Miniature
  • The New Exhibit 
  • Some information on the silent film A Trip to the Moon
~* The Dummy *~
May 4, 1962 : Season Three
Cliff Robertson, as Jerry Etherson, a ventriloquist who becomes controlled by his dummy, Willie.

To escape the torment, Jerry tries drinking. He works with a different dummy, Goofy Goggles. Willie gets locked in a trunk. The plan is to leave town. Jerry's agent suggests the need for psychiatric help.

When Jerry asks a lady for a date, his manner becomes irrational and he frightens her away. Will Willie win?? And Why?


Twilight Zone Cliff Robertson Ventriloquist 8x10 photo

~o~o~o~ ~o~o~o~ ~o~o~o~

Pinocchio aside, puppets, ventriloquist's dummies, figures, marionettes, etc. have gotten a really bad rap in science fiction. In 1967, Season two of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea had an episode called The Deadly Dolls. Part of the horrifying happenings include puppets, created by machines from the future that have traveled into the present! 

Edgar Bergen is one of the most famous ventriloquists of all time. He even had a successful radio show. A ventriloquist on the radio is a successful ventriloquist.




Frank Marshall: Jerry Mahoney's Creator-- What's My Line, Paul Winchell on panel Word is Candice Bergen is doing a film about her father's life 

What's on Special? Check out All Zazzle Sale Items, Coupon Codes Customizeor Create Your Own.

WoodFellas Tshirt
WoodFellas Tshirt Are you a fan of the film, Goodfellas? :) by HeppCat
Retro Vintage Kitsch Romance Kiss Three's a Crowd T-shirts
Retro Vintage Kitsch Romance Kiss Three's a Crowd T-shirts Is this guy a friend of Willie, the dummy in the Twilight Zone episode?


Will he start running your life for you? Watch out! The Dummy starred Cliff Robertson Willie, The Dummy, Articulated 8" Action Figure Each exceptionally lifelike character features authentic fabric clothing Will he get along with Barbie and Ken? GI Joe?

"What's known in the parlance of the times
as the old switcheroo, from boss to blockhead in a few uneasy lessons. And if you're given to nightclubbing on occasion, check this act. It's called Willie & Jerry, and they generally are booked into some of the clubs along the 'Gray Night Way' known as the Twilight Zone." ... The Dummy





Rod Serling 1959 Interview pre-Twilight Zone interviewed by Mike Wallace






~* Miniature *~
February 21, 1963 : Season Four
Charley Parkes (Robert Duvall) has trouble fitting in with society and with his sister and brother-in-law at home. Hanging out at the museum, he falls in love with a small figure of a woman in a dollhouse-type display. He returns to the exhibit and believes she is coming alive before his eyes.

Put under the care of a doctor, he must convince them that he's fine so he can once more see the woman of his dreams. Will they reunite? Is this union meant to be?

Twilight Zone #14 - 16x20 Inches Photograph High Quality


'Trip to The Moon' : Awards, Home Decor : Ornaments Shhhhh Shhhhh ornament
Shhhhh by joedragt
More Ventriloquist Ornaments,Decorations Grace the Dummy mannequin at Saks Fifth Ave store ornament
Grace the Dummy mannequin at Saks Fifth Ave store  
A Trip to the Moon ornament
A Trip to the Moon by scenesfromthepast

A Trip to the Moon, Le Voyage dans la Lune, alternately Voyage to the Moon, is a 1902 French black-and-white silent science fiction film. It is based loosely on two popular novels of the time, Jules Verne's From the Earth to the Moon and H. G. Wells' The First Men in the Moon. 

The Village Voice named it one of the 100 greatest films of the 20th century. The film was directed, produced, written and starring French film pioneer Georges Méliès. A Trip to the Moon is the first known science fiction film, and uses innovative animation and special effects, including the well-known image of the spaceship landing in the Moon's eye.  

A Trip to the Moon was just one of 23 films Melies made in 1902. You can get an idea of his range in such titles as The Man with the Rubber Head, The Treasures of Satan, The Eruption of Mount Pelee and The Coronation of Edward VII.
-- Information thanks to TCM Turner Classic Movies and Wikipedia


Mannequin with leg and arm removed ornament
Mannequin with leg and arm removed
Tie on the outside of a package as a hint: I Fall to Pieces or That costs an arm and a leg by retrofile

Vintage Science Fiction Spa Beauty Salon Manicures ornament
Vintage Science Fiction Spa Beauty Salon Manicures by YesterdayCafe
** I got this fun design on a T-Shirt and I've been stopped twice already by people asking where I got it and who created the design.
Create a personalized photo ornament at Zazzle
Vintage Science Fiction Scientist in Laboratory Courier Bags
Vintage Science Fiction Scientist in Laboratory Courier Bags I can make you a man by YesterdayCafe   more Rickshaw messenger bags.

Have you seen the early horror film such as the 1935 Bride of Frankenstein with Boris Karloff as the Monster, Elsa Lanchester as Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and The Monster's Bride and Una O'Connor as Minnie just to name a few of the players? This was the first sequel to Frankenstein (1931).

We see Dr. Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger) show Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Clive) some homunculi, miniature people whom he's created including a miniature queen, king, archbishop, devil, ballerina, and mermaid. They are in glass containers. 

Interesting note, in the original novel Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus,  Dr. Frankenstein's first name was Victor. In these 1930s films, his name is Henry. Some refer to him now as Victor Henry Frankenstein. A later film shows his tombstone bearing the name "Heinrich."

In a 1936 Tod Browning movie, The Devil Doll starring Lionel Barrymore and Maureen O'Sullivan as his daughter. Barrymore's character is able to shrink people to miniature size and some of these mini people do dastardly deeds at his command.


~* The New Exhibit *~
April 4, 1963 : Season Four
Martin Senescu (Martin Balsam) is an employee of a wax museum. The museum is set to close and be replaced by a strip mall of sorts.  Martin asks if he may have five wax figures, murderers, from his department--Jack the Ripper, Albert W. Hicks, Henri Bluebeard Landru, Hare and Burke. Mr. Ferguson lets him take them home. 

He spends a lot of time with the murderous wax quintet. His wife, Emma isn't pleased to see them, they terrify her. Dave, her brother has an idea of how to destroy the figures. When Emma sneaks off to carry out the plan, in the middle of the night no less, her life is in danger!
"The New Exhibit became very popular at Marchand's. But of all the figures, none was regarded with as much dread than Martin Lombard Senescu. It was something about the eyes, people said; it's the look one often gets after taking a quick walk through the Twilight Zone." ... The New Exhibit

Did you see Vincent Price in the film, House of Wax? Other movies like that? What are your favorites?


Also Available: Glamour Mannequin Drama Queen Laptop / iPad covers

This is part of a limited series.

Links to Related Pages of Interest:

Jessica Tandy and Claude Rains on Alfred Hitchcock Ventriloquist Stories

Where the woodbine twineth- Dolls that may comfort and frighten 

Books to help parents and kids going to the hospital  For parents, kids, family members going to the hospital; Inform, Prepare, Ease Children's Fears 

Monday, June 9, 2014

Dolls, Wooden Dummies, Mannequins of The Twilight Zone

The Dolls, Wooden Dummies, Mannequins & Mystic Seers of The Twilight Zone

Do you have scary memories of any of these dolls? Fear of becoming a doll, or a statue or perhaps worse? What is it that science fiction writers tap into when they write these stories? Nervous about an evil puppet? There are television dolls like Mrs. Beasley from Family Affair or Kitty Carry-All from The Brady Bunch.
There will be a short series of pages on this topic. This page talks about:
  • The Nick of Time
  •  The After Hours
October 2nd, 1959 The Twilight Zone premiered on CBS.

There were other dolls and the like such as Wednesday Addams' Marie Antoinette the headless doll on The Addams Family or Chuck's ventriloquist dummy friend, Bob on Soap. These were maybe a little more curious but still they didn't quite fall into the realm of television science fiction. Are the Twilight Zone dolls the most fun to play with?

Always been interested in ventriloquists' dummies? National Ventriloquist Week is in July. Ventriloquism gets the recognition it deserves!

Most of the dolls on this series of pages are from one show, The Twilight Zone. Some others that fit into the genre are mentioned as well.

Some are ventriloquists' dummies, wax statues, mannequins and one fortune-telling coin-operated mystic seer. Sometimes people seem to turn into dolls, dolls appear to be life-like.

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Night Gallery and One Step Beyond also had episodes dealing with dolls.

Plot spoilers are guaranteed throughout, also there are images and video clips from some of the episodes when available.

Image of Telly Savalas Talky Tina Twilight Zone Episode 16x20 Photo

The Mystic Seer


  
The Twilight Zone Mystic Seer Replica
Do you have a cafe or restaurant? 
Just right for your pop-up small business

Features a working coin mechanism. Can act as a bank It even dispenses 'fortunes.' 
Measures about 13 1/2" x 7 1/2" wide x 6" long.   

The fortune teller is featured in the legendary episode Nick of Time starring William Shatner. It comes complete with napkin holder and menu holder just like in the show. It also has a certificate of authenticity.

Nick of Time November 18, 1960 : Season Two


Twilight Zone Nick of Time Trading Cards
Newlyweds Don and Pat Carter's car breaks down in Ridgeview, Ohio. They wait for the car to be serviced in a diner, the Busy Bee Cafe, that has a fortune-telling machine, a Mystic Seer. 

They ask it questions, first in jest, to kill time. The answers, Don starts to believe, may be foreboding warning of dreadful things to come. 

He begins to quiver and quake while Pat tries to pull him away from the machine.

From the front of the fortune telling machine/napkin holder:
Ask me a Yes or No question.
Does He/She love me?
Will I become Rich?
Is My future Bright?


Don asks when should they leave. Before or after 3pm? Where should they live? They go outside and the newlyweds are almost hit by a car. Their mechanic gives them news that appears to confirm what the Mystic Seer said. What else could happen??

Shatner did several memorable episodes of the show.

Some Mystic Seer answers:
It is quite possible
It has already been taken care of
You may never know
Your chances are good


Compare some Magic Eight Ball answers:

Without a doubt
As I see it, yes
Ask again later
My sources say no

Twilight Zone #5 - 16x20 Inches Photograph High Quality

  
The After Hours
June 10, 1960 : Season One

Marsha, Marsha, Marsha. Marsha White (Anne Francis) wants a present for her mother. She's shopping in a department store. Perhaps a special golden thimble on the ninth floor?


A mysterious elevator man takes her to the even more mysterious ninth floor where she appears to be the only shopper. Need more? The ninth is a floor beyond the elevator gauge.


There is trouble with the thimble but that soon becomes a tiny speck in Marsha's situation when she's locked in the store and mannequins start coming to life around her. What is a girl to do? Think, Marsha, think. Your mom really doesn't want that thimble anyway.

Do you have a favorite mannequin-comes-to-life movie? There are several of them from the US and other countries.

The Lonely, a Season One episode takes place on an asteroid in the year 2046. Corry (Jack Warden) is an inmate in solitary confinement on an an asteroid. He's sent a lifelike robot woman to keep him company. She is named Alicia (Jean Marsh). Others in the cast include Ted Knight and John Dehner. Famed composer Bernard Herrmann provided music for this episode.

ANNE FRANCIS/TWILIGHT ZONE/8X10 PHOTO



Many TV series, dramas and comedies, featured puppets and dolls, Even Night Court


Science Fiction Old Time Radio MP3s : How much has come true?? ;-)
Science Fiction Listener Favorites Join Father Payton, Willis Cooper and Arch Oboler as they shoot through space, time, and do donuts around fleets of UFO armies. This collection includes Science Fiction listener favorites from and wide range of Old Time Radio classic series. 

From Suspense to Lights Out to favorites such as Mysterious Traveler and Quiet Please, this collection contains the best of Old Time Radio science fiction. Also included are some very rare shows Cloud Nine and Planet Man.
-- Text from the OTRCat site 

Collection of Old Time Radio Science Fiction Shows: Take your pick.

This page is part of a limited series.