Paul Winchell (December 21, 1922 – June 24, 2005) was an American ventriloquist and voice actor, whose career flourished in the 1950s and 1960s. During the mid-1960s, he hosted the children's television show Winchell-Mahoney Time (1965–1968). Winchell was also an amateur inventor, becoming the first person to build and patent a mechanical, artificial heart, implantable in the chest cavity (US Patent #3097366). He has been honored with a star on t...
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Paul Winchell (December 21, 1922 – June 24, 2005) was an American ventriloquist and voice actor, whose career flourished in the 1950s and 1960s. During the mid-1960s, he hosted the children's television show Winchell-Mahoney Time (1965–1968). Winchell was also an amateur inventor, becoming the first person to build and patent a mechanical, artificial heart, implantable in the chest cavity (US Patent #3097366). He has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in television.
Winchell was born Paul Wilchin in New York City, New York, the son of Clara (née Fuchs) and Sol.
Winchell's best-known ventriloquist dummies were Jerry Mahoney and Knucklehead Smiff. Mahoney was carved by Chicago-based figure maker Frank Marshall. Sometime later Winchell had basswood copies of Jerry's head made by a commercial duplicarving service. One became the upgraded Jerry Mahoney that is seem primarily throughout Winchell's television career. He modified to other copies to create...
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