Jerry Layne(I)
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Like many small boys Jerry Layne grew up watching Paul Winchell on
television. This inspired him to become a ventriloquist as years before
Edgar Bergen had inspired his mentor. And I mean mentor in the truest
sense of the word. After winning Paul Winchell's "Best Kid
Ventriloquist" contest, it turned into a teacher-protégé relationship,
and a friendship, which has last all through the years. In college in
New York Jerry worked on campus radio. On his spring breaks Jerry
worked in the hotels and clubs in the Miami, Florida area. It was back
at school that he entered the original "Ted Mack Amateur Hour" and won
first prize. After college Jerry fulfilled his military obligations,
where the Public Relations office of the armed forces utilized Jerry
and his basswood partner "Lester" talents. He then began a 14 year
stint working for Goodson-Todman TV productions in Canada on "Beat the
Clock." Jerry also created and hosted a children's television game
show, "Puppet People," while there. He returned to the US in 1974, to
perform in Atlantic City, Reno, theme parks, special events, TV shows,
motion pictures, cruse ships, corporate events. As well as performing
Jerry designs and builds many of his own figures. He has become the
leading supplier of ventriloquist figures to magic shops, as well in
the motion picture & television industries.