Senor Wences, Ventriloquist On `Ed Sullivan,' Dies At Age 103

NEW YORK - Senor Wences, the master ventriloquist who delighted "Ed Sullivan Show" audiences by bantering in a comic Spanish accent with his puppet-in-a-box Pedro ("S'OK?" "S'awright!") and his falsetto-voiced hand puppet Johnny, died yesterday at 103.

The Spanish-born Senor Wences, whose real name was Wenceslao Moreno, died at his home in New York City.

During the Golden Age of television in the 1950s and '60s, Senor Wences bickered and bantered with his puppets while he drank, smoked and juggled.

One of his puppets was gravelly voiced Pedro, who consisted only of a head in a box. Pedro was born out of necessity when Senor Wences' ventriloquist's dummy was damaged and only the head was spared.

Another puppet was Johnny, whose comeback line was: "Deefeecult for you, easy for me." Senor Wences created Johnny by scrunching up his fist, drawing a mouth where thumb and index finger met, and draping a blond wig over the top.

Senor Wences would talk to his puppets with his face right in theirs, as if daring the audience to watch his lips, which, of course, never moved.

Senor Wences would stuff a hankie in Johnny's mouth and have the puppet speak with a muffled voice while he himself smoked a cigarette. Then he would give Johnny a drag, and the puppet - that is, Senor Wences' hand - would somehow emit perfect smoke rings.

There were no jokes, just what one writer has described as "bizarre, farcical, Spanish-accented patter."

"The main thing he taught me was it's not about the joke," said ventriloquist Michele LaFong, who became friends with Senor Wences and inherited his original puppets. "Even though you know what's coming, you laugh anyway. That's the difference between someone who relies on a punch line or someone who's just plain funny."

In between his many Sullivan show appearances, he entertained four presidents, toured with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, did a Broadway show with Danny Kaye and played every casino in Las Vegas.

He continued touring into his early 90s.

Senor Wences was born in Penarada, Spain, and discovered his gift for mimicry while amusing his classmates in grade school.

In 1934, when he came to the United States, Senor Wences was conventional - "another ventriloquist with a dummy," as he put it. But two years later, en route to Chicago, his act was transformed when his dummy Pedro was crushed in a baggage-car accident. Senor Wences bought a box, stuck the head inside and - on stage that day - inquired if he was OK.

Pedro replied: "S'awright!"