Winona Winter (1889 — April 27, 1940) was an American vaudeville performer and silent-film actress.
Winona Winter | |
|---|---|
 Winona Winter as "Constance" in He Came from Milwaukee, from a 1911 publication. | |
| Born | 1889 Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | April 27, 1940 (aged 50–51) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Actress |
Early life edit
Winona Winter was the daughter of minstrel songwriter William Banks Winter and Clara Demming Newman Winter. She had two younger brothers.[1] Winter acted as a child, in The Little Tycoon (1895) in Detroit. In 1901, her skull was examined by phrenologists in a published case study, which found her to be gifted, especially in humor and memory.[2]
Career edit
In vaudeville Winter was best known for "soubrette" parts,[3] as a singing comedian,[4] and as a ventriloquist.[5] She performed with Will Rogers in Rochester in 1908, in New York in 1910, and in Chicago in 1912,[3] and was associated with Harry Lauder's company in 1922.[1] She was still performing on vaudeville in 1928, with an act she called "Broadway-o-grams", a selection of short character sketches and celebrity impersonations.[6]
Winter appeared in four Broadway musical productions: The Little Cherub (1906-1907), He Came from Milwaukee (1910),[7] The Fascinating Widow (1911),[8] and The Broadway Whirl (also called The Century Midnight Whirl) (1921).[9]
She played "Sally" in the silent film The Man from Mexico (1914).
Personal life edit
Winter married Norman L. Sper, a sports announcer. They had a son, Norman L. Sper Jr., born in 1925.
In 1940, Winter died in Los Angeles, California. Winter was 51.[10] Winter is buried in Hollywood Forever Cemetery in California.
References edit
- ^ a b "Mrs. Banks Winter, Called Most Beautiful Woman of Alabama, Dies" Battle Creek Enquirer (October 13, 1922).
- ^ "Child Culture: Winona Winter" Phrenological Journal and Phrenological Magazine (July 1901): 16-20.
- ^ a b Will Rogers, Steven K. Gragert, M. Jane Johansson, eds., The Papers of Will Rogers: From vaudeville to Broadway : September 1908-August 1915 (University of Oklahoma Press 2001): 459-460. ISBN 9780806133157
- ^ "Long Tack Sam, White Hussars, Winona Winter, Others at Palace" Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette (January 24, 1917): 10. via Newspapers.com
- ^ M. B. H. "Scolding Winona Winter" New York Star (December 5, 1908): 26.
- ^ "Winona Winter is Pantages Artist" Minneapolis Star (April 7, 1928): 32. via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Bernard Back, Adds Gayety to Life" New York Times (September 22, 1910): 9. via ProQuest
- ^ "Julian Eltinge in 'Fascinating Widow'" New York Times (August 29, 1911): 7. via ProQuest
- ^ "N. Y. Roof Show is Coming to Majestic" Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette (May 8, 1921): 8B. via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Mrs. Winona Winter Sper" New York Times (April 28, 1940): 40. via ProQuest
External links edit
- Winona Winter at IMDb
- Winona Winter's listing on IBDB.
- Winona Winter's gravesite on Find a Grave.