Throughout the 1960s, delightful mouse puppet Topo Gigio made 50 appearances on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” becoming a favorite of viewers and arguably the most famous puppet of that decade.
Sadly, fans are saying goodbye to the actor who provided the character’s voice, Peppino Mazzullo.
As Italian newspaper Il Messaggero reported, Mazzullo passed away at his home in Santo Stefano di Briga, Italy, at the age of 100.
‘Eddie, Kiss Me Goodnight’
The puppet — voiced by Mazzullo and created by Maria Perego — made his debut on CBS hit “The Ed Sullivan Show” in December 1962.
Series host Ed Sullivan was a huge fan of the character, and Topo Gigio remained a regular feature on the show until ending its run in June 1971.
While “The Ed Sullivan Show” became famous for introducing The Beatles to American TV viewers, and defying CBS censors by bringing Black artists such as Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder to mainstream network television, the character became a mainstay on the show throughout the decade. In fact, the only act that appeared on the show more than Topo Gigio was Canadian comedy duo Wayne & Shuster, who made 58 “Ed Sullivan Show” appearances.
Sullivan, who was constantly the butt of jokes due to his awkward on-air demeanor, tended to loosen up whenever he interacted with the cute puppet.
“The man who critics described as ‘stiff’ or ‘dull’ seemed to transform whenever the adorable mouse came onto his stage,” reads an entry in the official Ed Sullivan Show website. “Topo’s presence turned Ed into a much softer figure, and brought out his playful side. The two talked to each other like old friends and their humorous and playful exchanges remain a signature of ‘The Ed Sullivan Show.'”
Topo Gigio became a fan favorite, even spawning his own catchphrase with the parting words he said to Sullivan after each appearance: “Eddie, kiss me goodnight.”
Topo Gigio Launched Joan Rivers’ Career
As The Hollywood Reporter recalled, Mazzullo provided the character’s voice while Perego controlled Topo Gigio’s movement, moving his legs with the fingers of one hand and opening and closing his mouth with the other by using thin rods. Meanwhile, the mouse’s arms were moved by two other puppeteers.
“When he’s on my arm, I actually feel that he’s a living thing and that I’m talking to somebody,” Sullivan once said, per THR. “I’ve never had that feeling before with any puppet or dummy.”
Interestingly, before breaking out as a standup comic, Joan Rivers got her start writing jokes for Topo Gigio sketches, her first paying job in comedy.
“I lay on the floor and wrote a sketch about this comic Italian puppet mouse, with a little Italian accent, who had become a semi-fad in America,” Rivers once said, via THR. “I had him asking Ed Sullivan to explain football. I put Topo in a little football jersey that said ¼ on the back. Topo Gigio paid my car payments for six months. God bless that little lousy mouse.”
Topo Gigio Hit Hollywood
As Rivers pointed out, the popularity of Topo Gigio during the early 1960s cannot be overstated.
In fact, so famous was the tiny character that Mazzullo voiced the puppet in a feature film, “The Magic World of Topo Gigio.”
While Topo Gigio’s popularity with American audiences eventually faded, Mazzullo continued to voice the puppet in various projects until 2006.
After retiring from performing, Mazzullo founded the Piccolissimo Teatro di Messina, where he also taught acting.
According to THR, Mazzulo’s funeral is set to take place on Thursday, October 1 in the church of San Giovanni Battista in Santo Stefano di Briga.
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Actor Behind Beloved ’60s ‘Ed Sullivan Show’ Favorite Has Passed Away at 100