Posted on 04/12/2013 7:42:40 PM PDT by llevrok
Jonathan Winters, the cherub-faced comedian whose breakneck improvisations and misfit characters inspired the likes of Robin Williams and Jim Carrey, has died. He was 87.
The Ohio native died Thursday evening at his Montecito, Calif., home of natural causes, said Joe Petro III, a longtime family friend. Petro said Winters died surrounded by family and friends.
Winters was a pioneer of improvisational standup comedy, with an exceptional gift for mimicry, a grab bag of eccentric personalities and a bottomless reservoir of creative energy. Facial contortions, sound effects, tall tales — all could be used in a matter of seconds to get a laugh.
On Jack Paar's television show in 1964, Winters was handed a foot-long stick and he swiftly became a fisherman, violinist, lion tamer, canoeist, U.N. diplomat, bullfighter, flutist, delusional psychiatric patient, British headmaster and Bing Crosby's golf club.
"As a kid, I always wanted to be lots of things," Winters told U.S. News & World Report in 1988. "I was a Walter Mitty type. I wanted to be in the French Foreign Legion, a detective, a doctor, a test pilot with a scarf, a fisherman who hauled in a tremendous marlin after a 12-hour fight."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Loved all of his work.
I will miss him.
RIP Jonathan. You entertained me and made me smile and laugh as I was growing up. Your legacy has already been passed to my children. They love your work. I fully expect my grandchildren will be delighted by your talents.
Jonathan Winters had an incredible ability to make people laugh and feel good. That’s enough of a legacy for me.
Mad, Mad,......World, is how we’ll remember him. God bless good sir.
Funniest man on the planet!
In the mid 60s Dad bought this giant stereo console and the demonstration record that came with it had one side with sound effects, trains going by, planes, jackhammers etc. On the other side was Jonathan Winters comedy. His stories with him giving sounds, like a crocodile opening its mouth and natives chanting was so funny....well so funny I still remember it...
He’d probably get a kick out of this line in the article...
Montecito, Calif., home of natural causes
I remember him on Scoob Doo!
We have antenna TV, including a channel called Me TV. As I write, they are airing the classic Twilight Zone episode, “A Game of Pool,” starring Jonathan Winters and Walter Matthau. Perfect!
It’s a Mad, Mad World.
RIP Mr. Winters
RIP Maudie Frickert
Oops, Jonathan’s Twilight Zone costar was Jack Klugman.
RIP Mr. Winters.
Then there were the party records (as they were called in those days)...at the Hungry Eye and so forth. Over and over I'd play these. Again, convulsed.
To me, Jonathan's “peak” improv era were his appearances on Dean Martin's show. I recall Dean would give him a “room” full of props and jus let Jon be Jon. They'd let the tape run and play parts of it during the show. I loved his “business man” character (I'm from American Kindling Co.). Years later, in a corporate office, I'd start an internal giggle seeing in real life the Winter's characters sitting across a desk from me.
Thanks for making me a smart ass, Jonathan. I've never regretted a minute of how you shaped my humor.
One of the very best.
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