Occupation Actor Years active 1952-58 | Name George Winslow Role Child actor | |
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Full Name George Karl Wentzlaff Born May 3, 1946 ( 1946-05-03 ) Los Angeles, California, US Other names George "Foghorn" Winslow Nominations Golden Globe Special Award for - Best Juvenile Actor Movies Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Monkey Business, Artists and Models, Mister Scoutmaster, My Pal Gus Similar People Charles Lederer, Howard Hawks, Clifton Webb, Betsy Drake, Frank Tashlin | ||
George winslow tribute
George "Foghorn" Winslow (May 3, 1946 – June 13, 2015), born George Karl Wentzlaff, was an American child actor of the 1950s known for his stentorian voice and deadpan demeanor. He appeared in several films, some opposite such stars as Marilyn Monroe, Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, Dean Martin, and Jerry Lewis. In the late 1950s, he retired from acting.
Contents
- George winslow tribute
- Bud George Winslow roller blading Annapolis 1993
- Career
- Personal life and death
- References
Bud ( George Winslow ) roller blading Annapolis 1993
Career
Nicknamed “Foghorn” for his raspy voice as a slender child with dark blond hair and deep blue eyes, Wentzlaff, a Los Angeles native, broke into the entertainment business on Art Linkletter’s family-oriented radio program, People are Funny. Asked his name by Linkletter, the youngster said: "George Wentzlaff, but I’d rather be Casey Jones", with a delivery that cracked up Linkletter and the audience and led to about 20 subsequent appearances on the show, according to a biography on the IMDb.com website.
Actor Cary Grant, who heard the show and was impressed with Wentzlaff’s unusual voice and comedy instincts, introduced him to director Norman Taurog, leading to his roles in Grant’s films, Room for One More (1952) and Monkey Business (also 1952), which co-stars Ginger Rogers and Marilyn Monroe, making her first movie appearance with platinum-blond hair. Next up was Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), in which Wentzlaff — playing Henry Spofford III, Monroe’s young admirer — stole scenes from the actress, including his line about her possessing a "certain animal magnetism". In the comedy Mister Scoutmaster (1953), he traded barbs with Clifton Webb, and he had a small role in the musical comedy Artists and Models (1955), with Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Dorothy Malone and newcomer Shirley MacLaine in what Aurora called Wentzlaff’s "last ‘good’ movie.".
He also appeared in television episodes of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Blondie and Dear Phoebe. Winslow's final screen appearance came in the feature film, Wild Heritage (1958), cast as 'Talbot Breslin', son to film's lead, Maureen O'Sullivan. By the age of 12, Winslow retired from the screen.
Personal life and death
Retiring from show business at age 12, Wentzlaff finished school, served in the Navy during the Vietnam War, moved to Camp Meeker in the late 1970s and retired from the Postal Service a few years before his death. Wentzlaff, a lifelong bachelor and cat lover, died of a heart attack June 13, 2015 at his Camp Meeker home. A longtime friend who went to check on Wentzlaff, found him in his bed the following day. He was 69. At the time of his death, Winslow was sharing his home with about 25 cats. His friends hoped to find Winslow's pets adoptive homes through the local area animal advocacy group, Forgotten Felines.
A memorial service was held in Petaluma, California in July 2015, with burial plans with military honors at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery, to follow.
