Jonathan Winters and Robin Williams with David Letterman

[caramelsweetea]

Two of my favorite comedians

[life49786]

Roaring with laughter. Oh how I miss the days with good clean comedy. Telling how he answers his phone. And when Robin Williams comes out and the two of them go in to acting crazy and stuff.  Especially when Jonathan Winters and Robin Williams do the father skit and David Letterman just loses control of his show and crumples up the paper. Simply hilarious.

[phaota]

I wish they had done some stand-up together. They were like twins joined at the hip. Both with the same sense of fast-wit humor. I love them both, especially Jonathan. He was great in everything he did.

[9162vb48]

Great spot -- WITHOUT Robin Williams.

Take a pill, Robo-Amateur!

[aitraining]

@9162vb48 I agree. Winters was the greatest improv comic and not annoying and pressing like Robin Williams. Jonothan Winters did it without looking like he was "proving" how funny he was.....unlike Robin Williams.

[neilzep]

Genius! pure Genius...love them both...Thank you guys!

[EricBBrandon1]

In my book...the two true genius's of comedy!  Can you only imagine and hour long show! Poor Letterman would run out of things to throw through the window...then eventually himself! Now that would be a screamer!

[MacPro8CoreMan]

Letterman didn't have a chance.... Funny!

[richintalent]

Does ANYONE have a clip of Jonathan Winters imitating a turtle??? That was one of the funniest thinngs I've seen!!!

[robertandres73]

This clip is gold.



[cavalierfan1995]

I WAS NINE WHEN THIS CAME ON AND BEGGED MY MOM TO LET ME WATCH THIS.

LOVE JOHNATHAN AND ROBIN GREAT DUO

[carlystur]

ROFL! Once Robin came out, David barely got a word in! Ha! <3 this!

[alteregoash]

Christ Robin was funny when he was on coke.

[oldfart387]

Winters had a show and each week he'd go into his attic and just pick up something and go off about it. One time Williams went to the attic with him and the two worked together so well, I hurt from laughing so hard. Never saw it again. If somebody has that PLEASE put it on youtube!!!

[801liveable]

hey, billy1212ist they are not apples and oranges..ROBIN WILLIAMS, has flat out stated JONATHAN WINTERS is his man. most everything he does is from watching WINTERS..did you ever hear the story from WILLIAMS when he was listening to WINTERS talk about the squirrel and his little nuts? WILLIAMS IS funny, but not as funny as WINTERS and when he tries to be he gets a little out of control and he's not funny...

[epiphyticsab]

I honestly don't think I could take more than 10 minutes of those two being together as I'd die from laughter.

[DrRemulack]

Winters and Williams are two lunatics that should have been given MORE television time than anyone else in entertainment.

[owg59]

Wouldn't it be nice if all the dipshits who call themselves "comics" would stop grinding their political or socialogical axes for two seconds and look at a comic who's really funny (like Jonathan Winters) and follow his example? But that would take TALENT, something the Bill Maher's and Margaret Cho's have so little of.

[MrsLukesotherlaura]

That was Great!!! TY

[TheQueposfan]

and Gary Marshall had the cameras cut filming when Robin and Jonathan would off on tangents. He massively regretted doing it, some of the greatest improve surreal comedy will never, ever be seen.

But Gary Marshall saved money by doing that, he needed to save money....well I won't go in to how much money he was making from Mork and Mindy and all of his other shows.

[801liveable]

the master and the pupil..winters can be imitated but not duplicated..never..winters is the funniest ever..williams tries too hard to duplicate winters thus he loses control..

[rawfflecakes]

lol that was real comedy

[REPCLONE]

anybody notice ppl famous from the 80's look better now

[remdog1138]

That is probably one man that Robin Williams cannot upstage.

[billy1212ist]

@remdog1138 -He just did,upstage him.

[remdog1138]

@billy1212ist Well, to each their own. ;)

[DarthSideous63]

Jedi Master and Padawan.

[WhiteKagu]

Best ever

[metropolan]

VERY fun!

Thanks for posting this.

 - metro

[britteach]

A perfect clip of two of the funniest men in the history of comedy. They really could be father and son. What is astonishing to me is how fast they think to come up with these funny bits. Wonderful.

[rerite2]

"No! He's dead!" LOL

[def44]

They shoulda done a double act show!

[dmreeoogdaq]

I have looked for this clip for YEARS. Thank you for posting it!

[edwdixon5]

I don't get it. I just don't get it. I love to laugh and have a great sense of humor and love funniness, but I just don't see what's funny about this.

[fakebeliever]

@edwdixon5 It's the energy of the "moment". Sounds like you'd go for more of a "planned material" type comedian, the type of comedian who hones his set of 40-50 jokes over years, meticulously crafting them and playing the jokes a hundred times to a hundred different audiences. That's awesome, but a totally different type of humor than off-the-cuff characters and improvisational scenarios. Jonathan Winters has a glorious mind for that, and it's a shame you can't appreciate it.

[dmalcom54]

I could watch those two together for hours on end and never get tired.

[chengloki]

Letterman just lost all control!! =sTEFAN=

[Jeffrzac]

Put these two together and you got the greatest comedy ever!

[johnmonk66]

Winters was the master, Williams the student. As good as Williams can be, no one has ever been as funny as Winters.

[fakebeliever]

@johnmonk66 As fun as Robin was, when he had to come up with something in the moment, he often depended on schtick, scatalogical references, puns and other ham-handed stuff. While funny, such antics in the end often detracted from the overall performance. Conversely, Jonathan Winters developing interesting characters and humor from those ideas and situations he put the character in on the spot without the wide birth for bursting out with a non-sequitir or weird reference.

[johnmonk66]

@fakebeliever thought that was what i implied

[greg5566]

It's so not funny, it amazes me. Robin unfortunately lives in San Francisco, so often when there's some kind of street fair or something he grabs the microphone and tries to be funny. Sucks all the life out of the entire city, and everyone just goes home.

[greg5566]

"Robin Williams. Isn't that that guy that, like, used to be funny?" --Beavis.

[schallrd1]

The video just explodes with comic energy from Jonathan and Robin. Rare talent and genius. This is a gem. Thanks.

[frostfirei]

That was the only time, Jonathan Winters was ever rendered speechless. It took Robin Williams to do it.

[NexisFilms]

Man , Robin seems to WORSHIP HIM !!

[alterego55]

@NexisFilms Yeah, that's because Robin Williams *is* him!

[NexisFilms]

@alterego55

what do you mean exactly ?

that Robin copied stuff from him , or ..?

[alterego55]

@NexisFilms No, no, no. Robin Williams and Jonathan Winters are the two best improv comedians ever - similar styles and bright comedic minds. If you altered the voices, you wouldn't be able to tell one from the other.

[MrRockinitmyway]

i been looking for this for years funniest ever

[stockjonebills]

Two greats together. Funny stuff.

[beggin1967]

thanks for posting this hilarious banter between johnathan and robin!

[jws1272]

If it could be managed, the 2 of them could do a comedy tour for the ages!!! I'd love to see those 2 jusr riffing like that. Thanks for posting this.

[kingbee39]

I remember this appearance. That little binder in JWs lap contained some of his short stories(he read one on the show) It was eventually published as "Winters Tales" Which has some very funny stuff in it...Definitely worth looking for the next time you are in a used book store.

[MELDtoys]

Like father; like son - this belongs to the whole world now! Thanks, YouTube!

[cassadanielle]

This is awesome..

am in awe..as in Awe Mye Gawd!!!

[jrsktrd]

lol "Did you sign those papers?! We need the house daddy?!" lol

[Mamasan41]

THANK YOU!!!! never saw this!!!

[mrgb46]

Remember seeing this when it was first on..still funny as hell after all this time!

[raybradhausen]

That's the funniest thing I've ever seen on television. Jonathan Winters is the best. Thank you so much for making this segment available. Take it easy.

[WineTraveller]

I remember seeing these two nuts together on Carson once. Even if he WANTED to say something, there's no way Johnny could have because he could breathe from laughing so much! If anyone has that clip, please post it!

[swordsbane]

How do you guarantee a host will lose control of his show? Put Winters and Williams on at the same time. You won't get a word in edgewise, but it will be a great show.

[jennifersman]

Oh I loved this! I wondered if somebody had it here! Just the "did you sign those papers, Dad?" bit is the best!

[newfieboy58]

Too funny!

[errk25]

Winters and WIlliams were hilarious to gether on Mork and Mindy.

[Draeka]

ROFL man I miss Winters.

[RayNDeere]

@Draeka Jonathan is still with us at the age of 84, Not sure if he still gets out and performs, though. Jonathan is one of the last true geniuses of classic comedy

[orochikaiba]

@Draeka He is still alive I believe

[arlichar11]

yeah as good as robin is, hes still well below the level.....of mr winters its too bad more of us younger ppl are nt as familar with mr winters brilliance

[77KMAN]

HILARIOUS!! THE ORIGINAL IMPROV GENIUS !!!

[digitalgenitals]

wasn't that funny.. Except for the bit that winters did about him answering the telephone as anyone other then himself since he has so much free time. That made me actually chuckle.

[txlastrebel]

Jonathan Winters on of the funniest ever. Robin Williams not funny at all.

[MrFredfarkle]

Hysterically accurate voice of a disgruntled African-American bodyguard at :29 - :33.  His ability to modulate his voice when improvising and imitating others is limitless.

[blacktopaz8]

winters seems to genuinely like robin

[Carycomic]

Oh, man! This was HYSTERICAL! Does anyone have a clip of their appearance together, on Carson, where Jonathan dressed up as Union Army officer from the American Civil War?

[tuxguys]

One of the best Letterman segments I've ever seen...

...and Letterman's (wise) contribution was to just stay out of the way.

[k2ombs]

Robin says.."A large black man".....and it's like go to commercial..!...I guess that wasn't politicly correct enough for the hyper liberal. We can't laugh at jokes if the word black is involved?........

[Lennon4life1968]

or maybe it was the end of the segment?

[sphelps31]

I remember seeing this way back in the 80's. I think I even had it on tape. I remember constantly replaying the "He aint' here, he dead, he dead" line over and over again.

[sharkpedal]

been looking for this since it was broadcast....Brillian. He aint here he's Deyaied :)

[nyjeter]

letterman such a asshole.

[RELubber]

and he's NOT funny---although he THINKS he is!!!

[tobyruncorn2]

Unbelievable. Williams was on Charlie Rose this month and cited Winters as his mentor. Didnt know him. Well now I know. This little gem had tears streaming down my face. The way they accept and go with the others idea. Winters was doing improv games before it was named. Genius. Timeless. Humour knows no age limit.

[KaptKan1]

@tobyruncorn2 Toby, check out everything you can find of Jonathan Winters on YouTube; the man is unbelievable. You'll laugh yourself hoarse at some of the man's work, believe me.

[fidelito1951]

@tobyruncorn2 I'm crying watching this two gems...amazing comedy

[KaptKan1]

Letterman was wise to just toss out the scripted questions, LMAO! The Lords of Comedic Chaos together again. Williams was funny once, back before he got all politically correct and smartass. Jonathan Winters is and always has been a comedic genius.

[canadianroot]

@KaptKan1 yep, and winters was original....williams, while obviously talented, stole as much as he invented. in this segment, he barely let winters talk...anybody else but winters, and their little bit wouldn't have worked.

[tallpaul521]

@canadianroot

Williams had the career that Winters should have had. I'm in the biz and fellow comics, in Williams' early days at the Comedy Store, et al.. They never wanted to follow Williams, as he would "file" all their material.

[lettersfromaboy]

@tallpaul521 - I agree and this reminds me alot of wrestlers

Superstar Billy Graham and Hulk Hogan. Graham had everything going for him, but the MTV era wasn't around during his time. It was doing Hogan's though and he became what Graham should of been. Because they both were so similar.

[jennifersman]

@tallpaul521 I disagree, Winters has had just as diverse a carreer as Robin, he held his own with a zillion other stars in "Mad, Mad, World", did TV guest shots on everybody's show back when there were only 3 networks, even had his own variety show (he had The Doors on once). Robin came along to continue what Winters started and the fact that he cites him as an influence has kept him going, maybe not as much as before but he's still just as funny as in the 60's.

[Strings1977]

Jonathan and Robin. The mentor and the student!