Charlie McCarthy
always wore black dress shoes
Charlie McCarthy is the "dummy" sidekick of famous ventriloquist Edgar Bergen. Together, their career spanned the vaudeville era and they had a popular radio show from 1937 until it went off the air in 1958. While Bergen wore a variety of outfits in publicity photos and live appearances, Charlie was always clad in formal white tie and tails, including black patent leather lace-up shoes (without spats). You can make your own pair of Charlie McCarthy shoes for the perfect ventriloquist sidekick look.
Instructions
1. Make a pattern. Measure how large the shoes need to be and draw an oval on an old piece of newspaper 1/2 inch larger all around than the foot the shoes need to cover. This is the pattern for the sole of the shoe. Draw a "U" shape 1 1/2 inch thick for doll or dummy feet and two to three inches thick for larger feet. The "U" should be an inch longer than the circumference of the sole oval.
2. Cut and stitch the shoes. Cut out two ovals and two "U"s, one for each shoe out of your shiny satin material. Sew the ends of the "U" piece halfway, and hem the other half by folding over 1/8 inch, folding again and hand sewing as close to the first fold as possible. Stitch the inner curve of the "U" to the outside of the oval, lining up the "U" seam with the center point of one end of the oval. Repeat for the other shoe.
3. Finish the shoes. Use buttonhole stitch to make small, evenly spaced circles for shoelace eyelets. Carefully snip out the center of the stitched circles. Lace the shoes with thin black cord, slip onto the foot and tie in place.
