Jonathan Winters: Birth of a Comic Genius

During the 1950's, Jonathan Winters appeared on virtually every variety show on television. Appearing on "NBC Comedy Hour" and with Steve Allen, Dinah Shore and Jack Paar, the man literally reinvented to concept of 'live'comedy. Virtually everything you see here is an improv, ad-libbed by Jonathan on the spot even as his foils were scripted. He inspired a generation of comics: Andy Kaufman, Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld and countless others.