RIP, Jonathan Winters

[CountDeMoney]

One of the true greats, in so many ways.

Jonathan Winters, comedy giant on TV and in films, dies at 87

By Dennis McLellan
1:19 PM EDT, April 12, 2013


Jonathan Winters, one of the great comedians of the 20th century, died Thursday night. He was 87.

Winters, who had been in declining health, died at his longtime home in Encino, said Gary Owens, who was his good friend.

"He was one of the great comedy talents in the history of the United States. Just brilliant," said Owens, a radio personality who was the announcer for TV's "Laugh-In."

Jack Paar, who helped propel Winters into the national consciousness with appearances on "The Tonight Show" in the late 1950s, once introduced the freewheeling comedian by saying, "Well, if you ask me who are the 25 most funny people I know, I would say, 'Here they are: Jonathan Winters.' "

Born in Dayton, Ohio, on Nov. 11, 1925, he grew up to have a rubbery, moon-shaped face and pitch-perfect ear for speech patterns. Winters could slip into such diverse characters as a redneck ballplayer, a lisping child and a prissy schoolmarm.

Winters punctuated his comedy vignettes with realistically accurate sound effects -- a rotary phone being dialed, falling raindrops or a rushing subway. As he explained, "I try to paint verbal pictures."

His colorful stable of recurring characters included redneck Elwood P. Suggins and big kid Chester Honneyhugger, but perhaps his best-known was gray-haired Maude Frickert, the swinging granny.

Winters, who performed Maude in drag, described her a cross between Whistler's Mother and Norman Bates' mother.

He hosted his own comedy-variety TV shows in the '50s, '60s and '70s. He also starred in numerous specials and appeared in many films, including 1963's "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World."

In the 1981-82 TV season, Winters surfaced — or more accurately hatched out of a giant egg — on the sitcom "Mork & Mindy," starring Robin Williams, who cited Winters as one of his improvisational comedy inspirations.

As Mearth, Mork's middle-aged "infant" offspring, Winters inspired Williams to even greater heights.

[CountDeMoney]

Jonathan Winters with "The Stick"  April, 1964, with Jack Paar

http://youtu.be/wwWDa1xPTPA

[The Brain]

Robin Williams, who cited Winters as one of his improvisational comedy inspirations.

As Mearth, Mork's middle-aged "infant" offspring, Winters inspired Williams to even greater heights.

[crazy canuck]

but perhaps his best-known was gray-haired Maude Frickert, the swinging granny

I loved that character

[Josephus]

I remember him fondly as Mork and Mndy's child.

[Barrister]

I remember him fondly from It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

[derspiess]

RIP.  He was hilarious.

[grumbler]

Hadn't realized he was still alive.  Great comedian, and really larger than life.  he entertained for free when he wasn't getting paid for it.

RIP, Big Guy.

[11B4V]

JW at the "OLD" celebrity roasts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDDXjZ2wLxw

[Sophie Scholl]

He voiced the characters in the Schultz and Dooley ad campaign to promote Utica Club beer for the brewery I work for.  Very entertaining man.

[11B4V]

By ROBIN WILLIAMS
Published: April 15, 2013 
No audience was too small for Jonathan. I once saw him do a hissing cat for a lone beagle.

His comedy sometimes had an edge. Once, at a gun show, Jon was looking at antique pistols and a man asked if he was a gun proponent. He said: "No, I prefer grenades. They're more effective."

Earlier in his life, he had a breakdown and spent some time in a mental institution. He joked that the head doctor told him: "You can get out of here. All you need is 57 keys." He also hinted that Eileen wanted him to stay there at least until Christmas because he made great ornaments.

Even in his later years, he exorcised his demons in public. His car had handicap plates. He once parked in a blue lane and a woman approached him and said, "You don't look handicapped to me."

Jonathan said, "Madam, can you see inside my mind?"

If you wanted a visual representation of Jonathan's mind, you'd have to go to his house. It is awe-inspiring. There are his paintings (a combination of Miró and Navajo); baseball memorabilia; Civil War pistols and swords; model airplanes, trains, and tin trucks from the '20s; miniature cowboys and Indians; and toys of all kinds.

We shared a love of painted military miniatures. He once sent me four tiny Napoleonic hookers in various states of undress with a note that read, "For zee troops!"

But the toys were a manifestation of a dark time in his life. Jonathan was a Marine who fought in the Pacific in World War II. When he came home from the war, he went to his old bedroom and discovered that his prized tin trucks were gone.

He asked his mother what she did with his stuff.

"I gave them to the mission," she said.

"Why did you do that?"

"I didn't think you were coming back," she replied.

Jonathan has shuffled off this mortal coil. So here's to Jonny Winters, the cherubic madman with a stick who touched so many. Damn, am I going to miss you!

Robin Williams is an Oscar-, Emmy-  and Grammy-winning actor and comedian.  He recently completed filming "The Angriest Man in Brooklyn" and is in production on "A Friggin' Christmas Miracle."

[fhdz]

But the toys were a manifestation of a dark time in his life. Jonathan was a Marine who fought in the Pacific in World War II. When he came home from the war, he went to his old bedroom and discovered that his prized tin trucks were gone.

He asked his mother what she did with his stuff.

"I gave them to the mission," she said.

"Why did you do that?"

"I didn't think you were coming back," she replied.

Jesus. With moms like that...

[merithyn]

Seedy, around the 3-minute mark...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g26yHh6tjSI