Shirley Dinsdale
Encyclopedia
Shirley Dinsdale Layburn (October 31, 1926 – May 9, 1999), better known by her maiden name of Shirley Dinsdale, was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 ventriloquist and television and radio personality of the 1940s and early 1950s.

She is best remembered for her dummy, "Judy Splinters", and for the early children's television show that bears that name. In 1949, she received the first ever Emmy award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...

 (first award in the first presentation) for Outstanding Television Personality. After her television career, she also achieved success in a second career as a cardiopulmonary
Circulatory system
The circulatory system is an organ system that passes nutrients , gases, hormones, blood cells, etc...

 therapist.

Shirley was born 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...

 in 1926. After being badly burned in a household accident, she was given a ventriloquist's dummy by her artist father as part of her recovery. That dummy, which she named Judy Splinters, inspired her to make her break into radio. In 1940, at the age of fourteen, she made her start on local San Francisco radio with a show entitled Judy in Wonderland. Two years later, in 1942, she and her family moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 and she was given a spot on Eddie Cantor
Eddie Cantor
Eddie Cantor was an American "illustrated song" performer, comedian, dancer, singer, actor and songwriter...

's radio program.

During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, she was an active member of the Hollywood Victory Committee
Hollywood Victory Committee
The Hollywood Victory Committee was an organization founded on December 10, 1941 during World War II to provide a means so that for stage, screen, television and radio performers that were not in military service could contribute to the war effort through bond drives and improving morale for...

. After the war, she made her break into the budding television industry on KTLA
KTLA
KTLA, virtual channel 5, is a television station in Los Angeles, California, USA. Owned by the Tribune Company, KTLA is an affiliate of the CW Television Network. KTLA's studios are on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson...

 (also in Los Angeles) doing show announcements, birthday greetings, and small spots. These spots, while not initially prominent, garnered her critical acclaim and her Emmy award. (The award was given jointly to both her and her puppet.) After receiving the award, she was given her own Western-themed weekly children's show (entitled simply Judy Splinters) which ran from 1949 to 1950. In the years following, she also had shows in both Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

 and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

.

Post-Ventriloquism Career

In 1953, she embarked on the second phase of her life: getting married and retiring from show business. In 1966 she enrolled at the State University of New York at Stony Brook
State University of New York at Stony Brook
The State University of New York at Stony Brook, also known as Stony Brook University, is a public research university located in Stony Brook, New York, on the North Shore of Long Island, about east of Manhattan....

 to study respiratory
Respiration (physiology)
'In physiology, respiration is defined as the transport of oxygen from the outside air to the cells within tissues, and the transport of carbon dioxide in the opposite direction...

 and cardiopulmonary
Circulatory system
The circulatory system is an organ system that passes nutrients , gases, hormones, blood cells, etc...

 therapy.

In 1958 she appeared as a guest challenger on the TV panel show "To Tell The Truth".

She served as the head of the Respiratory Therapy Department at John T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson, New York
Port Jefferson, New York
The Incorporated Village of Port Jefferson is located in the town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the 2000 United States Census, the village population was 7,837...

 from 1973 to her second retirement in 1986.

Death

She died from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...

, aged 72, in 1999. On January 9, 2011, she was joined by her husband Frank Layburn, following complications from hip surgery.

External links

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