Bergen was a technically skilled ventriloquist, but after his talent moved to radio, it was more important that Charlie McCarthy be clearly understood, so Bergen's skill at not moving his lips was allowed to slip- and Charlie McCarthy frequently twitted him for moving his lips— but Bergen's sense of comedic timing was superb, and he handled Charlie's snappy dialog with aplomb. Bergen's wit in creating McCarthy's striking personality and that of his other characters was the making of the show. Bergen's popularity as a ventriloquist on radio, where the trick of "throwing his voice" was not visible, suggests his appeal was primarily the personality he applied to his characters.