Ventriloquism is a very special talent few have been able to master. Topping that off is that it is truly a dying art because there aren’t many that do it anymore. There’s a couple reasons for that too. For one, it was used for kids and nowadays, no kid likes dolls anymore. Second, it’s just not a form of entertainment people are into anymore. However, when this film came out it was still very much a part of the entertainment industry at the time. What some people don’t realize though, is that with most entertainers, they are the ones who need the most help, even though many people see them as people who help others. For this movie, that’s exactly what is depicted here in a very realistic way.
Anthony Hopkins plays Corky, a struggling performer who specialized in magic tricks. But because nobody found him entertaining and old fashioned, he figured out a new way to get people’s attention. This new way comes in the form of Fats, a dummy in Corky’s likeness. In a way, like a precursor to Jeff Dunham, Corky has Fats through insults at him and others to get a laugh out of the audience. Corky does it so well, Ben Greene (Burgess Meredith) a producer with many connections is looking to make him a star. There’s one catch though no one knows about, Corky fully believes in Fats existence despite Fats being a doll. To avoid having to take mental cognitive test, Corky runs away to where his crush Peggy (Ann-Margret) runs an inn with her current husband Duke (Ed Lauter).
The story was original written by William Goldman in a novel, of which Goldman would then pen the screenplay. Goldman was also the writer for other films later like Misery (1990), Chaplin (1992) and Maverick (1994). Directing the feature was Richard Attenborough, better known later on for playing Kriss Kringle in the Miracle on 34th Street (1994) remake and Dr. Hammond from Jurassic Park (1993). For what it’s worth, Goldman provides a unique perspective into a troubled man who has good intentions to be great, but his psyche is what keeps him from becoming great. The fact that no matter what, Fats is a part of Corky’s life whether he likes it or not. There’s an effective scene where Corky is tested to not let Fats speak on his behalf for just five minutes, and the wait for him is unbearable.
The acting is convincing from all actors. Anthony Hopkins known for playing iconic roles plays this role straightforward here. Even though Corky is not the greatest person, he’s essentially a tragic character that doesn’t understand his own faults and if he does, he’s in denial about getting help. Ann-Margret as Corky’s crush plays it sweet and she too shows him compassion. Even Burgess Meredith as Ben Greene has Corky’s interests in the best way, which today people would probably think most talent agents don’t care at all. Of course Meredith is known for many roles, but his came from the Stallone’s Rocky (1976) franchise a couple years before. Ed Lauter as Duke is convincing as well as someone who knows that Corky has problems. There’s even a brief seen with a very young David Ogden Stiers.
For the camera, Victor J. Kemper worked as the cinematographer. While there’s not a whole lot of color to this film, the scenes are pretty efficient in showing just how much Fats has control over Corky. There are several times where it looks like Fats could actually be more than just a dummy. Kemper would later work on Clue (1985). Finally, the musical score composed by Jerry Goldsmith was iconic in its own way. Although not as memorable as some of his other horror scores, Goldsmith does create a theme for Corky and Fats using a harmonica. There are other cues as well that emphasize Corky’s instability as well as some very pretty ones for Peggy. There is an album for it and it is worth a listen.
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