Goofy puppet

item details

NameGoofy puppet

ProductionPelham Puppets; manufacturer(s); 1950s-1960s; United Kingdom
Walt Disney Productions; animator(s); 1932; United States

Classificationpuppets

Materialswood, cloth, felt, metal

DimensionsPart: 200mm (width), 310mm (height), 45mm (depth)

Registration NumberGH022538

Credit lineGift of Philip Menzies in memory of Ada Menzies, 2012

Overview

This marionette puppet portrays Goofy, the anthropomorphic dog cartoon character created by Walt Disney Productions in 1932. Goofy is a close friend of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck and is one of Disney's most popular characters.

During the 1950s and 1960s, puppets were popular both on television and as children's playthings. Pelham Puppets made in Britain were particularly popular. In the early 1950s, Pelham Puppets acquired the rights which allowed them to produce Walt Disney puppets.

String puppets or marionettes like this one have complete bodies and jointed limbs with carved or moulded heads. Goofy has a cleverly jointed body with strings attached to all the moving parts. These are connected at the top to the wooden control, which is held horizontally by a single puppeteer from above. By lifting, lowering, twisting and turning the wooden control, the puppeteer can make the puppet move in a more life-like manner.