Jonathan Winters "The Stick" Apr 1964 Jack Paar

[TheVirajster]

Paar had a field day when Jonathan appeared on his show....could not hold a laugh! I was hysterical watching Winters rib him once in a while..."Ill wave my wand...!"

[Steez51]

Absolute genius. The best of all times bar none. An incredible talent. Never a dry eye here!

[wybnormal]

Mad as a hatter but funny!

[foxley1968]

absolute ledgend

[chill87336]

Glad to hear him in " the smurfs" film.. He's a funny funny man!

[CurlyWS]

whats that fella saying at the end of the clip ?

[NaplesMusicMan]

There's a fine line between GENIUS and INSANITY; and this brilliant man crossed over in both directions on a daily basis. I miss him terribly!

[Pedro1219]

@NaplesMusicMan JW is still alive and performing

[KaptKan1]

@NaplesMusicMan If you're referring to Jonathan Winters, he's still very much around; he was just recently the voice of one of the characters in the "Smurfs" movie. Jack Paar, alas, is no longer with us... "I kid you not."

[tiponin23]

3 dislikes??????

[801liveable]

funny as hell..the funniest of all time..paar and winters, two guys from OHIO...

[ItchyKneeSon]

No profanity or sexual references? How would America rate this guy as a comedian today? No beans... :/

[jackwidful]

just the best...thanks thanks thanks!

[ziggycat999]

Winters was a genius of improvisation. I hope he's highly remendered that way.

[Monkofmagnesia]

Amazing!!!! And all these years later, and it's still funnier then anything modern day stand-ups can do - including Robin Williams.

[ThatBritishChris]

Oh lmao.. legend

[PCSI]

Wow, that's was an amazing Bing Crosby. He was a regular Rich Little with all the voices. Better yet was the imagination. Helps to get your own going.

[sugerisdelicious]

amazing all that with just a stick hilarious

[Willmuzik]

His Bing Crosby is spot on!

[808fishstick]

1:42 The United Nations line is freaking hilarious.

[splicernyc]

Nowadays they'd say he had ADHD, give him medication and he'd work as a greeter at Walmart. One of the funniest comedians there has ever been. Anyone who does improv now owes this man too much.

[667mumble]

Great Bing Crosby impression

[nemo227]

He was better than I remembered him. I guess I forgot how I used to fall on the floor laughing when I was a kid.

It's been such a pleasure, a real pleasure to watch & listen to him.

[nemo227]

He was better than I remembered him. I guess I forgot how I used to fall on the floor laughing when I was a kid.

[Brighteyes1ful]

One very funny man he will be sorely missed end of.

[Elvis2TheMax]

@Brighteyes1ful Why did you say he'll be sorely missed?

[skrattkantarellen]

This made my whole day :) I have a friend who's a little like this. He produces all sorts of characters on the spot complete with a funny voice and unique point of view. All on the spot. His recurring characters are pretty great too. I don't know how good comedians do it but they have some kind of innate knowledge of what people find funny. On a side note here's a great Swedish character comedian, Robert Gustavsson doing a bit in English: youtube.com/watch?v=M2ez11LkUw­M

[jamesaikins]

ok whose the a-hole who doesn't have a sense of humor or a soul?

[junk11111111]

@jamesaikins The stick's original owner and regrets tossing it away not realizing it was a funny stick

[Urbino237]

Absolutely brilliant!

[radiootoo]

"The United nations "thwack!" now recognizes the delegation from Nassiland!" Bing Crosby on the links - spot on!

[radiootoo]

"The United nations "thwack!" now recognizes the delegation from Nassiland!"

[HaikuAutomation]

I'm pretty jaded regarding 'schtick', but this has to be one of the most brilliant improvs I have ever seen. Absolutely funny, and so much unexpectedly so.

[AccordionManiac]

This is just as awesome as when Robin Williams on "Inside the actors studio" did improv with a pink cloth

[bostoncomedyman]

Just in case you weren't sure just what genius looks like

[KingHopeMusic]

"start the Evinrude"...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ~♫ KK

[Boudosaved]

The archetype for the fun with props sketch on Whose Line Is It Anyway.

[alonenjersey]

God bless, my cheeks are hurting!

[PookyTooth]

@alonenjersey  If you like this may I suggest you go to frankie pace

[normspot]

Imagine that...

comedy without four letter words!

Whoda thunk?

[STRINGDUSTER48]

Thanks Kapkan1. If Johnny is #1, Richard is A close second. Man, if I knew where to email him, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I didn't plug the restaurant in Burbank but for what it's worth, it was Paddys.

Thanks again!

[STRINGDUSTER48]

A hometown boy (Dayton, Ohio). In the '90s I used to see him in Burbank where he ate breakfast a lot. It was pleasure then as it is now to tell all of you that he was without a doubt, THE funniest man EVER. I miss you Mr. winters

[KaptKan1]

@STRINGDUSTER48 He moved from Dayton a long time ago, StringDuster; now he lives in Santa Barbara. You should drop him an email; I bet he'd appreciate it.

Btw, I just watched an old The Richard Pryor Show video on Youtube in which Richard took questions from the audience. Somebody asked him who he thought was the funniest comedian in the world, and Richard replied without hesitation: Jonathan Winters.  The best recognise their own.

[basserase]

That is one evil dude. I may stop laughing tomorrow but I doubt it.

[magprob]

Amazing! I love John. Never missed the Jonathan Winters show when I was a kid. Thanks for posting this.

[PookyTooth]

@magprob  check out frankie pace

[fesbahn]

still funny, after all these years.

[harrysmallenburg]

I don't know how I missed Winters in appearances like this, but he's hilarious--reminds me of Robin Williams--quick, all over the place, inventive.

[KaptKan1]

@harrysmallenburg Guess who Robin Williams' mentor is/was...

[Nightwing20]

wow... his Bing was spot on!

[roldolfo03]

Reminds me of "Jonathan Winter's Attic". What a great show!

[hebaroxy]

Late night tv has not been worth watching since Jack Parr & Steve Allen.

[begoneyoubum]

Leno the theif! He is a coot who used his voodoo Negro powers to screw the others!

[roccoatkins]

From the pre-ironic age when you could watch comedians with young children.

[roccoatkins]

From the pre-ironic age when you could watch comedians with young kids.

[bing00bob]

Jack Paar was an intelligent entertaining man. On the other hand, Glen Beck is a douche bag.

[loulou2lou]

Winters is out of his mind crazy and amazingly funny and creative.

[sparkescadman]

Mr. Winters made me laugh for the first time in days.. and again and again on this ....thanks for the post!

[westpalmscott]

The inspiration for Robin Williams. Winters was so quick witted

[LesHut]

The absolute funniest man alive. Of all the people in the world that I'd like to sit and have a chat with, number 2 would be Buster Keaton, and Number 1 ..... Jonathan Winters. God Bless you Sir!

[charlie44441]

Johnny saw them all and he has said that when Winters is on, there is no-one funnier. Williams is the only one that comes close.

[pyrofella]

I love watching this man.... absolute comic genius....

Robin Williams has learned a lot from him...and that's a good thing

[ipmoic]

Brilliant--in SO many ways.

'The inspiration for "Whose Line is it Anyway".

What a talent--he's flying here.

[djmarkcotter]

@ipmoic omg i was gonna say that :-P

[hajune]

The comedian's comedian. In my little town of Pickerington at least at the time. Johnny would go into a grocery store , stick his head in the bread box that keep several different breads and when somebody opened the bread box he did his routine. I could not make this up . Only JW could do this. He is without a doubt a genious. Nobody like him!

[JiveDadson]

I saw Jonathon Winters when I was about 7. My uncle was a salesman for KPRC TV in Houston. I was allowed to get on the bus alone and visit from Huntsville, which was long trek through the piny woods before the interstate. Times have changed.  My aunt took me to the TV studio - the Uncle Bob Show, I think it was. Something like that. The set was painted in grays for the black and white TV. I stood next to Winters off-camera and got him to make those arrow-sticking sounds. Thwat! Thwat!

[ipmoic]

I think you meant Dodie Goodman 999gojoey. She was another great character in the Paar retinue.

[999gojoey]

As kids, were we not blessed watching these genius clowns live? Paar and Allen had Winters, Dody Williams, others. And we had Gleason, Lucy, Berle, Skelton, Benny. As another poster put it so well, they influenced comedy for generations and we, the kiddies of the golden tube, saw value and talent all around us.

[TadAllagash]

Now I feel like I know where Robin Williams got his early career schtick from, with the voices and the manic behavior.

Very good stuff.

[Ecmomm298442]

An absolute genius. Aren't we lucky to still have this to see?

[Featureman]

The Evinrude... He was incredible.

[deadswan]

The best, in his prime.

[blackbeltpatriotism]

picasso

[KaptKan1]

Schtick with a stick.  Absolute genius.

[dmacmurray]

Funniest man in the world.

[lenbenhear]

THAT kind of genius, ... "just winging it" takes A LOT of nerve and wit. brilliant.

[PookyTooth]

@lenbenhear If you like winters .. go to frankie pace

[hopemelonfest]

Those last few seconds are from a Tonight Show circa 1957 or 58...do you have more of that?

[dschwa77]

The Master - The original Robin WIliams, your both right, one of kind really.  Truly a great.

[AcmeEdit]

The original Robin Williams

[connelpark]

the master

[Shadow4000000]

"Try to swim margaret." Funny.