jonathan winters
In the seventies, he appeared in his own show, The Wacky World of Jonathan Winters (1972′74). [1]
Jonathan Winters was an utter original, a wildly improvisational comic whose work careened from childlike prankishness to bitter satire and from bizarre sound effects to straight-faced moralizing — often all within the same bit. [2]
A quick-witted, king of improvisation, Jonathan Winters has enjoyed a long and varied career in TV, live performances and the occasional film. [3]
The real Jonathan Winters was born in Dayton, Ohio on November 11, 1925. [4]
He shone in local comedy clubs and early live TV where his expressive, moon-shaped face and abilities for zany mimicry and adept characterizations became increasingly popular. [3]
His interest in art led him to Dayton Art Institute where he studied for over two years and met the girl who would become his wife, Eileen. [4]
Mercurial and manic, Winters veered from character to character and premise to premise at breakneck speed, yet with balletic grace; for all of the seeming chaos inherent in his comedy, his aesthetic remained remarkably consistent and pure, his stream-of-consciousness narratives and radical concepts all refracted through the same singularly bent worldview. [2]
Though less prolific on the big screen, Winters appeared in several memorable 60s films including Stanley Kramer’s star-studded mess “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” (1963), Tony Richardson’s black comedy “The Loved One” (1965, as twins) and Norman Jewison’s “The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming” (1966, as a deputy). [3]
In the early 1950s he graduated to television, winning a recurring slot on CBS’ daytime series The Garry Moore Show and introducing popular characters like farmer Elwood P. Suggins and free-spirited senior citizen Maude Frickert. [5]
Eileen encouraged Jonathan to enter a local talent contest in Dayton, which he did, and he won a wrist watch, but the performance led him to a job as an early morning disc-jockey on radio station WING in Dayton (1946). [4]
After appearing in the 1963 feature comedy It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, he returned to the studio to record 1964’s Whistle Stopping, a concept album written by future Tonight Show scribe Pat McCormick commenting on the upcoming presidential elections. [5]
Jonathan Harshman Winters III was born in Dayton, Ohio on November 11, 1925. [2]
He began comedy routines and acting while studying at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. [...] Jonathan Harshman Winters III (born November 11, 1925) is an American comedian and actor. [1]
The only son of a banker father and radio personality mother, Winters spent a difficult childhood shuttling between his divorced parents. [6]
Sources:
[1] Jonathan Winters - Wikipedia
[2] Jonathan Winters: Information from Answers.com
[3] Jonathan Winters Biography - Yahoo! Movies
[4] JONATHAN WINTERS | BIOGRAPHY
[5] CMT.com : Jonathan Winters : Biography
[6] Comedy Central Comedians | Jonathan Winters