Paul Winchell RIP

Sure, he was best known these last three decades as the voice of Tigger in Disney's "Winnie the Pooh" stuff, but I best remember Paul Winchell (who just passed away at age 82) as the vetriloquist father of Jerry Mahoney and Knucklehead Smith (or was it Smiff?).

I used to watch the "Winchell-Mahoney" show regularly on TV in the early '60s...and it had a song that went "It's Winchell-Mahoney time, it's Winchell-Mahoney time!" (Wish you could all hear me singing it now.) I even owned a kids' version of the Jerry Mahoney ventrioquist dummy, with rotating head and a mouth operated by a string in the back!

I'm gonna miss Paul Winchell. A lot.

Posted by Wally Conger, who knows Winchell invented the first artificial heart in 1962, but thinks Jerry and Knucklehead were equally valuable contributions.

Comments

[PB]

I also remember watching The Winchell-Mahoney Show.
I remember my father telling my siblings and me about Mr. Winchell inventing the artificial heart.
He led us to believe that Mr. Winchell was trying to make a heart for Jerry Mahoney and Knucklehead Smiff.
oh, and by the way, I could hear you singing the Winchell-Mahoney song.
one more thing, I have a friend that has a ventriliquist puppet probably like the one you had. My friend is 57 and he has had his puppet since he was 6 years old.

[Steve Barry]

Paul Winchell inspired me as a child to kearn the art of ventriloquism. I watched Winchell Mahoney time. Hooray hoorah it's winchell mahoney time!
I am now a grandfather and have started making my own dummies. I only regret that I never met the man. He was a genious.

[Fat Tony]

What is the name of the guy who gave the order to whack Paul's 288 video tapes in 1996 at Metromedia?

I want to see if he is still alive so I can express to him my "appreciation", as only a Sicilian man could... in sign language... (using brass visual aids of course).

[Bryan Ortega]

As a child I would race home back in the day to get control of the TV. I had older brothers and sisters. I miss those days and I miss the Winchell-Mahoney Show

[Sheri Oshins]

I loved the Winchell-Mahoney Show! Of course I can still sing the song! I too, had a Jerry Mahoney doll as a child. My family lived next door to Paul Winchells sister Ruth. I remember when he would visit her, we would bring our Jerry Mahoney doll over there and he would always make it talk for us! I have wonderful memories! Just want to say Thanks!

[Carolyn]

I loved that show, even more than Captain Kangaroo! I really wanted to buy the tapes for my kids...I know they would love it. I can't believe the tapes are gone forever! I found my old, rubber, Knicklehead Smiff finger puppet when I was cleaning the other day. He has a prominent place on the bookshelf, next to an Orrefors clock. If I had to get rid of one, I would lose the clock!

[Clem Boeke]

Knucklehead Smith could pass for Obama's Twin.
The first time I saw Obama, Knucklehead Smith came to mind. Two Dummies that another pulls their strings, Paul Winchell and George Soros............

[Paula]

Hi, just wondering if any of the songs from the show are available, the theme song, when you come to the end of a lollipop, run little rabbit run, etc. Thanks, Paula

[Joe C. Lilly]

Howdy,I received a 22 inch Jerry Mahoney (string out back of neck) doll on Christmas Day 1953 (I was 10 years old). Being one of six children (two more were to follow), we got one "big" Christmas gift, and I wanted the Jerry Mahoney doll. I remember my older brother Greg got a baseball glove and my four younger sisters all got dolls. I played with my "doll", while never really knowing what I was doing, as far as "throwing" my voice went.
For Christmas this year I went on ebay and found a 32" Jerry Mahoney,in near mint condition with the box. This is the one where you can put your hand inside and move the mouth and swivel the head. Someone was nice enough to put it up many years ago, knowing some of "old cogger" would be coming along who wanted to reach back into his past and try and hold on to his youth. Wish I could attach the before (1953) and after (2009) pictures to this comment page. Happy Trails, Joe.

[Dallas pritchard]

Can you show a photo I have one to and am not sure of date

[Dallas pritchard]

Can you show a photo I have one and am not sure of year.
[email protected]