A doll for sale that belonged to Mary Jane Kelly

[Limehouse]

Has anyone ever seen the film Magic, starring Antony Hopkins?

[Captain Hook]

Has anyone ever seen the film Magic, starring Antony Hopkins?

Hi Lime,

Yes, I have, both years ago and rather recently. Anthony Hopkins was very young in it, as I remember. I went to see the film because I had seen Hopkins in Equus and thought he was an excellent actor. I wasn't wrong, I believe. Mind you, the story of a ventriloquist possessed by his doll had been done in the 40s in Dead of Night, starring Michael Redgrave. A better film, in my opinion.

Cheers
Hook

[Roy Corduroy]

Hi,

It seems the owner is not a very caring person. If the doll is acting up and making weird noises in the attic, then why not check it into the Doll Hospital, where Bunny Lake's doll was taken.

Roy

[anna]

Mike,

It's great to hear of a dad that joins in things with the kids.

I'm still laughing at the image of you and Chuckie on the bus!!

We bought a 4ft "Animal" Muppet off the net...the delivery guy struggled with the box to my door....he goes "Wot's in it luv(sniff).....I said a 4ft Muppet...
He goes.....anyone I know????

ANNA.

[Brenda]

I would love to read some Ouija board stories. Someone start a thread!

[Graham]

"Dead Of Night" with Michael Redgrave is one of the scariest films ever made, in my opinion. I have it on video, but only watch it in broad daylight with a houseful of people...

...actually, "Dead Of Night" is the name given to the film comprising three 'shorts', of which the Michael Redgrave bit (wig and all) is just one.

I can also remember seeing (back in the 1950's) a dubbed German film of a ventriloquist whose doll 'comes alive' and takes him over, as it were...can't remember any more about that particular piece, unfortunately, except that it was film noir par excellence.

Cheers,

Graham

[richardnunweek]

Hi all,
The subject here is 'A doll for sale' it appears to have been omitted from E bay as in a form of a 'Sold to bidder'.
9000 Dollars is a lot of money for a period china doll, but it appears to have been snapped up, by someone who accepted it a possibility...that it may well be the property of Mjk.
My question is 'Are we absolutely positive that the desendants of Kelly did not move to the U.S.A, and if that was the case, are we positive that no such doll acompanied them?
Before such a 'Absolutely not' verdict can be accepted, we have to prove that, do we not?
Regards Richard.

[Simon Wood]

Hi Graham,

I worked in variety theatre for a number of years. Arthur Worsley, the po-faced ventriloquist, was on one of the bills. I remember talking to him in the prompt corner before a particular show, and before long his dummy, Charlie Brown, took over the conversation. And I, of course, ended up talking to the dummy as though Arthur wasn't there. It was one of the creepiest moments of my life.

Regards,

Simon

[Graham]

Hi Graham,

I worked in variety theatre for a number of years. Arthur Worsley, the po-faced ventriloquist, was on one of the bills. I remember talking to him in the prompt corner before a particular show, and before long his dummy, Charlie Brown, took over the conversation. And I, of course, ended up talking to the dummy as though Arthur wasn't there. It was one of the creepiest moments of my life.

Regards,

Simon

That, Simon, really IS scary....I do remember Arthur Worsley on TV years ago. Didn't he also have an aristocratic doll called Lord Charles or something like that?

I also have a memory of a radio programme about Peter Brough, where it was said he used to hold conversations with his Archie Andrews doll...brrrrr!

Cheers,

Graham

[Simon Wood]

Hi Graham,

Peter Brough and Archie Andrews made history as the only ventriloquist and dummy to make their names on radio, which made it hard to see Brough's lips move. Their big hit radio show was "Educating Archie".

The boozy Lord Charles [wore a monocle, I believe] was the dummy of Ray Allen.

Regards,

Simon

[Graham]

Hi Graham,

Peter Brough and Archie Andrews made history as the only ventriloquist and dummy to make their names on radio, which made it hard to see Brough's lips move. Their big hit radio show was "Educating Archie".

The boozy Lord Charles [wore a monocle, I believe] was the dummy of Ray Allen.

Regards,

Simon

Hi Simon,

You're right on both counts. Personally, I always loathed ventriloquists, lifelike dolls and clowns....I'm going to have nightmares tonight, I know I am!!

Cheers,

Graham

[Stephen Thomas]

Not Dead of Night or Magic

Hi Simon

When I was very young I watched an Alfred Hitchcock Presents TV show about a young lady who falls in love with a handsome stage ventriloquist who has an extremely ugly dummy. At the end she is invited backstage and reaches out to touch the ventriloquist and his head falls off.

[Simon Wood]

Hi Graham,

Just as a closing note, I would love to see a ventriloquist on the psychiatrist's couch explaining the transference of their alter-ego to an inanimate object.

As you so rightly say—scary!

Regards,

Simon

[Sam Flynn]

I would love to see a ventriloquist on the psychiatrist's couch explaining the transference of their alter-ego to an inanimate object.

It must be a defence mechanism of some sort, Simon; or perhaps, in the case of a ventriloquist's dummy, a wooden-fence mechanism

[Simon Wood]

Hi Stephen,

I don't remember this particular Hitchcock, but I can tell you that most ventriloquist's dummies heads did fall off if you didn't handle them properly. They were nothing more than a painted smile on a stick. The silk-lined cases various ventriloquists had built for their dummies were nothing short of coffins. The dummies were "laid to rest" with comforting words in between performances. I kid you not. I still cannot watch a good "vent" act without thinking about voodoo dolls and bringing people back from the dead. Inexplicable, I know, but there you are.

Regards,

Simon