Most people go through life and have a mentor or two along the way. For the genius comedian Robin Williams, one of those mentors was the comedic legend Jonathan Winters. Winters has a unique origin story. Apparently, when he and his wife were newlyweds in 1948, Winters lost a valuable wristwatch. The young couple couldn’t afford to buy a new one, so they had to come up with a way to make some quick cash. Keep in mind that back in those days, a watch was an important accessory. Essential, in fact. There were no smartphones to whip out and many buildings and homes might boast one clock. So Mrs. Winters found a clipping in the newspaper for a talent contest and the grand prize for the winner just happened to be a brand new wristwatch.
Mrs. Winters urged her husband to “go down and win it.” There was likely an “or else” attached to that order. From that performance, he had the opportunity to become a disc jockey developing funny characters and ad-libs and he eventually took over the show. Robin Williams calls Jonathan Winters the “Comedy Buddha,” and says that Winters is the reason he became a comedian. In the video below, Carson has Robin Williams in a guest chair discussing his experiences on his iconic TV show, “Mork & Mindy.” Then, Carson turns the topic to comedian Jonathan Winters, who actually guest-starred on the popular sitcom with Williams occasionally.
At the time of this appearance on “The Tonight Show” in 1991, Winters was 65 years old and he came out wearing a Civil War uniform of the Union Army. When he walked onstage, he saluted and shook hands with all three of the men who were there. It’s plain to see that Robin Williams is absolutely over the moon to be sharing the stage with his mentor and old friend. When you see these two comedic geniuses doing comedy with their fast wits and quick thinking, it’s easy to see how much they have in common and how much they enjoy each others’ company. With Winters being one to use a more deadpan style, it works beautifully with Williams’ wild and expressive style.
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Especially poignant is Winters addressing Robin Williams’ mental issues when he mentions that he was on more medication back in the day. A funny joke at the time, but one that hasn’t aged well. At any rate, Mr. Winters didn’t mean any harm and this is pure comedy gold. Both of these geniuses are gone from this world, but thanks to television and the internet, their legacy lives on forever.
