Johnny Wayne
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Johnny Wayne (born Louis Weingarten, also given as John Louis Weingarten;<ref name=SFU>Template:Cite news</ref> 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
The son of a successful clothing manufacturer who spoke several languages, Charles Bryon Weingarten and mother Sarah,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the eldest of seven children, Johnny Wayne was born in downtown Toronto, in the College/Spadina area,<ref name=SFU /> and attended Harbord Collegiate Institute, where he met his future comedy partner, and later attended the University of Toronto, majoring in English literature.<ref name=SFU /><ref name=NYT1990>Template:Cite news</ref>
Starting with entertaining scouts, he and Shuster wrote some original scores and performed at the university's Hart House Follies.<ref name=SFU />
Professional life
Wayne and Shuster began working together in the 1930s and continued their successful collaboration on stage, radio, and television until Wayne's death.<ref name=CollCan>Template:Cite web</ref> 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),<ref name=cjn>Template:Cite news</ref> a troop entertainment unit like ENSA, including stage-performing soon after the Normandy landings of June 1944.<ref name=Playback>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name=SFU /> Wayne with Shuster went to the new medium of television in the mid-1950s.<ref name=Playback />
The duo appeared in The Ed Sullivan Show in May 1958, and were considered as Canada's comedy ambassadors,<ref name=Playback /> 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".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1964 he recorded the song "Charlottetown", which he wrote and sang for the Canadian Confederation Centennial.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In 1999 the pair were given a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=IMDb>Template:Cite web</ref>
Later life
Wayne was a curling enthusiast and was a commentator alongside Alex Trebek and Doug Maxwell during the 1968 CBC Curling Championship.<ref>CBC Television Series 1952 to 1982, Con-Cus Template:Webarchive</ref>
He married Beatrice Lokash, in 1946. They were married until her death from cancer in 1980.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
They were parents to three children,<ref name=UPI>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=NYT1990 /> one of whom is notable historian Michael Wayne.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Wayne died from brain cancer in 1990.<ref name=CollCan/><ref name=UPI /> He is buried at Holy Blossom Cemetery, in his home town of Toronto.<ref name=IMDb />
Notes
See also
References
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External links
- 1918 births
- 1990 deaths
- Canadian television personalities
- Canadian male television actors
- Canadian male radio actors
- Canadian male stage actors
- Jewish Canadian comedians
- Jewish Canadian male actors
- University of Toronto alumni
- Male actors from Toronto
- Curling broadcasters
- Deaths from brain cancer in Ontario
- Curlers from Toronto
- Comedians from Toronto
- 20th-century Canadian male actors
- Canadian sketch comedians
- 20th-century Canadian comedians
- Canadian Screen Award winning writers