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