Jonathan Winters' comedic talent didn't have universal appeal, but he did have fans. However, he was out of the limelight for a long time, and now that he's gone -- well, there goes the comeback.
Sometimes knowing a performer's background provides a little insight into the shaping of the character we saw. And Winters had a background that makes an interesting story.
The way he tells it, his parents didn't like him, and both parents were eager to sign the paper work to get him in the Marines at the age of 17. There he served as one of 75 Marines on board the Navy carrier USS Bonhomme Richard to guard the magazine in case the Admiral went berserk and the Marines had to take over the ship. They didn't have to.
He got his start doing stand-up comedy while in high school in Springfield, Ohio. He did five and ten minute bits in bars for food. But his real standup started while he was serving on the Bonhomme Richard. He was 19 and known to be a cut-up, and a Naval officer asked him to put on a show for the 2,000 sailors. So he did some sound effects and impersonations, the audience enjoyed it, and something clicked. He realized that maybe he had a talent that could actually lead to something.
Anyway, all this is from a podcast in which Marc Maron interviewed Winters. And there's much more. Click here to go to the download site. Love him or not, it's an interesting story.
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