The Great Lester

The Great Lester

Harry Lester (1878 – 1956), born Maryan Czajkowski in Poland, best known by his stage name The Great Lester, was a seminal vaudeville ventriloquist.

Ventriloquist act

Lester claimed to have carved his dummy, Frank Byron, Jr. himself when he was young. "Coronet" cited Frank Marshall of Chicago as his carver. [Citation | last = Drury | first = Don | author-link = Don Drury | title = Stepfather to Charlie McCarthy | journal = Coronet | volume = | issue = | pages = p. 117 | date = March 1945 | year = 1945 | url = http://www.ventriloquistcentral.com/tribute/makers/coronet.pdf]

Called the "Grandfather of Modern-Day Ventriloquism", Lester claimed to be the first to drink while his dummy spoke; however, Joe Laurie notes that this trick was first performed in 1821.

One of Lester's most noted acts was a bit where he called up Heaven and Hell in search of his sister. He was also the first ventriloquist to walk among the audience while his dummy whistled.

Legacy

The Frank Byron, Jr. figure now resides at Vent Haven Museum in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky.

Notes

References


*Laurie, Joe, Jr. "Vaudeville: From the Honky-tonks to the Palace." New York: Henry Holt, 1953. p. 80, 254.

External links

* [http://mercurye.com "A Pictorial History of Ventriloquism"]
* [http://www.ventriloquistcentral.com/tribute/lester/lester.htm Lester gallery, audio and video recordings] at VentriloquistCentral.com
* [http://www.ventriloquistcentral.com/tribute/video/lester.wmv Only TV appearance of Lester] "You Asked For It" September 27, 1951 (Windows Media format)
* [http://www.venthavenmuseum.net/images/galleries/gallery4.html Harry "The Great" Lester Gallery] at Vent Haven Museum
*" [http://www.talkingcomedy.com/SI-Vent-2005/theater-siVENT05/HtgL-THTR-siVENT05.html Vaudeville Vent - 'The Great' LESTER: 'Grandfather' of Modern Day Ventriloquism] " at TalkingComedy.com


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