Jonathan Winters’s FUNNIEST Impersonations Ever Ht
And you draw the parrot or a little pirate, you send it in, and they Does that I Well, I did a combination and was still turned down. I I did >> they turn somebody down? >> Oh, sure. I Well, I did the parrot, apparently on the wrong shoulder. And uh the guy sent me a heavy-duty letter. He said, >> [laughter] >> “Obviously, you got big problems.
” Jonathan Winters revolutionized improvisational comedy by creating entire worlds of characters out of thin air. These are Jonathan Winters’ funniest impersonations ever, in a league of his own. Buck Ettlehoffer. I hope you don’t mind I have the one up here by chew. Oh, no no, sir. Not a bit. >> Well, I always have ever since I was 6 years old.
I always had a bunch of stuff in the right side of my face. Yeah, just like ball players, huh? Just like ball players do that, huh? I suppose. >> [laughter] >> What has always been fun for me is to get a little cur dog and do that to him. >> Get him. You get their attention right away. >> [laughter] >> They just got kids.
They can’t see for about an hour. >> Yeah. He moves in and out of voices so smoothly, the room just follows him while creating people by simply changing his tone and face. Jonathan Winters’ cat. This uh comb belonged to my kitty. I got him so he can walk now. And uh not that there was anything wrong with him, but I mean walk on his on his just his two paws.
Really? >> Yeah, he used to, you know, like a regular cat, all four, but now he stands, and I got him a little pair of pants. A little funny hat with some political buttons in it, and he sits there, and he’s What do you do with the comb? Oh, he combs his uh whiskers. Oh, yeah. Yeah, okay. I want you to have it. Do you have any pets? No, I don’t.
That’s >> Thank you very much. >> In case you get one. Huh? Don’t blow on it cuz that’s No, eat it on. Cats put that in his mouth. Kitty fever. He makes the cat feel sneaky and full of attitude using small sounds and tiny rhythm changes to sell the bit. Playing every character in Westerns. Oh, maybe back in the 1800s, a little group of clowns got in a funny little wagon with a sheet over it and some cows and horse and a little doggy and a kitty and about 17 odd clowns started moving west.
You had to be a little odd, you know, leave downtown Boston or Philly or someplace like that, you know, leave a watch shop and just say, “Let’s go, Margaret.” So The beginning scene, of course, is about, as I say, 17, 18 at the most in this little wagon train, and there’s always, of course, the wagon master, who’s a burly devil, big shoulders, tiny waist, wrapped in elephant skin, and he’s He flips from cowboy to villain to side character in a blink, building a whole world out of nothing but sound and timing. Winters puts his improv skills
on display. A standing ovation there. They were in a But they were like this. It was kind of a >> [laughter] >> I guess It’s kind of a squatting ovation. >> as close as I’ll ever get. >> [laughter] >> I’m very pleased with that. If they just make a move, that’s enough. Now, when I said strange, you knew why I >> [laughter] >> Well, I’m I’m off the sauce.
I’m off the sauce, too. Yeah, you know that. I have joined you >> I just have a little shaving lotion on. Just a little something. Just just the Just the tongue and all. He keeps turning one idea into another voice or character while making it never feel too tightly planned. Jonathan impersonates politicians on Johnny Carson.
Why are we here today? >> [laughter] >> Just Why are we here today? >> [laughter] >> Questions and answers. Welcome once again to Doc Skinnum’s Used Carriage Lot here. Yes, we’ve got some wonderful used carriages, but they’re historical used carriages, folks. You know who rode in this one for only $85.50 15 cents? Oh, I’m sorry.
Of course, I mean it was much more. It was 98.50 when he rode in it. But of course, now Now it’s $85.15. Walter Gorsuch rode in this very carriage. You know what he invented? Think of it, friends. Fingernails for children. >> [laughter] >> He keeps changing the voice, the face, and the attitude, turning each politician into a full person rather than just saying a line cracking Carson up. The drunk businessman.
I don’t Get this, hm? My name is George. What’s yours? Huh? Huh? Let me introduce myself. Yes. Howard Goehring. I’m with the Fuzzy Carpet Carpet Company. North side of Willard, Illinois. I’m staying at the Sunny Bridge Motel. I’ve had Look, look. I I’ve had a few drinks. Okay? Yeah, I He flips from one type to the other without losing the crowd for a second, making the businessman feel messy and loose while Maud feels sharp and bossy.
Mother Goose and Humpty Dumpty. All right. All right. I’m okay. Well, that there’s so many kids in that burnt boot. It’s Hey. I I Wow. You’re the You’re the old lady who lived in the shoe. I’m Dick Smothers. I’ve come to visit you. No kidding. >> Yes, how do you >> Dick E. Smothers. Don’t touch me. I’m sorry. He turns simple nursery rhyme characters into strange, funny people, treating the nonsense like serious drama.
His Mother Goose carries that warbling, fragile old woman quality. Toad Sucker and Miss Kentucky Rose. >> [music and singing] >> Toad Sucker feels fully realized from the second he appears as Jonathan gives him a distinct drawl rhythm and unshakable confidence. He looks and sounds like a forgotten Grand Ole Opry reject who stumbled onto national television by accident.
Coach Winters somehow makes this coach simultaneously inspiring and terrifying with his body coiled like he’s about to sprint onto an invisible field. He sounds like someone who’s dedicated 40 years to teaching fundamentals nobody appreciates. Battle of Little Bighorn. These arrows speak for themselves here. >> [laughter] >> Get that man a canteen of water.
Oh, General General, what’s going to happen to all of us? We’ve got about 15 women folk back there in the wagon train, and the children are sick and uh Get that woman back. >> [laughter] >> Sergeant Elmo Dean, you and I are going to ride out there to see the Sioux. Now, get a steed. Many moons come. Tomorrow when big sunrise, all Sioux nation.
What’s Sachee? Jonathan transforms Custer’s Last Stand into absurdist theater, bouncing between cavalry officers, panicked soldiers, and various combatants. The JFK impersonation. That’s kind of an American approach in it. Hi, folks. Um I guess I’m sure one of the big pictures today is Mutiny on the Bounty. And you see it in all the magazines, hear about it on radio, television.
It’s everywhere. Kids carry little boats with them. You see them standing like this on the street. Now, sink it. You know, uh >> [laughter] >> I saw it, of course, with uh Clark Gable and um the other fellow, Charles Laughton. The other fellow, imagine throwing something out like that, the other fellow. >> [laughter] >> Jonathan captures Kennedy’s Boston accent with remarkable precision, including the distinctive vowel sounds and measured cadence that defined his speeches.
The impression pairs JFK with Captain Arnold, creating surreal dialogue between president and military caricature. Smother Goose Land. Hey. I I You’re You’re the You’re the old lady who lived in the shoe. I’m Dick Smothers. I’ve come to visit you. No kidding. >> Yes, how do you >> Dick E. Smothers. Don’t touch me. I’m sorry. >> [laughter] >> I wondered what What’s What’s the matter with your shoe? It was pretty worn out.
>> of this old shoe. I want a modern one. This is a slum shoe. The lining’s cracking and peeling. The heels are worn. The whole shoe is tilted. Call it, kids. Bring your shoe polish. Jonathan navigates through corrupted fairy tale universe where every character carries unsettling edge beneath cheerful surface.
He parodies those unnaturally chipper children’s television hosts everyone remembers with slight dread. A Wild Winters’ Night. Maudie Frickert again. They let me out of the home. Bless his heart, Mr. Teufel Finger. Oh, man, he’s too much. Big shoulders. I jumped on my motorcycle, ran through over the cemetery.
Them little teenagers chapping at me with their rubber bladed knives, tickling me in the face, but I give them a I had so much fun. I pulled the ear off a pussycat. This television special eliminates the talk show format constraints, allowing Jonathan complete creative control. He performs extended character pieces that would exceed typical 3-minute guest spot limitations.
The production values include elaborate sets and costume pieces, enhancing the characters beyond pure voice work. Jonathan revisits Maud Frickert and other beloved recurring characters while inventing entirely new personas. His energy level remains remarkably consistent throughout the hour-long special despite the physical demands.
I know it’s a bad situation. Oh, well. I don’t know what happened. Oh. Ah, it’s just something I always wanted to do. I’m sorry. People are saying, “What’s he doing, Martha?” He’s making a fool of himself. Oh, well. My name is Jonathan Winters and I confess to this hour. Um Welcome to a warm Did you know I’d say that? Why why do I say that? But the tape is still rolling, right? Thank you so much, ladies and gentlemen.
And uh The special intersperses pre-planned sketches with genuinely improvised segments, keeping viewers uncertain which is which. He incorporates audience members into improvisations, forcing real-time adjustments to unexpected responses. The camera work includes intimate close-ups revealing subtle facial ticks that wider television shots miss.
Jonathan’s perspiration becomes visible evidence of the intense concentration required for sustained character work. He establishes running gags early, then pays them off 30 minutes later demonstrating impressive narrative memory. The special showcases regional dialect expertise from Appalachian drawls to Minnesota nasal tones to Texas swagger.
His child characters sound authentically young without becoming cloying or overly precious. The elderly personas carry specific physical limitations reflected in vocal strain and breathing patterns. Jonathan treats the camera as scene partner responding to its movements as if interacting with another performer.
The hour proves his stamina exceeded most comedians brief burst capabilities. Network television rarely granted comics this much uninterrupted creative freedom making the special historically significant. The high school coach. Colorful coach of the Susquehanna Rockets, one of the most exciting, brilliant, and inventive minds in football today.
Head coach uh Head coach um What what What is your name? >> uh Billy Billy Hardbody. Billy Billy Joe Hardbody. I was born and raised in Sweetwater Place, Alabama. That’s my home. That’s where I first started playing ball was in uh Sweetwater. I had a lot of fun down there. What surprises have you planned for today’s game? >> Well, I’ve got one big surprise.
We’ve got a woman. Jonathan embodies decades of Friday night losses that still sting more than any victory ever satisfied. His voice carries that perpetual hoarseness from screaming corrections across wind-swept practice fields. The coach’s tough love philosophy reflects outdated masculinity training methods mixed with genuine care.
Jonathan’s posture shift suggesting permanent sideline stance from 30 years in all-weather conditions. He references specific plays with technical accuracy implying actual understanding of football strategy. The character’s frustration stems from watching potential squandered rather than lacking talent to begin with. His eyes get that distant look coaches develop when replaying the championship game that slipped away.
The vocal texture includes gravel from decades of cigarettes and shouting in equal measure. Jonathan adds unconscious gestures like adjusting an invisible whistle lanyard or checking imaginary game clock. The coach discusses discipline and character with weary certainty of someone who’s repeated this speech to thousands of kids.
He mentions specific player names from years past suggesting they still occupy mental space. The delivery transforms clichéd sports wisdom into something freshly poignant through complete emotional investment. Jonathan finds the humanity underneath the stereotype preventing the coach from becoming cruel mockery. The character reveals vulnerability when discussing players who succeeded despite his doubts.
His philosophy centers on preparing kids for inevitable disappointment more than cultivating champions. The classic improvisation. And um I always tell my boy that and he does he does this. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, that’s [laughter] good. Kids don’t want to hear that. >> They don’t want to hear that and they’re going to hear that until I go to the great place in the sky.
The great silo up there somewhere. >> The great silo. >> [laughter] >> But uh I still I still enjoy going back to the farm. I I did want to tell you a little kind of a semi-funny story. Uh Never want to say funny because they’re Oh Oh, let’s let’s hear it. Uh That wasn’t funny. Wasn’t funny. So, I went back I usually go back home being from Ohio.
I know you’re from Nebraska and you’re Ed from Pennsylvania. And Wayland Wayland. That covers a lot of states. >> [laughter] >> Uh I guess you owe some bills back there. Jonathan generates fully formed characters the instant they occur to him without visible planning or hesitation. His brain processes character details faster than most people process simple conversation.
The improvisation includes characters arguing with themselves requiring instant vocal distinction between personalities. Jonathan incorporates random audience suggestions into elaborate scenarios without pausing to strategize. He assigns each invented person specific nervous ticks, distinctive laughs, and peculiar speech rhythms immediately.
The characters develop unexpected relationships and conflicts as the improvisation progresses organically. His confidence never wavers even when pursuing comedic tangents without knowing the destination. Jonathan maintains multiple character threads simultaneously while keeping their motivations and voices distinct.
He references earlier throwaway characters 30 minutes later demonstrating remarkable improvisational memory. The bit proves impersonation transcends mimicking celebrities to include creating believable original humans. His face provides constant visual cues about which personality is currently speaking. Jonathan builds entire family dynamics between invented characters suggesting decades of shared history.
He includes regional details about where characters live and work fleshing out invisible worlds. The improvisation flows so naturally it seems rehearsed despite being pure spontaneous creation. Jonathan’s decades of experience allow him to make instant choices that less skilled improvisers would agonize over. The segment demonstrates that comedic genius looks effortless but requires enormous accumulated skill and confidence.
Jonathan Winters proved that the funniest impersonations come from fearless commitment, lightning-fast character switching, and the ability to create entire human beings using only your voice and face while convincing audiences they’re watching real people, not just impressive technical mimicry. Which Jonathan Winters impersonation do you think was the funniest? Tell us in the comments and don’t forget to subscribe for more hilarious and iconic comedy moments.