My latest video-to-DVD project is The Muppet Show.
One of the guest stars in the last season was Senor Wences. You know the guy, talks to his hand, which has been adorned with makeup and a wig. He also has the wooden head in the box that says, “'s alright!” a lot.
That’s about it.
Not funny.
Or, at least, not in my comedy universe (which, believe it or not, is pretty big).
When was his heyday (assuming he had one)? Any fans here?
I was generally amused by Senor Wences just because of the simple absurdity of the routine. I was never rolling around on the floor laughing but I always enjoyed it well enough.
I was always impressed with the breakneck timing that involved all the different voices as well as the physical movements. Having a 3- or 4-way conversation at high speed, all with yourself I think made it funnier in execution than you’d expect.
The accent didn’t hurt, either. 
I loved Senor Wences, back on his Ed Sullivan Show days (and by then, he’d been in vaudeville for 40 years). If you’re seeing him on The Muppet Show you’re seeing him at the tail-end of his career, when he was well into his 80s, I believe. Like judging Joan Crawford’s career from watching Trog.
El Senor’s rapid-fire routine, switching from Johnny (who looked just like Carol Channing!) to the terrifying head-in-the-box, to the chicken, was clever and hilarious. Try and find some of his early film.
I’ve seen clips of him on Ed Sullivan.
I guess ventriloquism just isn’t my cup of tea. I can’t recall ever seeing a ventrilquist I liked.
Oh, well, in that case, for you, no, he never was ever entertaining. Like asking me, “was Marcel Marceau your favorite mime?”
GAH! Mimes!!
Obviously then, for the two of you, a new art form needs to be developed. The ventriloquist mime, who makes it seem like he’s not talking in two different places.
I loved him when I was a kid and even as an adult I’d still smile at his routines. My family would always open up boxes and say “S’OK?” “S’AWRIGHT” and still do on occasion.
Bizarrely, I actually say “'salright” in the same way. Senor Wences has branded me for life. I only ever saw him on the Muppet Show, but have been wondering how anyone ever managed to make a career out of talking to his hand and a box. Talk about making something out of nothing…
I saw an Ed Sullivan clip of him and I thought it was pretty funny. Given that he was a bit past his prime even then, I think he must have been very entertaining at one time.
Haj
This has given me a truly bizarre “Iraqi prison” mental image I did not need . . .
Any mention of Senor Wences now brings to my mind immediately an exchange at the beginning of an MST episode (I don’t remember which one at the moment). Crow and Tom, both puppets, are talking about the history of puppetteering, arguing over what the best ones were.
Crow: Well what about Senor Wences, the one that talked to his hand? What do you call that?
Tom Servo: I call that a cry for help.
He was absolutely awful on Sullivan. Bad, terrible, egad, what is that doing on TV?
As someone who can talk without moving his lips, I deny Wences is anywhere close to being called a ventriloquist. Not one bit of talent there.
And it was the same act over and over. That doesn’t work in the age of television.
Count me as another one who enjoyed him as a child. Your have to remember that the medium was new. The head in the box was an Effect. Heck, the Hand was an effect. It was surprising.
I seem to recall he used to appear on The Sooty Show a lot. If he didn’t, it was someone who stole his act.
I found it disturbingly odd, and only laughed because it seemed to be what was expected. I was around five or six years old.
I understand he made his fortune by merchandizing the ‘Senor Wences Love Doll’…
I grew up watching the Ed Sullivan Show & I loved Senor Wences. However, my parents told me that when I was a toddler & saw him with the head in the box, I totally freaked out & not in a good way.
i always thought him bein bad WAS the joke. Kind of like Tiny Tm.
I love Tiny Tim, but he really was nuttier than a hoot-owl. I read a marvelous short book about him written c1980 by a magazine writer, and geez,Tiny Tim was even crazier than you would imagine Tiny Tim to be!