On September 2, 1941, U.S. Design Patent Nos.: 129,255 and 129,256 issued to Edgar Bergen, who was a ventriloquist, radio performer and screen actor, as well as the father of actress Candice Bergen of "Murphy Brown" fame. Bergen is best known for his lifelong association with his puppet and alter ego, Charlie McCarthy, who Bergen first performed with in vaudeville in the 1920's. Bergen and McCarthy later progressed to one-reel movie shorts and then radio, with their big break coming on December 17, 1936 when they guest-starred on Rudy Vallee's radio show. Their performance was so well received that they were soon given their own radio show, which became known as The Charlie McCarthy Show. The show remained on the radio for almost twenty years, finally signing off on July 1, 1956.
During the on-air run of the The Charlie McCarthy Show, Bergen introduced a number of other puppets, or really characters, since they were not seen, at least to radio listeners. The most well-known of these other puppets included the dimwitted yokel "Mortimer Snerd" and the man-crazy "Effie Klinker". Less well-known puppets included the barnyard hens "Maisie" and "Matilda", the Swedish fisherman "Lars Lindquist", the gorgeous blonde "Podine Puffington" and the cantankerous "Ophelia". The barnyard hens Maisie and Matilda were most likely the subjects of the '255 and '256 design patents. Why Bergen chose to protect these two puppets and not the others is a bit of a mystery. It certainly wasn't for their looks.
Another mystery is how a ventriloquist like Bergen became so popular on the radio, where his audience couldn't see him or his puppets. Part of it was the era. People were accustomed to listening to radio shows and didn't expect to always be visually entertained. Mostly, however, it was because of Bergen's immense talent. He was a skilled vocal performer and had the ability to create and develop memorable characters that were humorous and entertaining. One admirer described Bergen's talents as being magical, asserting that: "Edgar Bergen's work with Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd was magic, magic in the real sense. Something happened when Edgar spoke through Charlie, things were said that couldn't be said by ordinary people. It's a way of looking at ourselves and our world in a fresh perspective. That's what theater does and what humor does and what Edgar Bergen did. He left this world a happier place because he was here, and I think that's about the finest thing a person can do with his life." The admirer was none other than Jim Henson, the creator of the Muppets, who identified Bergen's work as one of his inspirations.
Another mystery is how a ventriloquist like Bergen became so popular on the radio, where his audience couldn't see him or his puppets. Part of it was the era. People were accustomed to listening to radio shows and didn't expect to always be visually entertained. Mostly, however, it was because of Bergen's immense talent. He was a skilled vocal performer and had the ability to create and develop memorable characters that were humorous and entertaining. One admirer described Bergen's talents as being magical, asserting that: "Edgar Bergen's work with Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd was magic, magic in the real sense. Something happened when Edgar spoke through Charlie, things were said that couldn't be said by ordinary people. It's a way of looking at ourselves and our world in a fresh perspective. That's what theater does and what humor does and what Edgar Bergen did. He left this world a happier place because he was here, and I think that's about the finest thing a person can do with his life." The admirer was none other than Jim Henson, the creator of the Muppets, who identified Bergen's work as one of his inspirations.