Jules Vernon
Encyclopedia
Jules Vernon was born Walter Lester Pope Knyvette, in East India
, as the son of an English officer in the army. Though educated at the University of Oxford
, he achieved fame through becoming a famed vaudeville
performer, specializing in ventriloquism
.
Vernon’s act consisted of seven puppet
characters who would engage in humorous dialogue with each other as well as Vernon. Although the dialogue undoubtedly provided a major element of the entertainment value in Vernon’s act, further entertainment was derived from his sheer ability to jump from character to character without a hitch. His characters included the Old Maid, who sang; George, who was afflicted with a terrible stutter; Nettie, George’s sister with a cleft lip; the Sailor; Joe, usually the main figure in the act; and Happy, a character who never spoke, but only laughed at the other characters’ jokes. All six of these figures (the seventh is not among the group) are on display at the Vent Haven Museum
in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky
.
As time passed, however, Vernon began to lose his eyesight, and, according to correspondence, he eventually went blind on Christmas morning, 25 December 1920, in the middle of a performance at the Orpheum Theater in Spokane, Washington
. However, this setback did not hinder Vernon’s ventriloquist act in any way. He continued to travel and perform, never revealing to any of his audiences that he was blind. This was achieved by mounting his puppets together on a bench, which were connected to a thread running from the bench to the backstage, which was set up by Vernon’s wife before the show began. Vernon would follow the thread to the bench, and once in the proper place, knowing where each control was, he was able to perform as though he could in fact see - using this method he continued successfully performing for years.
Vernon died on 17 May 1937, when he was struck by a speeding taxi cab in San Francisco, California
. He was 70 years old.
East India
East India is a region of India consisting of the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Orissa. The states of Orissa and West Bengal share some cultural and linguistic characteristics with Bangladesh and with the state of Assam. Together with Bangladesh, West Bengal formed the...
, as the son of an English officer in the army. Though educated at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, he achieved fame through becoming a famed vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
performer, specializing in ventriloquism
Ventriloquism
Ventriloquism, or ventriloquy, is an act of stagecraft in which a person manipulates his or her voice so that it appears that the voice is coming from elsewhere, usually a puppeteered "dummy"...
.
Vernon’s act consisted of seven puppet
Puppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
characters who would engage in humorous dialogue with each other as well as Vernon. Although the dialogue undoubtedly provided a major element of the entertainment value in Vernon’s act, further entertainment was derived from his sheer ability to jump from character to character without a hitch. His characters included the Old Maid, who sang; George, who was afflicted with a terrible stutter; Nettie, George’s sister with a cleft lip; the Sailor; Joe, usually the main figure in the act; and Happy, a character who never spoke, but only laughed at the other characters’ jokes. All six of these figures (the seventh is not among the group) are on display at the Vent Haven Museum
Vent Haven Museum
Vent Haven Museum is the world's only museum of ventriloquial figures and memorabilia. The museum is in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, just 5 miles south of Cincinnati, Ohio....
in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky
Fort Mitchell, Kentucky
As of the census of 2010, there were 8,207 people, 3,530 households, and 2,033 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,581.8 people per square mile . There were 3,744 housing units at an average density of 1,195.0 per square mile...
.
As time passed, however, Vernon began to lose his eyesight, and, according to correspondence, he eventually went blind on Christmas morning, 25 December 1920, in the middle of a performance at the Orpheum Theater in Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
. However, this setback did not hinder Vernon’s ventriloquist act in any way. He continued to travel and perform, never revealing to any of his audiences that he was blind. This was achieved by mounting his puppets together on a bench, which were connected to a thread running from the bench to the backstage, which was set up by Vernon’s wife before the show began. Vernon would follow the thread to the bench, and once in the proper place, knowing where each control was, he was able to perform as though he could in fact see - using this method he continued successfully performing for years.
Vernon died on 17 May 1937, when he was struck by a speeding taxi cab in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. He was 70 years old.