Groundbreaking ImprovComic Jonathan Winters Dies

[radiofan]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Comedian Jonathan Winters, whose breakneck improvisations inspired Robin Williams, Jim Carrey and many others, has died at age 87.

Longtime family friend Joe Petro III says the Ohio native died Thursday evening at his Montecito, Calif., home of natural causes.

Winters was a master of improvisational comedy, with a grab bag of eccentric personalities and facial expressions. Characters such as the dirty old lady Maude Frickert were based on people Winters knew growing up in Ohio.

In the mid-1950s, "The Jonathan Winters Show" pioneered the then-new videotape technology on to do stunts like showing up as two characters on screen together.

He was introduced to millions of new fans in 1981 as the son of Williams' goofball alien in the final season of ABC's "Mork and Mindy."

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/groundbr ... nters-dies

[Neumann Sennheiser]

If I recall accurately, he was also an influence to local Vancouver(and Edmonton) morning guy Jim Hault. Mr. Hault drops in here now and then so he may have something to comment about that.

[sparky]

Didn't Red Robinson do a series of TV spots for The Bay with Jonathan in the early 1970's? As I recall they were funny as hell, not something you'd expect from The Bay.

[hagopian]

Yes - I believe Red and Mr. Winters did some spots. Check RedRobinson.com and see if he has his webmaster put something up.

This man was flat out GREAT.

He will be fondly remembered as a gentle and funny, giant of a talent.

[freqfreak2]

I once saw an interview with Winters and Robin Williams filmed outside the Mork set.

That was the day I swore off drugs. Man they were loopy. They went to places in the universe previously unknown to man.

[jon]

If I recall accurately, he was also an influence to local Vancouver(and Edmonton) morning guy Jim Hault. Mr. Hault drops in here now and then so he may have something to comment about that.

Either consciously or unconsciously, I think most of the radio announcers who did a lot of character voices of their own invention, as opposed to imitating real people, borrowed at least one of their characters quite liberally from Jonathan Winter's cast of characters.

[hagopian]

Big Alice = Jim Hault's alter ego - was very Winterish, but Jim carried it off, with aplomb.