Paul Winchell
Born
December 21, 1922
Died
June 24, 2005 (82 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
New York City, New York, USA
Born Paul Wilchinsky on December 21, 1922, the son of Sol and Clara Wilchinsky, Paul Winchell grew up to be the most beloved ventriloquist of American children. Ironically, as famous as Paul was, his dummy, Jerry Mahoney, was probably more famous. Not since Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy in the previous two decades had a ventriloquist and his dummy known equal celebrity.
Entering the spotlight on the Edward Bowes "Original Amateur Hour" (1948), he began working soon after in a review show in which Major Bowes would showcase the winners of his radio program. He started his television career on the CBS program The Bigelow Show (1948) in 1948; The Paul Winchell Show (1950), originally called "The Spiedel Show," in 1950; and, finally, the best-known of his shows Winchell-Mahoney Time (1965). With a clubhouse premise, his dummies Jerry Mahoney and Knucklehead Smiff--another of Paul's characters--as the clubhouse leaders, and the music of the bandleader Milton Delugg. A new innovation of Winchell's was to replace the dummy's hands with those of puppeteers who were hidden behind the dummies in a crate. Winch also played many serous dramatic roles on television without his dummy sidekicks.
What may be even more famous is that he created the voice of Tigger for the Walt Disney Company's "Winnie The Pooh" motion-picture series, based on the famous books by A.A. Milne. He played the role behind the scenes until 1999, when he was replaced by Jim Cummings, who also voiced Pooh from the time that Sterling Holloway died. He was also the voice of many other world-famous cartoon characters.
A little-known fact about Winchell is that he was one of the original inventors of an artificial heart--years before the first successful transplant with such of a device--an automobile that runs on battery power, a method for breeding tilapia, and many other inventions that are still around today.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: MeanDean
Known For
The Magical World of Winnie the Pooh: A Great Day of Discovery
Tigger
2003
Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year
Tigger (segment "Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too") (voice)
2002
Winnie the Pooh: Spookable Fun
Tigger (voice)
2000
Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving
Tigger (voice)
1999
Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You
Tigger (voice)
1999
Winnie the Pooh: Frankenpooh
Tigger (voice)
1999
A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving
Tigger (voice)
1998
Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin
Tigger (voice)
1997
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Story Behind the Masterpiece
Self - Voice of 'Tigger'
1996
Winnie the Pooh: Un-Valentine's Day
Tigger (voice)
1995
Winnie the Pooh Playtime: Cowboy Pooh
Tigger (voice)
1994
Winnie the Pooh: Playtime - Pooh Party
Tigger (voice)
1994
Droopy, Master Detective
Rumpley's Dad (voice) · (1 episode)
1993
Winnie the Pooh & Christmas Too
Tigger (voice)
1991
Wake, Rattle, and Roll
(20 episodes)
1990
Fender Bender 500
Dick Dastardly (voice) · (10 episodes)
1990
Garfield and Friends
(1 episode)
1988
The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Tigger (voice) · (53 episodes)
1988
Yogi Bear and the Magical Flight of the Spruce Goose
Dread Baron (voice)
1987
Kingdom Chums - Little David's Adventure
(voice)
1986
Gummi Bears: A New Beginning
Zummi Gummi (voice)
1986
Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears
Zummi Gummi (voice) · (76 episodes)
1985
Yogi's Treasure Hunt
Dick Dastardly (voice) · (27 episodes)
1985
The Smurfic Games
Gargamel (voice)
1984
Here Are the Smurfs
Gargamel (voice)
1984
The Smurfs: Baby's First Christmas
Gargamel (voice)
1983
The 1st Annual NBC Yummy Awards
1983
Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore
Tigger (voice)
1983
My Smurfy Valentine
Gargamel (voice)
1983
The Smurfs Christmas Special
Gargamel (voice)
1982
The Smurfs Springtime Special
Gargamel (voice)
1982
Romeo and Smurfette
Gargamel (Voice)
1981
The Flintstones: Wind-Up Wilma
Umpire / Thief / Reporter (voice)
1981
Spider-Man
(1 episode)
1981
Trollkins
(26 episodes)
1981
The Smurfs
Gargamel (voice) · (422 episodes)
1981
The Fox and the Hound
Boomer (voice)
1981
Heathcliff
Marmaduke · (39 episodes)
1980
Hanna-Barbera's All-Star Comedy Ice Revue
Bubi Bear / Fleego (voice)
1978
The Robonic Stooges
Moe / Mummy / Professor Octane · (32 episodes)
1977
Shake, Rattle and Roll
Shake · (13 episodes)
1977
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Tigger (voice)
1977
Clue Club
Woofer · (16 episodes)
1976
The Tiny Tree
Turtle
1975
The Man from Clover Grove
Jefferson Swickle
1975
Joe Forrester
(1 episode)
1975
The Oddball Couple
(16 episodes)
1975
Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too
Tigger (voice)
1974
Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch
Revs/Captain Tough (voice) · (39 episodes)
1974
Hong Kong Phooey
Mr. Shrink · (31 episodes)
1974
Dr. Seuss on the Loose
Sneetches / Sam-I-Am / Green Eggs and Ham Hater (voice)
1973
Goober and the Ghost Chasers
(16 episodes)
1973
Blue Aces Wild
Wizard (voice)
1973
Killarney Blarney
Jamie / Timmy (voice)
1973
A Christmas Story
Goober (voice)
1972
The Banana Splits in Hocus Pocus Park
Fleegle / Tree (voice)
1972
Ghost Story
Mr. Carlson · (1 episode)
1972
McMillan & Wife
(1 episode)
1971
Help!... It's the Hair Bear Bunch!
(16 episodes)
1971
The Wizard of Id
The King of Id/Peasant
1971
The Aristocats
Chinese Cat (voice)
1970
Which Way to the Front?
Schroeder
1970
Goldilocks
Bobcat / Various Animals (voice)
1970
Nanny and the Professor
(1 episode)
1970
Love, American Style
Dale · (1 episode)
1969
Love, American Style
Harvey · (1 episode)
1969
Love, American Style
Ralph · (1 episode)
1969
The Brady Bunch
(1 episode)
1969
The Perils of Penelope Pitstop
(17 episodes)
1969
Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines
Dick Dastardly / The General (voice) · (89 episodes)
1969
Vernon's Volunteers
Fire Chief Vernon
1969
Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day
Tigger (voice)
1968
Here's Lucy
Knife Thrower / Jeweler · (1 episode)
1968
Here's Lucy
Carlo · (1 episode)
1968
Wacky Races
Clyde (voice) · (34 episodes)
1968
The Banana Splits Adventure Hour
(37 episodes)
1968
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Self · (4 episodes)
1968
The Lone Ranger
The Rainmaker (voice) · (1 episode)
1966
The Dean Martin Show
(1 episode)
1965
The Pink Panther
(124 episodes)
1964
The Hollywood Palace
Self - Ventriloquist · (1 episode)
1964
The Lucy Show
Paul Winchell · (1 episode)
1962
The Lucy Show
Doc Putnam · (2 episodes)
1962
The Beverly Hillbillies
Grandpa Winch · (2 episodes)
1962
The Jetsons
Dr. Input (voice) · (1 episode)
1962
The Mike Douglas Show
Self · (1 episode)
1961
Stop! Look! and Laugh!
Paul Winchell
1960
77 Sunset Strip
(1 episode)
1958
The Donna Reed Show
(2 episodes)
1958
Perry Mason
Henry Clement · (1 episode)
1957
Circus Time
(1 episode)
1956
The Paul Winchell Show
Host · (1 episode)
1950
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Self · (3 episodes)
1950
Your Show of Shows
(1 episode)
1950
What's My Line?
Self · (1 episode)
1950
What's My Line?
Self - Panelist · (6 episodes)
1950
Lights Out
(1 episode)
1949
The Bigelow Show
(1 episode)
1948
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self · (3 episodes)
1948
Everything's on Ice
Voice of Dummy
1939