Valentine Vox

Valentine Vox (born Jack Riley; February 20, 1939) is a British born American ventriloquist and author known for his scholarly book on the history of ventriloquism, I Can See Your Lips Moving: the history and art of ventriloquism, which traces the practice back some three thousand years.

As a ventriloquist Vox’s career spanned over 50 years appearing in venues around the world in theatre, cabaret and on television. Besides English, he has performed his act in Japanese and German languages. In 1967 Edgar Bergen described Valentine as: A dishonest ventriloquist — because he doesn’t move his lips.[1]

In 1997 Vox became the director of the International Ventriloquist Association[2] and organized annual conventions in Las Vegas[3] from 1997 to 2003 where he brought together some of the world top ventriloquists which included Jeff Dunham, Nina Conti, Jay Johnson, Ronn Lucas, Mallory Lewis, and Paul Winchell.

Vox took his name[4] from the 1840 Victorian novel by Henry Cockton, The Life and Adventures of Valentine Vox the Ventriloquist.

Works

References

  1. ↑ "Dummy Makes Money". The Reporter (Toronto): 4. December 1968.
  2. ↑ "At this wedding who will say 'I Do'?". The New York Sun (Weekend Edition): 1. 25 April 2003.
  3. ↑ Mark Sceurman; Mark Moran; Matt Lake (2008). U. S.: The Oddyssey Continues - Your Travel Guide to America's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. pp. 254–. ISBN 978-1-4027-4544-7.
  4. ↑ Helen Davies (21 August 2012). Gender and Ventriloquism in Victorian and Neo-Victorian Fiction: Passionate Puppets. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 182–. ISBN 978-1-137-24135-1.