Figure Name:
George
Date Created:
Unknown (late 19th/early 20th century) Created by:
Unknown
Used by:
Jules Vernon
Special Features:
Ears wiggle
Trivia:
1. George was used by vaudeville ventriloquist
Jules Vernon (real name Walter Lester Pope Knyvette) in a skit
consisting of several other characters.
2. As was the standard practice in vaudeville times, Vernon's
performance focused more on entertaining the audience with Vernon's
ability to switch quickly from one voice to another and Vernon's
ability to manipulate several characters at once, rather than
focusing on being funny (though humor was an integral part of the
act).
3. George is one of six Vernon figures in the Vent Haven collection.
The six figures are mounted onto a bench that Vernon would stand
behind during performances.
4. Vernon went blind on Christmas morning of 1920.
5. A proud man, Vernon never let the audience know about his
blindness. Before each performance his wife would run an almost
invisible string from the offstage area to the bench. When it
was time for Vernon to come onstage, he would use the string as a
guide to lead him to his spot.
6. George had a terrible stutter, which was a running joke
throughout Vernon's act.
7. You can click
here to see more photos of George and Vernon, as well as
photos of George's compatriots in Vernon's act.
Do you have additional information about this
figure? Do you have a suggestion for a future Figure of the Month? Is there a figure
maker whose work you would like to see featured? Let us know by emailing
the Vent Haven staff. |
