King & Country
Captain
- Joined
- May 23, 2005
- Messages
- 5,103
Hi Guys,
Just over thirty years ago, one Friday evening, I had been out to dinner with my first wife Laura, here in Hong Kong.
At that time we were living in Victoria Barracks, right in the centre of what was then the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong. We decided to take a short cut through the nearby Hilton Hotel to get home that evening and came upon an amazing scene…
A large crowd of spectators were gathered in the main lobby of the hotel watching something or someone who was causing a great deal of laughter! To get a better view we squeezed through the laughing crowd and spied none other than …Jonathan Winters in full flight!
As we arrived Jonathan was transforming himself into half-a-dozen different characters and explaining the rules and regulations of…CRICKET.
When we arrived he was a crusty old English colonel demonstrating how to properly bowl the ball and then bat it away for six to the outfield. Then he transformed himself into a husband and wife tourist couple from somewhere in the Midwest of the U.S. Within minutes he had also introduced a bewildered Chinese waiter character and a Japanese businessman.
For over half an hour he continued, without a pause, to develop and expand this little cast of figments of his imagination for the utter delight and amusement of other hotel guests and passersby like ourselves.
I have never witnessed another impromptu performance like Jonathan Winters on that evening. I have however watched him in movies, television and You Tube on countless occasions. He was a Master of the Art of Comedy. And one of the truly great comedians along side Chaplin, Groucho Marx, W.C. Fields and a handful of others. He was a true American original…and his comedy genius will be sorely missed!
From one former Marine to another…Semper Fi, Jonathan.
P.S. He was also a good friend of and regular visitor to Chris Munro’s toy soldier store in Cambria, California. Jonathan lived not far away.
Just over thirty years ago, one Friday evening, I had been out to dinner with my first wife Laura, here in Hong Kong.
At that time we were living in Victoria Barracks, right in the centre of what was then the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong. We decided to take a short cut through the nearby Hilton Hotel to get home that evening and came upon an amazing scene…
A large crowd of spectators were gathered in the main lobby of the hotel watching something or someone who was causing a great deal of laughter! To get a better view we squeezed through the laughing crowd and spied none other than …Jonathan Winters in full flight!
As we arrived Jonathan was transforming himself into half-a-dozen different characters and explaining the rules and regulations of…CRICKET.
When we arrived he was a crusty old English colonel demonstrating how to properly bowl the ball and then bat it away for six to the outfield. Then he transformed himself into a husband and wife tourist couple from somewhere in the Midwest of the U.S. Within minutes he had also introduced a bewildered Chinese waiter character and a Japanese businessman.
For over half an hour he continued, without a pause, to develop and expand this little cast of figments of his imagination for the utter delight and amusement of other hotel guests and passersby like ourselves.
I have never witnessed another impromptu performance like Jonathan Winters on that evening. I have however watched him in movies, television and You Tube on countless occasions. He was a Master of the Art of Comedy. And one of the truly great comedians along side Chaplin, Groucho Marx, W.C. Fields and a handful of others. He was a true American original…and his comedy genius will be sorely missed!
From one former Marine to another…Semper Fi, Jonathan.
Andy C.
P.S. He was also a good friend of and regular visitor to Chris Munro’s toy soldier store in Cambria, California. Jonathan lived not far away.
