Winona Winter (died April 27, 1940) was an American vaudeville performer and silent-film actress.
Early life Winona Winter was the daughter of minstrel songwriter William Banks Winter and Clara Demming Newman Winter. She had two younger brothers."Mrs. Banks Winter, Called Most Beautiful Woman of Alabama, Dies". Battle Creek Enquirer (October 13, 1922). 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."Child Culture: Winona Winter" Phrenological Journal and Phrenological Magazine (July 1901): 16–20.
Career In vaudeville Winter was best known for "soubrette" parts,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. as a singing comedian,"Long Tack Sam, White Hussars, Winona Winter, Others at Palace" Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette (January 24, 1917): 10. via Newspapers.com and as a ventriloquist.M. B. H. "Scolding Winona Winter" New York Star (December 5, 1908): 26. She performed with Will Rogers in Rochester in 1908, in New York in 1910, and in Chicago in 1912, and was associated with Harry Lauder's company in 1922. She was still performing in vaudeville in 1928, with an act she called "Broadway-o-grams", a selection of short character sketches and celebrity impersonations."Winona Winter is Pantages Artist" Minneapolis Star (April 7, 1928): 32. via Newspapers.com
Winter appeared in four Broadway musical productions: The Little Cherub (1906–1907), He Came from Milwaukee (1910),"Bernard Back, Adds Gayety to Life" New York Times (September 22, 1910): 9. The Fascinating Widow (1911),"Julian Eltinge in 'Fascinating Widow'" New York Times (August 29, 1911): 7. and The Broadway Whirl (also called The Century Midnight Whirl) (1921)."N. Y. Roof Show is Coming to Majestic" Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette (May 8, 1921): 8B. via Newspapers.com
She played "Sally" in the silent film The Man from Mexico (1914).
Personal life 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."Mrs. Winona Winter Sper" New York Times (April 28, 1940): 40.
References
External links
Winona Winter's listing on IBDB.