Paul Winchell

Paul Winchell

Deceased · Born: Dec 21, 1922 · Died: Jun 24, 2005

Personal Details

Born Dec 21, 1922 New York City, New York, USA
Spouse
  • Jean Freeman

    ( Dec 31, 1969 to Jun 24, 2005 )
  • Nina Russel

    ( Oct 5, 1961 to Dec 31, 1969 )
  • Dorothy (Dottie) Movitz

    ( May 1, 1944 to May 14, 2024 )
Parents
  • Sol Wilchinsky
  • Clara Wilchinsky

Biography

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

Career

2002
Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year
Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year as Tigger (segment "Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too") (voice)
Watch
1999
Winnie the Pooh Franken Pooh
Winnie the Pooh Franken Pooh as Tigger (voice)
Watch
1998
A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving
A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving as Tigger (voice)
Watch
1997
Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin
1991
Winnie the Pooh & Christmas Too
Winnie the Pooh & Christmas Too as Tigger (voice)
Watch
1990
Wake, Rattle & Roll
1988
The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh as Tigger (voice)
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1986
Adventures of the Gummi Bears
Adventures of the Gummi Bears as Zummi Gummi (voice)
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The Kingdom Chums: Little David's Adventure
1985
Smurfily Ever After
Smurfily Ever After as Gargamel
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Adventures of the Gummi Bears
Adventures of the Gummi Bears as Zummi Gummi (voice)
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Yogi's Treasure Hunt
Yogi's Treasure Hunt as Dick Dastardly (voice)
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The Jetsons
The Jetsons as Dr. Input (voice)
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1984
Here Are the Smurfs
Here Are the Smurfs as Gargamel
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1983
Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore
Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore as Tigger (voice)
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My Smurfy Valentine
My Smurfy Valentine as Gargamel (voice)
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1982
The Smurfs Springtime Special
The Smurfs Springtime Special as Gargamel (voice)
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1981
The Flintstones: Wind-Up Wilma
The Flintstones: Wind-Up Wilma as Umpire / Thief / Reporter (voice)
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The Smurfs
The Smurfs as Gargamel (voice)
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Heathcliff
Heathcliff as Marmaduke
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1977
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh as Tigger (voice)
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The Robonic Stooges
The Robonic Stooges as Moe / Mummy / Professor Octane
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Shake, Rattle and Roll
Shake, Rattle and Roll as Shake
Watch
1976
Clue Club
Clue Club as Woofer
Watch
1975
The Tiny Tree
The Tiny Tree as Turtle
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The Man from Clover Grove
The Man from Clover Grove as Jefferson Swickle
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1974
Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too
Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too as Tigger (voice)
Watch
Hong Kong Phooey
Hong Kong Phooey as Mr. Shrink
Watch
Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch
Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch as Revs/Captain Tough (voice)
Watch
1973
Dr. Seuss on the Loose
Dr. Seuss on the Loose as Sneetches / Sam-I-Am / Green Eggs and Ham Hater (voice)
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Goober and the Ghost Chasers
1972
The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie
The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie as Fleegle / Tree (voice)
Watch
A Christmas Story
A Christmas Story as Goober (voice)
Watch
1971
Help!... It's the Hair Bear Bunch!
The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch
Watch
1970
Which Way to the Front?
Which Way to the Front? as Schroeder
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The AristoCats
The AristoCats as Chinese Cat (voice)
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1969
Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines
Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines as Dick Dastardly / The General (voice)
Watch
The Perils of Penelope Pitstop
1968
Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day
Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day as Tigger (voice)
Watch
Wacky Races
Wacky Races as Clyde (voice)
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The Banana Splits Adventure Hour
1963
Perry Mason
Perry Mason as Henry Clement
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1962
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies as Grandpa Winch
Watch