Biography
Isaiah Edwin Leopold (November 9, 1886 – June 19, 1966), known professionally as Ed Wynn, was an American actor and comedian famous for his Perfect Fool character, groundbreaking 1930s radio show, and later dramatic acting career.
Wynn made his television debut on July 7, 1936, in a brief improvised segment with Graham McNamee during an NBC experimental broadcast. During the 1949–50 season, he hosted one of the earliest network comedy-variety shows on CBS, earning both a Peabody Award and an Emmy Award in 1949. Guests included Buster Keaton, Lucille Ball, and The Three Stooges. This marked the first CBS variety show originating from Los Angeles, broadcast live on the West Coast and recorded via kinescope for the Midwest and East due to incomplete national coaxial cable. From 1950 to 1952, Wynn was a rotating host on NBC's Four Star Revue.
Following the conclusion of his third TV series, The Ed Wynn Show (a short-lived sitcom airing on NBC in 1958–59), his son, actor Keenan Wynn, urged him to shift careers instead of retiring. Ed reluctantly embraced dramatic acting in television and film. Father and son appeared together in three productions, starting with the 1956 Playhouse 90 broadcast of Rod Serling's Requiem for a Heavyweight. Initially anxious about drama, Wynn often flubbed lines during rehearsal. When producers considered firing him, star Jack Palance threatened to quit if Wynn was dismissed. Unknown to Wynn, Ned Glass served as his secret understudy. On live broadcast night, Wynn delivered a flawless performance, smoothly improvising to cover any errors. This experience was later dramatized in the April 1960 Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse episode "The Man in the Funny Suit," starring both Wynns alongside other original participants portraying themselves. Ed and Keenan also appeared together in Jose Ferrer's film The Great Man, with Ed again demonstrating his dramatic talent.
Requiem solidified Wynn as a serious actor capable of matching top performers. His role in The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
In 1959, Wynn appeared in two episodes of Serling's The Twilight Zone. Serling, a longtime fan, wrote "One for the Angels" specifically for him. Wynn also starred in the 1963 episode "Ninety Years Without Slumbering." Throughout his later years, Wynn adeptly balanced comedic and dramatic roles, appearing in films and anthology series, winning the affection of new audiences.
