Marionette Puppets by Virginia Austin Curtis Clippo

Virgina Austin Curtis, sculpted Edgar Bergen's Mortimer Snerd, the Effanbee Charlieand Clippo the Clown. As well as members of the Clippo Club, Emily Ann, Lucifer, Liza Lee and Poochie.
Clippo the Clown 15" tall, dressed in red and white suit with organdy collar was first made between 1936-1939, selling them first in Los Angeles
Virgina made her first Clippo's in a tiny workshop in old China Town, near Olvera Street in historic Los Angeles. By 1936 she was selling her puppets to two major department stores in LA. That's when she met Edgar Bergen. He had seen her puppets in a local Dobe Dollar Book Store. He had a drawing of Wolo, an old hay seed character, he wanted to create. Virgina sculpted a model with Edgar watching over her shoulder. She had cast the head in wood dough, using a 13 piece mold. Bergen then sent the head to Chicago to be made into the animated Charlie McCarthy. He did the same for the hayseed puppet as well.
Edgar Bergen also asked Virginia to make 12 miniatures of Charlie McCarthy for marketing purposes. Today, those figures are most valuable. Later, while performing in Chicago, Bergen asked Virgina to gee to the midwest to make even more Charlie figures for him. She went and brought Clippo the Clown with her.
While in Chicago, Virgina took Clippo to Marshall Fields. They were delighted and wanted to list the item, but found that Virgina could only produce about 3 dozen Clippos a week. Marshall Field sent her to the Effanbee gepany, a New York doll manufacturer. Mass production began. And when Effanbee found out she had also scuplted Charlie, they made arrangements to make Charile as well. They also got Virigina to sculpt a W.C. doll too(Marshall Fields own W.C. Field doll) Macy's also began selling them too.
She travelled all over the county to demonstrate her little marionette dolls. While demonstrating in Macy's in New York, a talent agent, helped her begin her show business carreer at the Paramount Theatre in New York. In record breaking time she was appearing at the Palace, the center of vaudeville.
While traveling she met a trumpet player named Geroge Curtis, whom she married. For over 20 years Virgina Curtis played theatres and dinner clubs all over the USA. After Vaudeville died, she continued her performances with headliners such as Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, Harry James, Danny Kaye and Jack Carter. Her peak performance for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She even appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show on CBS television.
Virgina born July 15, 1903 found herself alone in 1964 when her beloved husband, George Curtis died. It took several years before she entered the entertainment scene again. In 1972 at a national puppet festival, some young puppeteers asked Virgina teach them how to make puppets. A few months later, Virginia found a two story 90 year old building in Sierra Madre California and made it into a puppet theatre, class room, workshop, musuem and home. She would host birthday parties. Guest performers like Donald Ave, Nancy Mitchell, Bruce Schawartz, Preston Hibbard, Bob Schonzler and the Cederquists woud also give shows.
Even after Effenabee ceased production of the puppets. Virgina continued to make them on her own through the 1970s. Clippos were sold and demonstrated all the time at the Bob Baker Marionetter Theater.