Who in your opinions are the 20 bext ventriloquists in america in the past century and why?

Fortunately, that is like asking who were the best singers. I can't stand Rod Stewart, but love Diana Ross. Others would be the exact opposite. But here are those I admire for various reasons:

Edgar Bergen: Best comedian of his era.
Terry Fator: Unbelievable voices!
Liz VonSeggen: Vent voices for a woman. (Not always as large a range, but she has MANY.)
Mark Thompson: Speed and musical vent ability. Also, multiple voices in one song.
Gene Cordova: Comedy.
Jim Adams: Vent manipulation. Lifelike presence of his hard figures.
Judy Buch: Storytelling.
Randall McGee: Storytelling and GUITAR PLAYING with the puppet. (He got a standing ovation from ventriloquists at a Las Vegas Vent convention.)

Thank you for your responce and I am waiting for others to respond in like but you only posted 9 of the 20, I know with your vast background there must be at least another 11 floating around , please be so kind as to let me know..

There's a reason why one is finding your assignment difficult and that is it would be easier if you could place names in different categories.
In my experience,(seeing them all live)I would say Ronn Lucas is the best pure vent without mike, vent figure, sound system whatever.
I can't imagine any human being who could manipulate a vent figure better than Dan Horn. Hearing his biography(lifetime of puppetry) helps to understand.
The best teaching vents would be Tony Borders and then Dale Brown who is probably the only human being who has a more detailed game plan(which they both share) than Tony.
Nancy Roth is just so plain good that I learned how to yodel(Jimmie Rodgers) just to complement her talent.
If one can beat Tony Fator live for a full blown production and incredible singing and impersonations then so be it.
The two kindest vents have to be John Hopper of Tennessee and Mary Fry of MacDonald's..sorry I mean Axtell..sorry I mean Wendy's. Mary,I know I shall pay for that inside joke!
Folks, Keith Hadrill is also on my list..not only because he's really good but also because his former profession has to be as far away from vent as any person can go.
I'm sorry if I missed some people but I had to return to the church last night because as reader/janitor I was supposed to turn off all the lights. My favourite principals' announcement to my classroom, "Mr. Crowley would you please come down to the office on your prep time." Oh well it kept the union rep working steady.

I know how you guys are trying to keep only to the very best but to do research on the 20 top Vents in America, past and present you must be leaving out many many important people... I am still looking for those who were influences to others, ok well not the creme de la creme, I'll have to lower the standards and ask for those who stood out, a senor Wences, a Jimmy Nelson a Valentine Vox, Please go on from there...

I have to agree with Ron, that Ronn Lucas is the best ventriloquist. I know several that people don't know (like myself) and I don't know several that others do know.

Ron, you said that one fellow deserves kudos because as a ventriloquist he is far from his original occupation. Was he a politician? A vent can say something without moving his mouth. A politician can move his mouth without saying anything.

Well, of course, Bill De Mar who is so good( especially when he's gagged by his vent figure..and yes folks Bill does read these posts) that it appears effortless.
Good story. Most of you know how I met an angel in Victoria Park last month dressed as a clown/agent. Well okay, that was just trolling for Zoroastrians! She quickly named about 12 Canadian vents..blanks for me. She said that I'd have to get plugged in. Funny that,since I am on first name basis with some of the finest vents in the world although I must admit most of theme are of the American persuasion. Sorry Tony, the buried clue is all you'll get.
Man..what a morning! I just discovered there are now two pro vents in Montana. Hope the new guy has a real beard!(happy face icon)

If the ventriloquist is a former mortician or funeral parlor director he should have thought twice before leaving that job. He already had a good retirement plan, complete with a retirement home. Though many would consider it a dead end job, it promises to put him over a lot of people.

And he could have incorporated the ventriloquism. When it came time for someone to give last rites, he could have had the deceased give them!

Past and present I can name a bunch, but whether they are famous beyond our borders or even their own province is hard to say.

I have to start with my mentor Peter Rolston, and then there is (in no particular oerder) Don Bryan, Michael Harrison, Val Hilliker, Cy Leonard was Canadian I believe, Mara-Lee Dawn, Kellie Haines, Norma McKnight, Neale Bacon (had to sneak that in), my buddy Damien James, and that's just off the top of my head.

Ok we got a few from off the top of your head what about off the bottom of your head...
I have Noticed that the likes of Paul Winchell, Edgar Bergan, Max Tahune, Senor Wences have not been incled for what ever reason...Valentine Vox, Mark Wade have not been included???

The difficulty is that most of us have not had the opportunity to see many of these people perform. I haven't even heard of most of the people mentioned, and I'm sure that most I mentioned are unknown to other vents. I'm not really sure that I could name more than 20 ventriloquists that I have seen enough to remember how well they have done.

There was a 13 year old girl at I-Fest that did an amazing job! I can't remember her name. And I once gave Steven Parker a 100% in a competition for his salute to Edgar Bergen.

Of course the beard is real, as is the bowl full of jell(o). However, I understand another vent is opening shop in Kalispell--about 500 miles west of here...well, as long as he stays on his side of the Rockies...

As a matter of fact, I do have a real Beard, LOL, but I am no Pro Vent, just getting started, Oh and sorry Santa, I live in Helena, LOL

WELL BLOW ME DOWN HEHEHE WHAT ARE YOU TWO YAKKING ABOUT...BEARDS...MAYBE THE VENTS TURNED INTO BEARDS AND...WHAT THE HECK AM I TALKING ABOUT??? HAHAHA??
ALL I WANTED TO KNOW WAS WHO WERE THE TWENTYOUTSTANDING VENTS OF THE 20TH CENTURY, WHETHER THEY HAD BEARDS OR NOT...

A beard can and moustache can hide the fact that the lips are moving! I once stayed with a family who had a little girl. She looked at me. She looked at her dad. Then she looked at her mom. She announced, "I know the difference between a man and a woman." The mom sheepishly asked, "What is that, Honey?" The girl announced, "Men only have one lip!"

Did I really write Tony..not Terry Fator. Terry, I apologize. Tony I hope you enjoyed the rare air.

It's an easy mistake to make.

I don't know of any vents with a beard other than us Santa types. There have been numerous vents with a moustache. I find a beard emphasizes even the smallest lower lip movement because the beard extends to the bottom of the lower lip -- which makes control even more important. A long moustache, if it covers the lower lip, can hide movement somewhat. I've filmed myself time and time again and I'm working hard to control this problem.

I disaagree with the statement that beards make aware of the movement of the lower lip, it would if your jaw moves, if you keep a firm jaw the lower lip wouldn't move, if you find that to be a problem then maybe the Maher course might be good advise, I am new but I am using Mahers course and it really does help. See you guys when I get back from my cruise to Mexico...as Jellybean Joey would say "Oodles of Toodles for now"

I've had a beard and moustache for 40 years.Can even remember when it was brown.Been doing vent for only a few years.I have to work hard to keep lower jaw still.Sometimes get a little beard movement from throat movement.
Hoepfully most people are looking at my figure not my beard.

I'm impressed that you still have a nice looking figure after 40 years of being old enough to grow a beard. Must be that fitness center!