2 3 Throwback Thursday and Guy Visser | Ballet Webb

Thursday, November 2, 2017

Throwback Thursday and Guy Visser


Throwback Thursday and Guy Visser

Guy Visser was born in 1894 and developed a vaudeville act with an unlikely partner: a duck. But not only that, along with his duck, he participated in a sound recording in 1925 where he sang “"Ma, He's Making Eyes At Me" (see today’s Link of the Day). This could be thought of as the world’s first music video. It was this film, not his vaudeville act itself that put Gus Visser in the history books.

The film was called Theodore Case Sound Test: Gus Visser and his Singing Duck, also known simply as Gus Visser and His Singing Duck. This movie was one of the early experiments in the process of adding sound to film. In 2002, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for inclusion in the National Film Registry. Not bad for a man singing with his duck!

These early experiments in film eventually caused the death of vaudeville. I wonder how Gus Visser would have felt about that?

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets
Dance History Factoid #27c:
“Guy Visser’s filming of his vaudeville act could be considered the first music video.”

Link of the Day:

Quote of the Day:
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
Nelson Mandela

                Help expand the knowledge base!
 Leave a comment about any instructions, ideas, or images that worked best for you!

My latest books are coloring books! They are available on Amazon.

Want to know more about me? Read my interview at Ballet Connections:

Or "Like" me on my Facebook Author Page:

Or visit my Pinterest page:




No comments:

Post a Comment