Edgar Bergen

Edgar Bergen was the most popular ventriloquist in the history of radio. He parlayed a guest appearance on The Chase and Sandborn Hour into a regular spot on the show, and eventually had his own show, The Charlie McCarthy Show. (Charlie McCarthy was the most famous of his ventriloquist's dummies). He was continually on the radio from 1937 til 1956, then was a frequent guest on television as radio's golden age drew to a close.

Of course, it wasn't Bergen's ventriloquist skills that won him such popularity in a non-visual medium like radio. Rather, it was the characters he created (most notably Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd), his wit, and his quick tongue, whether in his own voice or in that of his characters. On the radio, they were not dummies, but persons.

Shows in this collection include episodes of both The Chase and Sandborn Hour and The Charlie McCarthy Show. For more information, see the Old Time Radio Catalog.

Series description provided by Frank Bell.

Club members, listen to Edgar Bergen now.