Jonathan Winters Movies
"Pound for pound, Jonathan Winters is the funniest man on earth." These words, spoken by talk show host Jack Paar in the early '60s, were not chosen lightly. After war service and graduation from Kenyon College, Winters began his career on a radio station in his hometown of Dayton, OH. The rotund comedian was supposed to merely introduce the records and announce the temperature, but ever so gradually his irrepressible ad-libs and improvisations took over the show. His TV career began on CBS' daytime The Garry Moore Show, where he introduced such imperishable characters as freewheeling senior citizen Maudie Frickett and doltish Elwood P. Suggins. He was a regular on the 1955 summer series And Here's the Show, and in 1956 landed his own 15-minute NBC series (the first network program to be regularly videotaped). Though never less than side-splittingly funny on camera, Winters was plagued by severe emotional problems in real life, not the least of which was his reliance on what he called "the sauce." After a highly publicized sanitarium stay, a clean and sober Winters returned to TV, though it would be 1967 before any network would take a chance on his headlining a regular weekly show (during the 1964-1965 season, he starred in a group of well-received specials, and was also a frequent guest on The Tonight Show, The Jack Paar Program, and The Andy Williams Show). During the early '60s, Winters' recorded bits began frequently popping up on the NBC radio series Monitor, and in 1963, he made his movie debut in the all-star It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963). In answer to critics who felt that Winters was tied down by scripted material, the comedian starred in the two-season syndicated weekly The Wacky World of Jonathan Winters (1972-1973), which was completely ad-libbed. Many young comics of the 1970s and 1980s have declared that Winters was a prime influence in their choice of career. No comedian was more vocal in his praise of Winters than Robin Williams, who in 1981 arranged for Winters to be cast as overgrown baby Mearth on Williams' popular sitcom Mork and Mindy. Jonathan Winters remained as funny and active as ever into the 1990s, making uproarious appearances on Jay Leno's Tonight Show and co-starring in such big-budget theatrical films as The Shadow (1994). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1961
Originally released in Japan as Saiyu-ki, this animated feature film was purchased by American-International Productions, then retitled, re-edited and redubbed for American consumption. Alakazam is a timid little monkey, who has greatness thrust upon him when he is chosen to rule over all the animals on earth. Unfortunately, once Alakazam attains the crown, he also develops a swelled head. On the orders of King Amo, ruler of an island where all retired magicians reside, Alakazam is imprisoned and taught a lesson or two. The American version of Alakazam the Great was sold to theatres on the strength of its voice talent: Frankie Avalon (as Alakzam), Jonathan Winters, Dodie Stevens, Arnold Stang and Sterling Holloway. Among its Japanese writer/directors was Osamu Tesuka, the man responsible for Astro Boy and Kimba, the White Lion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frankie Avalon, Dodie Stevens, (more)
- 1985
This live action trip back to Wonderland finds Alice dodging the Jabberwocky and encountering a Wonderland crew including Humpty Dumpty, Tiger Lily, and Tweedledum and Tweedledee. The voice cast is staggering, including (to mention a few) father and son Lloyd Bridges and Beau Bridges, Phyllis Diller, and George Gobel, Ringo Starr, Jonathan Winters, Sally Struthers, Karl Malden, and many, many more. ~ All Movie Guide
This 1982 made-for-TV version of the Lewis Carroll classic Alice in Wonderland features an all-star cast. Such celebrities as Donald O'Connor, Maureen Stapleton and Eve Arden struggle to perform while buried under mounds of makeup and tons of eccentric costuming as Carroll's alternate-world loonies. Alice in Wonderland was first telecast Oct 3, 1983, on PBS' Great Performances. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
These are the funniest pieces taken from one of the all-time funny TV men, Steve Allen. These takes from his hit The Steve Allen Show series, are priceless. Featured with Allen in these takes are such notables as Johnny Carson, Sammy Davis Jr., Don Knotts, Jerry Lewis and Zsa Zsa Gabor. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1990
Jonathan Winters and Bill Cosby host this captivating collection of internationally produced cartoons. Many of the subjects offered in Animation Wonderland have won major industry and festival awards. Others have been selected purely for their entertainment value (as good a reason as any). The titles include "Early Birds", "The Tinder Box", "Petroushka", "The Chocolate Princess"and "King Midas." At 62 minutes, Animation Wonderland is over all too quickly. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Part of the popular Dorf series in which Tim Conway, beloved comedian and staple of The Carol Burnett Show, portrays an eccentric Scandinavian midget named Dorf, Dorf: 'Scue Me features a cast of Dorf favorites. Viewers get reacquainted with Judy's Child, a gourmet chef whose head doesn't quite reach the kitchen counter, and Daryl Dorf, teeny-tiny weight-lifting god. Roger Beatty, Julie Dees, and Jonathon Winters are featured. ~ Betsy Boyd, All Movie Guide
- 1967
In this comedy, a widower, his seven children, and their maid find themselves on the lam, after he is falsely accused of embezzling at the bank where he works. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Hope, Phyllis Diller, (more)
- 1992
In this sequel to the much-loved "Frosty the Snowman" cartoon special, Frosty reappears to befriend a girl named Holly and help save Christmas from the invention of an evil snow-exterminating chemical. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
During the 1950s and 1960s, San Francisco's hungry i nightclub (the lower case is not a mistake: that's how the name read on the club's outside wall) was a primary breeding ground for young and hungry comedy talent. The "i" is no longer in existence, but most of its more illustrious alumni are still alive and kicking. Taped in 1981, The hungry i Reunion is comprised of interviews and brief snatches of several classic comic monologues. The star roster includes Mort Sahl, Jonathan Winters, Ronnie Schell, Jackie Vernon and the inimitable Professor Irwin Corey. And just so we won't forget that the "i" was also famous for its folk-singing sessions, the Kingston Trio is on hand to stir up fond baby-boomer memories. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
- PG
This animated feature originally surfaced in theatres-albeit very, very briefly-under the fuller title Pogo for President: I Go Pogo. Walt Kelly's fabled comic-strip characters prepare for the upcoming Okefenokee Swamp elections. The swamp's "Favorite Son" is none other than Pogo Possum, who is recruited as potential White House material by his chums Albert the Alligator, Howland Owl and Porky Pine. Filmed in a stop-motion process, I Go Pogo seems a bit too slick for Kelly's rough-hewn characters. The best bit involves Porky Pine's dextrous shell game, with Jonathan Winters providing the voice for the nimble-fingered Mr. Pine. Other voices include Skip Hinnant (as Pogo), Vincent Price, Stan Freberg, Jimmy Breslin, Arnold Stang, and Ruth Buzzi. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
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With this all-star Cinerama epic, producer/director Stanley Kramer vowed to make "the comedy that would end all comedies." The story begins during a massive traffic jam, caused by reckless driver Smiler Grogan (Jimmy Durante), who, before (literally) kicking the bucket, cryptically tells the assembled drivers that he's buried a fortune in stolen loot, "under the Big W." The various motorists setting out on a mad scramble include a dentist (Sid Caesar) and his wife (Edie Adams); a henpecked husband (Milton Berle) accompanied by his mother-in-law (Ethel Merman) and his beatnik brother-in-law (Dick Shawn); a pair of comedy writers (Buddy Hackett and Mickey Rooney); and a variety of assorted nuts including a slow-wit (Jonathan Winters), a wheeler-dealer (Phil Silvers), and a pair of covetous cabdrivers (Peter Falk and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson). Monitoring every move that the fortune hunters make is a scrupulously honest police detective (Spencer Tracy). Virtually every lead, supporting, and bit part in the picture is filled by a well-known comic actor: the laughspinning lineup also includes Carl Reiner, Terry-Thomas, Arnold Stang, Buster Keaton, Jack Benny, Jerry Lewis, and The Three Stooges, who get one of the picture's biggest laughs by standing stock still and uttering not a word. Two prominent comedians are conspicuous by their absence: Groucho Marx refused to appear when Kramer couldn't meet his price, while Stan Laurel declined because he felt he was too old-looking to be funny. Available for years in its 154-minute general release version, the film was restored to its roadshow length of 175 minutes on home video; the search goes on for a missing Buster Keaton routine, reportedly excised on the eve of the picture's premiere. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Spencer Tracy, Milton Berle, (more)
- 1990
The Little Troll Prince is saved when he discovers God's love. ~ All Movie Guide
Jack Noah (Richard Dreyfuss) is all actor: Self-possessed, obsessive, vulnerable, and an addict for praise, his soul burns with "the craft." Having just finished a grade-Z straight-to-cable crime thriller in the fictional South American country of Parador, he gets the ultimate acting challenge (though it's more like an offer he can't refuse) from Roberto Strausman (Raul Julia), the Paradorian dictator's chief advisor. The challenge: impersonate the country's dictator, whose just died. Strausman knows just how to manipulate Noah: He takes him to a meat locker, shows him the director's body (actually Dreyfuss' brother, Lorin), threatens to kill him, and he brings clips of Noah's best reviews. Thus enticed, and bearing a striking resemblance to the man, Noah accepts the job. Under the exacting direction of Strausman, he follows the script precisely. Noah immediately enjoys the job's perks, not least of which is the dictator's scorching mistress, Madonna (Sonia Braga), but of course cannot conceal his real identity to her. A close call with Parador's revolutionaries and Madonna's brimming social conscience push Noah to take command of the role. He starts pushing a kinder, gentler social agenda, and incurs Strausman's wrath. It begins to look like Noah will play the dictator's last act, but a chance meeting with a stunt man friend (Michael Greene) inspires a caper that will change all of the characters' fates. ~ Nick Sambides, Jr., All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Dreyfuss, Raul Julia, (more)
- 1980
The second of two attempts to revive the 1960s TV series The Wild, Wild West (the first was Wild Wild West Revisited), More Wild, Wild West was telecast October 7, 1980. Robert Conrad is back as 19th- century secret-agent James West, while Ross Martin returns to the role of "man of many faces" Artemus Gordon. The principal heavy, played with tongue firmly in cheek by Jonathan Winters, is a mad scientist who plans to create an army of invisible supermen. Victor Buono, who was special guest villain on the very first Wild Wild West episode in 1965, plays a supporting role; carried over from Wild Wild West revisited are Harry Morgan and Rene Auberjonois. Several networks evinced interest in More Wild, Wild West, but Ross Martin's death in 1981 ended all plans for a weekly series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Conrad, Ross Martin, (more)
- 2006
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A group of disgruntled actresses plot revenge after learning that a high profile casting call was actually a scam cooked up by three lonely losers just looking to get laid. Sherman and Glen just wanted a little action, but romantic Richie Ray was looking for his dream girl. At first their seedy scam seemed to be working brilliantly, and then the truth came out. When these ambitious actresses realize they've been had, it doesn't take long for them to throw together their own diabolical plan. Nicole Eggert, Thomas Ian Nicholas, and Diedrich Bader star in a sexy comedy featuring special appearances by Paul Mazursky and Jonathan Winters. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1967
In his only starring made-for-TV movie, comedian Jonathan Winters plays an art expert engaged by an insurance company. Winters is assigned to protect a valuable Rembrandt, on loan from the Louvre to a major New York gallery. The Rembrandt disappears and passes through several hands (including the pudgy paws of an Arabian shiek) before Winters can save the day. Now You See It, Now You Don't is overloaded with guest stars (Steve Allen, Jayne Meadows, Jack Weston), as though the producers didn't think Winters could carry a film by himself. The best moment is a restaurant scene in which Jonathan Winters is permitted a few precious moments of improvisational fancy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
A domineering mother and her sheltered son fly face first into love, murder, and the meaning of family in this black comedy based on Arthur Kopit's Broadway play. Wealthy Madame Rosepettle (Rosalind Russell) and 25-year-old Jonathan (Robert Morse) arrive at the Port Royal Hotel on a tiny Caribbean island with the man of the family in tow, literally; he's been dead for many years and his stuffed corpse travels with them in a coffin. Madame is the kind of woman who keeps piranhas and Venus Flytrap plants as pets, and controls her son's life down to deciding what meal he'll have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (a hamburger and a maraschino cherry). Jonathan is kept indoors at all times and isn't allowed to mix with the outside world, though the hotel "babysitter," Rosalie (Barbara Harris), slips in through the window and flirts with the easily rattled young man. Madame is being courted by drunken millionaire Commodore Roseabove (Hugh Griffith), and while she welcomes his advances, her attention is diverted by trying to make sure that her son stays "pure." Rosalie isn't one to be put off by the meddling matriarch, so she doubles her efforts to get at Jonathan, who wants Rosalie too but might be pushed over the edge by the attention. ~ Fred Beldin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rosalind Russell, Robert Morse, (more)
- 1989
Enjoy this video rendition of the Old Farmer's Almanac hosted by Willard Scott and Jonathon Winters supplying household tips, weather information as well as cures for hiccups. ~ All Movie Guide
