Paul Winchell
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
Perry Mason
Henry Clement
The Smurfs
Gargamel (voice)
The Lucy Show
Paul Winchell
The Lucy Show
Doc Putnam
The Donna Reed Show
77 Sunset Strip
The Beverly Hillbillies
Grandpa Winch
Here's Lucy
Knife Thrower / Jeweler
Here's Lucy
Carlo
Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears
Zummi Gummi (voice)
Love, American Style
Dale
Love, American Style
Harvey
Love, American Style
Ralph
The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Tigger (voice)
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Self
Garfield and Friends
The Jetsons
Dr. Input (voice)
The Aristocats
Chinese Cat (voice)
What's My Line?
Self
What's My Line?
Self - Panelist
The Brady Bunch
Nanny and the Professor
The Dean Martin Show
Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines
Dick Dastardly / The General (voice)
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Self
McMillan & Wife
Lights Out
The Fox and the Hound
Boomer (voice)
Vernon's Volunteers
Fire Chief Vernon
Wacky Races
Clyde (voice)
Heathcliff
Marmaduke
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Tigger (voice)
Droopy, Master Detective
Rumpley's Dad (voice)
Hong Kong Phooey
Mr. Shrink
Ghost Story
Mr. Carlson
Hanna-Barbera's All-Star Comedy Ice Revue
Bubi Bear / Fleego (voice)
Your Show of Shows
The Perils of Penelope Pitstop
Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving
Tigger (voice)
The Man from Clover Grove
Jefferson Swickle
Yogi Bear and the Magical Flight of the Spruce Goose
Dread Baron (voice)
The Hollywood Palace
Self - Ventriloquist
Here Are the Smurfs
Gargamel (voice)
The Banana Splits Adventure Hour
Joe Forrester
The Banana Splits in Hocus Pocus Park
Fleegle / Tree (voice)
Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin
Tigger (voice)
Goober and the Ghost Chasers
Which Way to the Front?
Schroeder
Spider-Man
Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year
Tigger (segment "Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too") (voice)
Yogi's Treasure Hunt
Dick Dastardly (voice)
Help!... It's the Hair Bear Bunch!
Fender Bender 500
Dick Dastardly (voice)
Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You
Tigger (voice)
Romeo and Smurfette
Gargamel (Voice)
The Tiny Tree
Turtle
A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving
Tigger (voice)
Clue Club
Woofer
Shake, Rattle and Roll
Shake
The Lone Ranger
The Rainmaker (voice)
Wake, Rattle, and Roll
Goldilocks
Bobcat / Various Animals (voice)
Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day
Tigger (voice)
Dr. Seuss on the Loose
Sneetches / Sam-I-Am / Green Eggs and Ham Hater (voice)
Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch
Revs/Captain Tough (voice)
Trollkins
The Robonic Stooges
Moe / Mummy / Professor Octane
The Oddball Couple
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Story Behind the Masterpiece
Self - Voice of 'Tigger'
Stop! Look! and Laugh!
Paul Winchell
Winnie the Pooh: Un-Valentine's Day
Tigger (voice)
Everything's on Ice
Voice of Dummy
The Wizard of Id
The King of Id/Peasant
The Smurfs Christmas Special
Gargamel (voice)
Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore
Tigger (voice)
The Paul Winchell Show
Host
The Bigelow Show
Winnie the Pooh & Christmas Too
Tigger (voice)
Circus Time
The Smurfs: Baby's First Christmas
Gargamel (voice)
The Smurfic Games
Gargamel (voice)
Killarney Blarney
Jamie / Timmy (voice)
A Christmas Story
Goober (voice)
The Magical World of Winnie the Pooh: A Great Day of Discovery
Tigger
Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too
Tigger (voice)
Winnie the Pooh: Frankenpooh
Tigger (voice)
Blue Aces Wild
Wizard (voice)
The Flintstones: Wind-Up Wilma
Umpire / Thief / Reporter (voice)
Kingdom Chums - Little David's Adventure
(voice)
My Smurfy Valentine
Gargamel (voice)
Winnie the Pooh Playtime: Cowboy Pooh
Tigger (voice)
Winnie the Pooh: Spookable Fun
Tigger (voice)
The Smurfs Springtime Special
Gargamel (voice)
Gummi Bears: A New Beginning
Zummi Gummi (voice)
The 1st Annual NBC Yummy Awards
Winnie the Pooh: Playtime - Pooh Party
Tigger (voice)
The Mike Douglas Show
Self
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self