Johnny Wayne

Not to be confused with John Wayne.
Johnny Wayne
Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster in 1944
Born
Louis Weingarten

May 28, 1918
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
DiedJuly 18, 1990(1990-07-18) (aged 72)
Toronto
Resting placeHoly Blossom Memorial Park, Toronto
Alma materUniversity of Toronto
Occupation(s)Comedian, comedy writer
SpouseBeatrice (1946-1980, her death)
ChildrenMichael, Jamie, and Brian
Military career
Allegiance Canada
Service / branch Canadian Army
Years of service1942–1946
RankSergeant
Battles / warsWorld War II

Johnny Wayne (born Louis Weingarten, also given as John Louis Weingarten;[1] May 28, 1918 – July 18, 1990) was a Canadian comedian and comedy writer best known for his work as part of the comedy duo Wayne and Shuster alongside Frank Shuster (1916–2002).

Personal life

[edit]

The son of a successful clothing manufacturer who spoke several languages and the eldest of seven children, Johnny Wayne was born in downtown Toronto, in the College/Spadina area,[1] and attended Harbord Collegiate Institute, where he met his future comedy partner, and later attended the University of Toronto, majoring in English literature.[1]

Starting with entertaining scouts, he and Shuster wrote some original scores and performed at the university's Hart House Follies.[1]

Professional life

[edit]

Wayne and Shuster began working together in the 1930s and continued their successful collaboration on stage, radio, and television until Wayne's death.[2] Wayne played to Shuster's straight man.

During World War II Wayne enlisted with the Canadian Army with Shuster, assigned to The Army Show (1942–1945),[3] a troop entertainment unit like ENSA, including stage-performing soon after the Normandy landings of June 1944.[4]

Following the war, they produced material for the Department of Veteran Affairs, before rejoining CBC Radio in 1946, producing 39 half-hour episodes a year, until 1953.[1] Wane with Shuster went to the new medium of television in the mid-1950s.[4]

The duo appeared in The Ed Sullivan Show in May 1958, and were considered as Canada's comedy ambassadors,[4] later going on to produce for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation until 1989.

He had musical talents and was a successful songwriter in the 1950s, including co-writing Bobby Gimby's 1958 hit "Jimbo".[5] In 1964 he recorded the song "Charlottetown", which he wrote and sang for the Canadian Confederation Centennial.[6]

Later life

[edit]

Wayne was a curling enthusiast and was a commentator alongside Alex Trebek and Doug Maxwell during the 1968 CBC Curling Championship.[7]

He married Beatrice Lokash, in 1946. They were married until her death from cancer in 1980.

They were parents to three children, one of whom is notable historian Michael Wayne.

Wayne died from brain cancer in 1990.[2] He is buried at Holy Blossom Cemetery, in his home town of Toronto.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e KEZWER, Gil (July 5, 1996). "Tickling the funny bone: Icons of Canadian humor, Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster, live on in CBC's archives". Jewish Western Bulletin. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "No. 119, Wayne and Shuster at the National Archives of Canada: The Frank Shuster Fonds". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  3. ^ Lungen, Paul (August 22, 2017). "Wayne and Shuster: the iconic comedy team that delighted audiences for years". The Canadian Jewish News. Toronto. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c GLASSMAN, Marc (2008). "Duo were Canada's comedy ambassadors". Playback Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  5. ^ "Artist: Wayne, Johnny". jam.canoe.com. Jamie Vernon's Great White Noise Magazine Presents the Canadian Pop Encyclopedia. November 28, 2004. Archived from the original on May 26, 2017.
  6. ^ "News of the World". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. December 12, 1964. p. 18.
  7. ^ CBC Television Series 1952 to 1982, Con-Cus Archived 2010-03-11 at the Wayback Machine
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johnny_Wayne&oldid=1257722038"