"Hard work never killed anyone."
- Edgar Bergen
"Still, there's no use taking chances."
- Charlie McCarthy
Edgar Bergen was one of the greatest ventriloquists who ever lived. He created a dummy partner for his act named Charlie McCarthy. Charlie was a girl-crazy, top hat wearing little kid with an Irish lilt. As a puppet, He could get away with spicy jokes that were off limits for other entertainers in the 1920s-30s.
Charlie was so edgy for his time that he even got Mae West in a little hot water.
The Quotable Mae West
Come up and see her sometime.
The History Shapes
Charlie was POPULAR with audiences. He and Bergen were so huge that they became two of the biggest stars on the radio. Let that sink in for a minute. A puppet. On the radio.
The Quotable W.C. Fields
A man who hates children and dogs can’t be all bad.
The History Shapes
At their peak Bergen and McCarthy were everywhere: movies, TV, even his own nationally syndicated comic strip.
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(Unable to join but still want to help? Send this cartoon to a friend!)
History Shapes is a free, reader-supported, independent cartoon and comic series. If you get your kicks from that sorta thing, and are able, please consider joining The History Shapes Club.
For just $5 a month you can help with research, writing, drawing, and all the work that goes into producing cartoons just like this one. There are a handful of perks, to boot. It's like PBS, but for weird history cartoons.
(Unable to join but still want to help? Send this cartoon to a friend!)
