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Friday, April 12, 2013

Jonathan Winters Dead; Groundbreaking Improv Comic Was 87

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.

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9 comments:

Anonymous said...

He was from my hometown-- Bellbrook, Ohio.
What a funny man he was. Hilarious.
His humor was a great gift to us, and we will miss him.

Gerald, retired Detroit cop said...

He knew how to make folks laugh without all of the swear words now used in comedy. I loved his "Deer Hunting" bit with "Just mount him on the bumper", we played it every year before Deer season in Mich.

Anonymous said...

A genius.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
He was from my hometown-- Bellbrook, Ohio.
What a funny man he was. Hilarious.
His humor was a great gift to us, and we will miss him.

April 12, 2013 at 2:06 PM
Gerald, retired Detroit cop said...
He knew how to make folks laugh without all of the swear words now used in comedy. I loved his "Deer Hunting" bit with "Just mount him on the bumper", we played it every year before Deer season in Mich.

April 12, 2013 at 2:50 PM

I hope you both are still in your respective states.

Anonymous said...

I got goose bumps allllllllllllllllll over my body

Anonymous said...

anon 4:25 get a life...somewhere on the west coast!

Anonymous said...

He still is funny,thanks to the miracle of film.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
anon 4:25 get a life...somewhere on the west coast!

April 13, 2013 at 10:07 AM

There's another well thought out and intelligent reply. I have a life thank you, but it is too muddled with wimps, crybabies, wannabe tough guys, wannabe rambo's, and so many genius folks that could solve all the world's problems if only given the chance.

I would love to move to the west coast, but it would not matter where I went. I would still be surrounded by mental midgets like yourself.

Next time, actually take a minute and try to write something worthwhile and hasn't been said 8 billion times before you copied it.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
He still is funny,thanks to the miracle of film.

April 13, 2013 at 2:40 PM

Praise the Lord, it's a miracle!