Object Details
- Rollins, Hazelle H.
- manufacturer
- Juro
- Associated Name
- Winchell, Paul
- Juro
- Description (Brief)
- This is a child's toy puppet that was popular in the 1950s and is based on Paul Winchell's character, Jerry Mahoney. Dressed in a green cloth suit, Jerry has a removable plastic head that is mounted on a wooden shaft with a moveable mouth and eyes, along with plastic hands and feet and a soft body. The puppet came in its own cardboard suitcase box, and included a special record and booklet explaining the art of ventriloquism. This is just one example of merchandising to children acting on the popularity of the Jerry Mahoney character.
- The original carved marionette of Jerry Mahoney, used by Paul Winchell, was created by the famous ventriloquist figure maker Frank Marshall who also created Edgar Bergen's Charlie McCarthy.
- Ventriloquist Dr. Paul Winchell and his puppets, Jerry Mahoney (1981.0385.01) and Knucklehead Smiff (1982.0424.01), were popular acts from 1938 through the 1980s, appearing on stage and on popular variety shows, like Ed Sullivan. Jerry Mahoney also starred in the popular television show, The Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney Show which premiered in 1950 and ran until syndicated in 1965.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Credit Line
- Gene and Nancy R. Krupa
- 1950s
- ID Number
- 1981.1085.08
- accession number
- 1981.1085
- catalog number
- 1981.1085.08
- Object Name
- puppet
- Physical Description
- plastic (overall material)
- cardboard (overall material)
- wood (overall material)
- fabric (overall material)
- Measurements
- overall: 33 in x 12 in x 6 in; 83.82 cm x 30.48 cm x 15.24 cm
- cardboard case: 15 in x 20 in x 7 in; 38.1 cm x 50.8 cm x 17.78 cm
- Associated Place
- United States: New York, New York
- See more items in
- Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
- Puppets
- National Museum of American History
- general subject association
- Puppetry
- Subject
- Radio and television broadcasting
- Television broadcasts
- Children's television programs
- Consumerism
- Record ID
- nmah_662189
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746b3-2255-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
