Born
21 December 1922 (103)
Place of Birth
New York City, New York, USA
Also known as
Paul Wilchinsky
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...
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
The Magical World of Winnie the Pooh: A Great Day of Discovery
2003
Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year
2002
Winnie the Pooh: Spookable Fun
2000
Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving
1999
Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You
1999
A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving
1998
Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin
1997
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Story Behind the Masterpiece
1996
Winnie the Pooh: Frankenpooh
1995
Winnie the Pooh: Un-Valentine's Day
1995
Winnie the Pooh Playtime: Cowboy Pooh
1994
Winnie the Pooh: Playtime - Pooh Party
1994
Winnie the Pooh & Christmas Too
1991
Yogi Bear and the Magical Flight of the Spruce Goose
1987
Kingdom Chums - Little David's Adventure
1986
Gummi Bears: A New Beginning
1986
The Smurfic Games
1984
Here Are the Smurfs
1984
The Smurfs: Baby's First Christmas
1983
The Smurfs Halloween Special
1983
The 1st Annual NBC Yummy Awards
1983
Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore
1983
My Smurfy Valentine
1983
The Smurfs Christmas Special
1982
The Smurfs Springtime Special
1982
Romeo and Smurfette
1981
The Flintstones: Wind-Up Wilma
1981
The Fox and the Hound
1981
Hanna-Barbera's All-Star Comedy Ice Revue
1978
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
1977
The Tiny Tree
1975
The Man from Clover Grove
1975
Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too
1974
Dr. Seuss on the Loose
1973
Blue Aces Wild
1973
Killarney Blarney
1973
A Christmas Story
1972
The Banana Splits in Hocus Pocus Park
1972
The Wizard of Id
1971
The Aristocats
1970