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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsJonathan Winters, R.I.P.
Maude Frickert, for example, whom he played wearing a white wig and a Victorian granny dress, was inspired by an elderly aunt who let him drink wine and taught him to play poker when he was 9 years old. . .
As channeled by Mr. Winters, Maude Frickert was a wild card. Reminiscing about her late husband, Pop Frickert, she told a stupefied interviewer: He was a Spanish dancer in a massage parlor. If somebody came in with a crick in their neck hed do an orthopedic flamenco all over them. He was tall, dark and out of it. . .
More influential than successful, Mr. Winters circled the comic heavens tracing his own strange orbit, an object of wonder and admiration to his peers. Jonathan taught me, Robin Williams told the correspondent Ed Bradley on 60 Minutes, that the world is open for play, that everything and everybody is mockable, in a wonderful way.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/13/arts/television/jonathan-winters-comedian-dies-at-87.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0&hp
Graybeard
(6,996 posts)Madcap and chaotic are two words that come to mind.
There was always an element of danger listening to him work. One never quite knew where he was going with a riff or how far he would take it.
RIP and thanks for the laughter.
Flaxbee
(13,661 posts)Last edited Fri Apr 12, 2013, 03:40 PM - Edit history (1)
it was always interesting and usually very funny.
How sad. I liked his lunacy. I wish there was more of it in the world.
Lol - from his obituary:
"Her son [Winters] continued talking to himself and developed a repertory of strange sound effects. He often entertained his high school friends by imitating a race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway."
csziggy
(34,120 posts)Bonus - Jonathan Winters on David Letterman 1986. Robin Williams comes in 7:30 through the second part.
elleng
(130,156 posts)AnneD
(15,774 posts)A true giant that revolutionized comedy
Beringia
(4,314 posts)What a great talent. I loved his comedy. Wild wild wild world.