{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/nz80k2873j/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Billy Gorton, circa 1990"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/053/original/cropped-marmia-logo-copy1.png?1586173104","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Source Metadata URI"]},"value":{"en":["https://marmia.libraryhost.com/repositories/2/archival_objects/25741"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["circa 1990 (Creation)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["Be advised that this video may contain sensitive, triggering, and offensive language and content. (Content warning)","Digitized with funding provided by the Council on Library and Information Resources' \"Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives: Amplifying Unheard Voices\" grant program. (Funding note)","Ventriloquist, Billy Gorton is interviewed about his life and performs with Brownie. (Scope and Content Note)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Format"]},"value":{"en":["1 Betacam"]}},{"label":{"en":["Identifier"]},"value":{"en":["WJZ-FLDTP-006-014 (Identifier)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Series Title"]},"value":{"en":["Field Tapes"]}}],"summary":{"en":["Be advised that this video may contain sensitive, triggering, and offensive language and content.","Digitized with funding provided by the Council on Library and Information Resources' \"Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives: Amplifying Unheard Voices\" grant program.","Ventriloquist, Billy Gorton is interviewed about his life and performs with Brownie."]},"provider":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["MARMIA"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["MARMIA"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/053/original/cropped-marmia-logo-copy1.png?1586173104","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/253/907/small/thumbnail_253907_1728351013.jpg?1728351015","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - open-uri20250109-552-vb8ewa.mp4"]},"duration":1189.793,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/253/907/small/thumbnail_253907_1728351013.jpg?1728351015","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-marmia.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/253/907/original/open-uri20250109-552-vb8ewa.mp4?1736438080","type":"Video","format":"video/mp4","duration":1189.793,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907/transcript/71636","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["AUTO_TRINT_WJZ-FLDTP-006-014.mp4 [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907/transcript/71636/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"And appeared here. Well, if you think he's good. Meet Billy. How do you go? Well, we're going, Gordon. No, you might just say Billy and Brownie. Because you're busy. All right. Now, Mary had a little lamb one more time for me. Mary had a little lay in this place as light as snow. And Aaron doing your natural voice. Mary had a little lamb. Its fleece was white as snow. Okay. Not as dry. All right. First off, now your name. My name is Bill Gorton, better known as Billy and Brownie. And Brownie is my. My little friend. Your sidekick. My sidekick. Don't call him dummy, dude. No, we don't call him that, because, you know, that's kind of an insult to him. And ventriloquists these days don't like to do that. They like to say my friend or my sidekick, my pal. Is that the proper I mean, is there a proper name for for Roger? Is Roger? Yes, it was Billy Rogers and Brownie and brown and vaudeville. But I mean, does Brownie is there a proper name for Brownie? I mean, Brownie MacBride. Yeah, but what I'm saying is, is he a figure or he's not a dummy. Right. Don't let him hear you say that right now. As you're right. He is called a figure, you might say, Billy in his figure, but you don't do that. You introduce a billion brownie. And because people know that I'm a ventriloquist, they know that I'm going to be there at that place, whatever it is, you know? But what I'm saying is, years ago, we used to say it was a dummy. But now, because of politically correct, you don't say dummy anymore. No, we never did say dummy. I don't. And if somebody did say that, we as ventriloquists would sometimes correct them and say, hey, wait a minute, calling my friend.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907#t=0.51,126.03"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907/transcript/71636/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Okay. But although although they were the dummy makers, we're making dummies one of the best in the in that business was Frank Marshall, who made some of Charlie McCarthy's and he made some of some of the greatest ventriloquists around. And Jimmy Nelson and Danny O'Day was made by Frank Marshall and and Walters. Walters had two figures made by Frank Marshall. But if you if you lay these figures all side by side, you could see the definite resemblance because Frank had a way of carving woodcarving. I mean, this was phenomenal to watch Frank Marshall go to work. I made yours. Frank Marshall and Frank Marshall made made your. Your pal. My pal? Yeah. And who else did he make? He made Danny O'Day. That was Jimmy Nelson. And you remember the dog Sparkle that was on television? That did. And Eastley As Nestlé's makes the very best chocolate. You've heard that commercial? Well, anyway, that was made that sparkle was made by Frank Marshall, and he also made made Danny O'Day and he made some of Charlie some of the Charlie's for four. Bergin Charlie. Charlie McCarthy Yes. So so you're your pal is related to Charlie? Yes, indirectly. Charlie McCarthy Yes. Right. And in fact, I tell you, you were a you didn't know this, but I have a picture of Frank Marshall in his shop and it's probably a five by seven. Maybe you might want to use that, Right. Why don't you? Yeah. So how long ago did was a your buddy created? I would I would have to say that he was created maybe 45 or 50 years ago or even even longer than that. But the nice part about this creation, once it was created and Frank knew you and knew that you were a professional, you could be coming in from a different area.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907#t=126.48,248.46"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907/transcript/71636/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"For instance, I remember playing a theater in Milwaukee and calling Frank on the phone and saying, Frank, I have a blemish on the on the face of my my friend and can you fix it for me? And he says, Bill, come on over to the shop and we'll do it today. That's that's what I do. I went to Chicago and and and his address at that time was 2017 was Boulevard. I never forget it. I never it's it's up in the computer. Is she is he still with us. No. Now he's gone. So what do you do now when there's a little blemish, when it's a little blemish on there, you're looking at the repairman. You take care of it now? Yes, I sure do. The so again, your friend's name is Brownie Brownie bureau. Daddy and I Brownie, Brownie is related to Charlie McCarthy indirectly. And he's over 50 years old. Absolutely. Without a doubt. So the only problem, I guess you have with Brownie or termites. Don't let him hear you say that, okay? No, no, I truly I thank you. If you have a marshal figure and you're going to really be careful with him, I'm. I cover that head itself with towels as soft. So take care of it and keep it, because I don't want to have to repair it. Because if you take care of it, you won't have. Have problems with it. Do you recall what you paid for it over 50 years ago? Yes, I do. And I laugh about it today. I paid $250 for the head. Of course, there was a lot of money there. Absolutely. It was a lot of money. And. And you know it. You know, and back in those days when you worked the theaters and all, you you were making 250, 300 a week.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907#t=248.94,358.19"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907/transcript/71636/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"And, you know, and that was that was big money in those days. But but you were what? You were staying in the best hotels and you were you were living living nicely. But you spent all the money you made on the road. Now, what would you what would you guess it's worth now? Without a doubt, it's worth $3,000. I just. I just purchased a figure from my. My teacher. I haven't gotten it yet. And the figure I purchased is pretty close to 3000 bucks because it's. He said there is no more Frank Marshall. And the quality of central figures. I mean, can we can we talk about Spencer for a minute? Well, let's get into that. Look, the young man was on our coffee with statement not too long ago. He apparently had had won a contest or he was involved in competition and came in second. Wound up on our show, wound up on the David Letterman show. And I find out that you had a you were part of that. Well, I was part of it from the standpoint of you. I you know, his dad, Ken, has a magic shop. And I went into the magic shop to buy some things. And and I don't know, these people are so wonderful. They're wonderful people, warm people. And I got to talking to Can and Ken said, you're a ventriloquist. And I said, yes. He says, Can you help my son? And I said, I can. I'll do anything I can to help him, you know. And I came back to him a couple of days later and said to him that he should she he should get this tape by Paul Winchell, that Winchell was so specific in the demonstration of ventriloquism and that Winchell felt he wanted to give something back to the country, to the people in the business and to the new people coming in.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907#t=358.85,478.31"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907/transcript/71636/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"But this this is what I did for him. And I would I would correct Spencer a little bit on the side and say, well, when you do this to so-and-so. But Spencer is is is so he's just a great little kid. He's a he's got great stage presence. And I'll tell you, I went out to see his father and Spencer work for a, you know, his Ronald McDowell. And it was phenomenal to see this little fella come out with a hand. Okay. Well, I don't have footage of that, so we won't we won't talk about that. Let's get back to what I do have put together. And I do have footage of him. He was discussing you and here are spending some time together. So now his career is ahead of him, obviously. And now you're I understand that not too long ago they all came over for dinner and you're spending some time with him honing him? Actually, I would like to think so. I would like to think so. In fact, if we can just say this, I have a video of what we did here. I'll show it to you if you'd like to see it. Just to give you an idea what I what I did. I mean, I think that his father deserves a lot of credit. I what little I did for him, I. I feel I helped him a little, but it's because he loves it. You see, if you love this stuff, I mean, if you have to love it, really love it. Just like perhaps you you love the camera business because you're in it. He just. He's just phenomenal with this stuff. And it and he does it in a natural sort of a manner, you know, relaxed.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907#t=479.0,583.16"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907/transcript/71636/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"But there's always room for improvement. Yeah. And you're going to help me? I'm going to help him out. I'll continue to help him. And if there's something comes up, I've told Canada, give me a call at home here. And and as I say, Ken and Bernie and Spencer and I are real close. We're good friends. But if Spencer stays interested in that ventriloquism, as far as you're concerned, what he already has and what he can pick up, he'll go places. I think so. I absolutely I think so. Because he he's natural. And when you're natural at something, you know, you're just going to roll. So he could be a protege of Bill. Groton. No, no. Phil Gorton. Gorton. Good. I remember. I tell you, I can't speak of me as a gory monster in a great big time. Gorton That's right. No problem. But what was my question, Well done. All right. So, anyway, getting back to you now, you were you born and raised in Baltimore? Yes, I am born on Cedar Croft Road in Govan Town. No. One one block above Belvidere and raised in Baltimore and just traveled all over the country. How did you get involved in show biz? Well, I liked it as a kid. I, you know, I liked it. And it's something, again, that you have to love. And I and I and I liked it. And I bumped into my my teacher on the road. Walters And he and I just became close friends. And I said, I'd love to be a ventriloquist. And so I was up in New York at, say, 15 or 16, and that's when I met him years ago. And he he started me out and told me what to do. And he says, you're either going to learn or you're not going to learn, but this is the way you do it.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907#t=584.84,705.81"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907/transcript/71636/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"And I said, What do you mean this is the way you do it? He said, Anybody can be a ventriloquist. All you have to do is practice and do what I tell you. So he had me in front of a mirror reading a copy, just to see if I keep my lips from moving. And so I learned how to do that. And one thing led to another. But it's it's creating, first of all, creating the voice and creating the the substitute subject to sounds is what you're what you're doing because you're you never are going to hear if you're listen to a ventriloquist, you're never going to hear some of the words pronounced correctly. But you're not looking at that. You're looking at the overall picture and you're looking at your at my little friend, hopefully. So it's a little trickery involved as far as a trick in the eye and the ear. Yeah, that's that's exactly right. Well, subterfuge. You make a make a nice little action when you when you got a difficult word, you create a nice move here. Right. And you substitute sounds substance to sounds would be msp v v f sort of tough tough letters to what do you substitute f with? Funny, funny, funny F fun and sexy. And funny. Funny. Okay. Funny. All right. Anthony, are you okay? See my dad? Yeah. So. So you have to show you. How old were you when you started doing this? I would say I would say when I when I when I started on the road, I was about 18. And then you. You got off the road for a while. Yes. And went into business. Yes, I got out. I'll get off the road. I would say when my son is 40, 46 years old, I got off the road about one year after his after he got ill on the road with me.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907#t=706.47,824.57"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907/transcript/71636/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"I had my my family battle was hell. Was he then? Probably probably about 2 to 3 years old. So in other words, you sort of gave up show business for a while to raise your family? Yes. And the reason for it was is because vaudeville was going kaput. In other words, it's going downhill. And there was no not too many theaters. And I remember the last theaters I work was all down through the South, starting in Lynchburg, Virginia, at the Academy Theater, all the way down to the south anyway. And I wound up in in Lackland at Lackland Air Force Base with the USO. And that's how I how I decided that I wanted to stop, because when my son got ill, my wife went off to North Dakota with him and and took him. And I said, hey, I got I got to do something else. So I started this display business that I have here in Baltimore and Baltimore. Absolutely. And you made a good living on that for a long time. Now you're retired? Yes, I am retired. I retired about two and a half years ago. And and my wife's cousin came from Wisconsin. And when she came down from Wisconsin, when he came down from Wisconsin, he said to me, so Billy says, can you get your little finger out for me? He said, Because I want to take a picture of you and him to take it back to show the relatives. And I said, okay. Because I had always said, you know, once I gave it up, I wasn't going to go back into it or or not. I wasn't going to get involved in it anymore. But anyway, I got it out and I fought around with it with him a little bit.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907#t=824.84,916.76"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907/transcript/71636/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"And he took a couple of pictures and I got your bag and it got me going again and bit you. Yeah, it's. It's fun, you know? So now you're. You're all excited, full of enthusiasm. Not only do are you helping some youngster master the art, but you're also getting it back into it yourself very gradually. I'm getting back to it because I think after you've been out of it for a while, you have to get back and practice your your manipulation again and think you're ready for birthday parties and banquets and things. Yeah, I'm as a matter of fact, I'm doing one of my first birthday parties this, this Sunday, and I'm excited about it. And so is Brownie Dog Tommy. He sings Happy Birthday. Absolutely. Yeah, sure he does. He's going to sing to the little girl who is four years old. Happy birthday on Sunday. And what other wonderful things does Brownie do? Does he is does he tell jokes? Well, he does. He tells stories and jokes and he does he tell a good joke? Is his timing good or is is a flop at it? Well, I think that he's he's practicing now. She's getting better. Well, I hope he is. Maybe the better you get, the better he gets. Yeah. Somebody said how long have you been it and how long has he been? And I said, As long as I've been. That's how long he's been in it. So why don't you want. You got it all, you never forget it. It's just a question of working it back again. I think it's it's working and practicing and working and practicing and working and practicing. It takes a lot of practice. It's just like anything people say to you, Maybe I want to become a cameraman.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907#t=917.06,1023.86"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907/transcript/71636/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"How do you do it? And you say, well, you go to school perhaps, and you and you study it and you study how to go out and do just what you're doing now. And you have to practice in practice. Am I right or wrong? Because I understand it. I'm not interviewing you, but you're interviewing. It's like it's like you're if you want to be a cameraman, you need a camera. If you want to be a ventriloquist, you need a buddy. You need a real face. I know you said it the right way. Yes, you did. All right. And so what's what's around the corner for you? Well, I'm just doing what a friend of mine said one time. They said day by day, the manifold. And I said, well, what does that mean? And they said, day by day you'll get your bread. So I'm working this on a day, day by day situation because I'm I'm having fun with it. And. I've got a couple of people that are interested, agents wise and I haven't said I haven't moved in that to any of that direction because I'm I feel I'm just not I'm just not ready for it yet. But I'll be ready. Chances are you can you can probably get as bad as busy as you wish to be. I can, I can I, I have. Should I say this where I've turned down work? Not because I don't want it, but because I just want to take it slow and easy. I don't want to get so busy that they have me on the road in Chicago or some in New York or wherever. And I've been married to the same wonderful woman for 48 years, and she's put up with all this nonsense.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907#t=1024.67,1122.63"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907/transcript/71636/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"And now I don't want to I just don't want to, you know, do something to spoil what I have at home. I have such a nice relationship with my wife and family. Stand by. I'll tell you when. Go ahead. Hey. Hi there. You're looking good today. Well, thank you. I heard you had a pretty rough night last night. Yes, I sure did. I had a toothache. What did you do for it? I walked home over the tarp. You did? Yeah. You know something? I felt so bad, I began to sing. Jeff. Did he do dirty? Wonderful day from the inside. 30. Thank you. Said it.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907#t=1123.59,1182.76"}]},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907/transcript/71636","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["English [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136895/file/253907/transcript/71636/annotation/12","type":"Annotation","motivation":"subtitling","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/file_transcripts/associated_files/000/071/636/original/trint_WJZ-FLDTP-006-014_transcript.vtt?1728352956","format":"text/vtt","language":"en"},"target":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/file_transcripts/associated_files/000/071/636/original/trint_WJZ-FLDTP-006-014_transcript.vtt?1728352956"}]}]}]}