Ed Wynn

Ed Wynn

Known for: Acting
Biography: 1886-11-09
Deathday: 1966-06-19 (79 years old)

Check on Amazon

Biography

Isaiah Edwin Leopold (November 9, 1886 – June 19, 1966), better known as Ed Wynn, was an American actor and comedian noted for his Perfect Fool comedy character, his pioneering radio show of the 1930s, and his later career as a dramatic actor.


Ed Wynn first appeared on television on July 7, 1936 in a brief, ad-libbed spot with Graham McNamee during an NBC experimental television broadcast. In the 1949–50 season, Ed Wynn hosted one of the first network, comedy-variety television shows, on CBS, and won both a Peabody Award and an Emmy Award in 1949. Buster Keaton, Lucille Ball, and The Three Stooges all made guest appearances with Wynn. This was the first CBS variety television show to originate from Los Angeles, which was seen live on the west coast, but filmed via kinescope for distribution in the Midwest and East, as the national coaxial cable had yet to be completed. Wynn was also a rotating host of NBC's Four Star Revue from 1950 through 1952.


After the end of Wynn's third television series, The Ed Wynn Show (a short-lived situation comedy on NBC's 1958–59 schedule), his son, actor Keenan Wynn, encouraged him to make a career change rather than retire. The comedian reluctantly began a career as a dramatic actor in television and movies. Father and son appeared in three productions, the first of which was the 1956 Playhouse 90 broadcast of Rod Serling's play Requiem for a Heavyweight. Ed was terrified of straight acting and kept goofing his lines in rehearsal. When the producers wanted to fire him, star Jack Palance said he would quit if they fired Ed. (However, unbeknownst to Wynn, supporting player Ned Glass was his secret understudy in case something did happen before air time.) On live broadcast night, Wynn surprised everyone with his pitch-perfect performance, and his quick ad libs to cover his mistakes. A dramatization of what happened during the production was later staged as an April 1960 Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse episode, "The Man in the Funny Suit", starring both senior and junior Wynns, with key figures involved in the original production also portraying themselves. Ed and his son also worked together in the Jose Ferrer film The Great Man, with Ed again proving his unexpected skills in drama.


Requiem established Wynn as a serious dramatic actor who could easily hold his own with the best. His role in The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) won him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.


Also in 1959, Wynn appeared on Serling's TV series The Twilight Zone in "One for the Angels". Serling, a longtime admirer, had written that episode especially for him, and Wynn later in 1963 starred in the episode "Ninety Years Without Slumbering". For the rest of his life, Wynn skillfully moved between comic and dramatic roles. He appeared in feature films and anthology television, endearing himself to new generations of fans.

Advertisement

Filmography

all 67

Movies 37

TV Shows 30

self 27

Voice 2

Self (archive footage)
Boulevard! A Hollywood Story

Boulevard! A Hollywood Story (2021)

Movie
Self
Shemp Cocktail: A Toast to the Original Stooge

Shemp Cocktail: A Toast to the Original Stooge (2008)

Movie
(archive footage)
That's Entertainment, Part II

That's Entertainment, Part II (1976)

Movie
Rufus
The Gnome-Mobile

The Gnome-Mobile (1967)

Movie
4.25
The Emperor (voice)
The Daydreamer

The Daydreamer (1966)

Movie
Mr. Hofstedder
That Darn Cat!

That Darn Cat! (1965)

Movie
4.33
Old Aram
The Greatest Story Ever Told

The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

Movie
Ed Parker
Those Calloways

Those Calloways (1965)

Movie
2.67
The Captain
Dear Brigitte

Dear Brigitte (1965)

Movie
Uncle Albert
Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins (1964)

Movie
7.92
Ed Wynn
The Patsy

The Patsy (1964)

Movie
Alfred
For the Love of Willadean

For the Love of Willadean (1964)

Movie
Self - Host
The Hollywood Palace

The Hollywood Palace (1964)

TV
College Professor (Master of Ceremonies)
The Sound of Laughter

The Sound of Laughter (1963)

Movie
Zachary Belden
Burke's Law

Burke's Law (1963)

TV
6
A.J. Allen
Son of Flubber

Son of Flubber (1963)

Movie
6
Self
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962)

TV
6
Self
The Golden Horseshoe Revue

The Golden Horseshoe Revue (1962)

Movie
Self
The New March of Dimes Presents: The Scene Stealers

The New March of Dimes Presents: The Scene Stealers (1962)

Movie
Self
Back Stage Party

Back Stage Party (1961)

Movie
Self
Back Stage Party

Back Stage Party (1961)

Movie
Toymaker
Babes in Toyland

Babes in Toyland (1961)

Movie
6.67
Fire Chief
The Absent-Minded Professor

The Absent-Minded Professor (1961)

Movie
6
Fairy Godfather
Cinderfella

Cinderfella (1960)

Movie
Kris Kringle
Miracle On 34th Street

Miracle On 34th Street (1959)

Movie
Amos Benedict / Self
Startime

Startime (1959)

TV
Sam Forstmann / Lou Bookman
The Twilight Zone

The Twilight Zone (1959)

TV
8
Frantic Man
Peabody's Improbable History

Peabody's Improbable History (1959)

TV
Professor Phineas T. Klump
Bonanza

Bonanza (1959)

TV
1
Grandpa
Meet Me in St. Louis

Meet Me in St. Louis (1959)

Movie
Albert Dussell
The Diary of Anne Frank

The Diary of Anne Frank (1959)

Movie
Bateman
Rawhide

Rawhide (1959)

TV
4
Feigenstein
77 Sunset Strip

77 Sunset Strip (1958)

TV
Self
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1958)

TV
John Beamer
The Ed Wynn Show

The Ed Wynn Show (1958)

TV
Uncle Samson
Marjorie Morningstar

Marjorie Morningstar (1958)

Movie
'Gramps' Northrup
On Borrowed Time

On Borrowed Time (1957)

Movie
Cappy Darrin
Wagon Train

Wagon Train (1957)

TV
8
Paul Beaseley
The Great Man

The Great Man (1956)

Movie
Army
Requiem for a Heavyweight

Requiem for a Heavyweight (1956)

Movie
Self
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show

The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (1956)

TV
Army
Playhouse 90

Playhouse 90 (1956)

TV
Self
The Steve Allen Show

The Steve Allen Show (1956)

TV
John Hodges
The 20th Century Fox Hour

The 20th Century Fox Hour (1955)

TV
Alfred / Self / The Mad Hatter (voice) (archive footage) / A.J. Allen (archive footage)
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color

Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (1954)

TV
5.98
Self
December Bride

December Bride (1954)

TV
Self
Shower of Stars

Shower of Stars (1954)

TV
Professor Franz / Max Grossblatt
General Electric Theater

General Electric Theater (1953)

TV
Self
This Is Your Life

This Is Your Life (1952)

TV
Gramps
Hallmark Hall of Fame

Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951)

TV
8.33
Muggsy / Fairy Godfather / Self / Colonel Jungle-Rot Freeloader / Guest Host / Self
The Red Skelton Show

The Red Skelton Show (1951)

TV
Mad Hatter (voice)
Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland (1951)

Movie
5.96
Self
Operation Wonderland

Operation Wonderland (1951)

Movie
Self - Host / Self
Four Star Revue

Four Star Revue (1950)

TV
Self
The Colgate Comedy Hour

The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950)

TV
Self
The Bob Hope Show

The Bob Hope Show (1950)

TV
Self - Mystery Guest
What's My Line?

What's My Line? (1950)

TV
Self - Host
The Ed Wynn Show

The Ed Wynn Show (1949)

TV
Self
The Emmy Awards

The Emmy Awards (1949)

TV
6.08
Self
The Ed Sullivan Show

The Ed Sullivan Show (1948)

TV
6
Ed Wynn
Stage Door Canteen

Stage Door Canteen (1943)

Movie
The Three Stooges: Live and Hilarious

The Three Stooges: Live and Hilarious (1941)

Movie
Henry Summers aka The Perfect Fool
The Chief

The Chief (1933)

Movie
Cigar Store Customer (uncredited)
Turn Back the Clock

Turn Back the Clock (1933)

Movie
Self
Hollywood on Parade

Hollywood on Parade (1932)

Movie
Crickets
Follow the Leader

Follow the Leader (1930)

Movie
Homer Thrush
Rubber Heels

Rubber Heels (1927)

Movie

Ratings

Average 5.98
Based on 551 Thousand movie and tv ratings over time
1927
1951
1958
1955
2021
Advertisement
Ed WynnEd WynnEd WynnEd WynnEd Wynn

Information

Known For
Acting

Gender
Male

Birthday
1886-11-09

Deathday
1966-06-19 (79 years old)

Birth Name
Isaiah Edwin Leopold

Birth Place
Philadelphia, United States of America

Relationships
Hilda Keenan (1914-01-01 - 1937-05-13), Dorothy Elizabeth Nesbitt (1946-01-01 - 1955-01-01), Frieda Mierse (1937-06-15 - 1939-12-12)

Children
Keenan Wynn

Citizenships
United States of America

Also Known As
Isaiah Edwin «Ed» Wynn, Isaiah Edwin Wynn

Awards
star on Hollywood Walk of Fame, Disney Legends


This article uses material from Wikipedia.
Advertisement
Keenan Wynn
Ed Wynn
Keenan Wynn worked together with Ed Wynn in:
6 Movies
9 TV Shows
Mickey Rooney
Ed Wynn
Mickey Rooney worked together with Ed Wynn in:
3 Movies
10 TV Shows
Walt Disney
Ed Wynn
Walt Disney worked together with Ed Wynn in:
10 Movies
2 TV Shows
Robert O. Cook
Ed Wynn
Robert O. Cook worked together with Ed Wynn in:
10 Movies
Byron Foulger
Ed Wynn
Byron Foulger worked together with Ed Wynn in:
2 Movies
8 TV Shows
Carroll Clark
Ed Wynn
Carroll Clark worked together with Ed Wynn in:
9 Movies
Agnes Moorehead
Ed Wynn
Agnes Moorehead worked together with Ed Wynn in:
9 TV Shows
Harry Harvey
Ed Wynn
Harry Harvey worked together with Ed Wynn in:
1 Movie
8 TV Shows
Vera Miles
Ed Wynn
Vera Miles worked together with Ed Wynn in:
1 Movie
7 TV Shows
Peter Lorre
Ed Wynn
Peter Lorre worked together with Ed Wynn in:
1 Movie
7 TV Shows
Herb Vigran
Ed Wynn
Herb Vigran worked together with Ed Wynn in:
8 TV Shows
J. Pat O'Malley
Ed Wynn
J. Pat O'Malley worked together with Ed Wynn in:
2 Movies
6 TV Shows
Buster Keaton
Ed Wynn
Buster Keaton worked together with Ed Wynn in:
3 Movies
5 TV Shows
Edward Andrews
Ed Wynn
Edward Andrews worked together with Ed Wynn in:
2 Movies
6 TV Shows
Richard Reeves
Ed Wynn
Richard Reeves worked together with Ed Wynn in:
8 TV Shows
William Demarest
Ed Wynn
William Demarest worked together with Ed Wynn in:
3 Movies
5 TV Shows
Everett Sloane
Ed Wynn
Everett Sloane worked together with Ed Wynn in:
2 Movies
6 TV Shows
Edward Colman
Ed Wynn
Edward Colman worked together with Ed Wynn in:
8 Movies
Emile Kuri
Ed Wynn
Emile Kuri worked together with Ed Wynn in:
8 Movies
Robert Stevenson
Ed Wynn
Robert Stevenson worked together with Ed Wynn in:
5 Movies
2 TV Shows
  • Ed Wynn
    Ed Wynn
  • Filmography
  • Information
  • Related Persons
Social Media
X
Facebook
Pinterest
Telegram
Download
iOS Application
Made in Ukraine 🇺🇦
Copyright © MovieFit 2018 – 2024
All external content remains the property of its respective owner.