I'm No Dummy is a 2009 documentary film about ventriloquism directed by Bryan W. Simon and produced by Marjorie Engesser through Montivagus Productions. It premiered at the 2009 Seattle International Film Festival before being released in the United States by Salient Media and NBCUniversal in 2010.
A two-disc limited edition of I'm No Dummy was released on September 18, 2015 by Pop Twist Entertainment and MVD. It was subsequently released in Germany, Great Britain, France and Spain on August 22, 2016.
The comic documentary examines and deconstructs the art form of ventriloquism through clips, photos and interviews with many of the greatest “vents” or ventriloquists and their puppets throughout different eras. The idea came to Simon while on a bike ride in Los Angeles; he was considering alternative ideas for a new project and decided to focus on a documentary about something he loved as a child. The film stars Jeff Dunham, Jay Johnson and Lynn Trefzger, and features Kelly Asbury, Tom Ladshaw, Jimmy Nelson and Willie Tyler. Archival footage of Edgar Bergen, Paul Winchell and Señor Wences is also included.
Contents
Cast
Jeff Dunham
Jay Johnson
Lynn Trefzger
Jimmy Nelson
Tom Ladshaw
Kelly Asbury
Willie Tyler
Structure
The documentary's director, Simon, poses two questions or themes in the film. First, is ventriloquism an art form or some inconsequential variety act? And two, if it is an art form, is it a dying art form?
In order to deconstruct ventriloquism, Simon approached I'm No Dummy like an author might approach a book, dividing the various aspects into “chapters.” Each chapter utilizes interviews, photos and performance clips and examines a specific facet that changed and advanced ventriloquism. There is approximately 45 minutes of performance footage and nearly 100 photos in the film.
Prologue/teaser
I'm No Dummy opens with a comical, fast-paced prologue with clips and puppets stating in their own way that they are not "dummies."
What's ventriloquism?
This chapter defines ventriloquism from the ventriloquists' and puppets' point of view, such as Jay Johnson who states, "Ventriloquism is the art form of acting and reacting within the same word, much less the same scene.” Lynn Trefzger says, "It's a way of expressing different sides of my personality," and Israeli ventriloquist Allan Blumenstyk states, "Giving a character life aside from yourself. It's not just speaking, it’s what you are speaking. And how you are speaking it and how you are conveying what you want to say through yourself and through your figure." German ventriloquist Stevo Schulling defines ventriloquism as, "Very much a focus through which I can see life and our times." These and many more definitions are illustrated using performance clips.
Why vent?
In this chapter, four ventriloquists – Lynn Trefzger, Jeff Dunham, Willie Tyler, and Jay Johnson – discuss and illustrate through performance clips why they are "Vents."
Don't move your lips.
This chapter begins, with a clip from The Dyke Van Dyke Show in which Mel Cooley, portrayed by Richard Deacon, performs ventriloquism very badly. Ventriloquists such as Jimmy Nelson, Stevo Schulling, Jeff Dunham, and Jay Johnson explain and prove through performance clips just how important technique is to the art form. Author Dr. David Goldblatt states, “I think that it’s not so much the lips moving, but is the personality exchange going seamlessly? And I think that’s what really makes the best of the ventriloquists. The idea of that seamless exchange, that one can switch those personalities or characters between the ventriloquist and the dummy very quickly.”
Critical reception
The film has received acclaim from both film critics and the general public. Serious Comedy's website remarked, "I'm No Dummy gives voice to the history and art of ventriloquism. This is a fascinating, interesting, fun to watch, and funny documentary." Patrick Hickey of ReviewFix.com praised it, stating, "With all of his segments a complete success, it’s easy to see why I'm no Dummy is a quality piece of cinema. Charming, thoughtful and fun, from start to finish." Edward Yerke-Robins of LAist observed, "I'm No Dummy presents ventriloquism as a complicated, controlled, and nuanced exercise. It isn't interested in throwing the last word on ventriloquism; its only wish is to entertain while it educates, and it does so beautifully."