Charles Winninger: Charles Winninger. Actor: Show Boat. Short, chubby-framed, twinkle-eyed, ever-huggable Charles Winninger was a veteran vaudevillian by the time he arrived in talking films. Born in a trunk to Austrian immigrant show biz folk in Athens, Wisconsin, on May 26, 1884, he was the son of Rosalia (Grassler) and Franz Winninge, a violinist. He was initially christened Karl Winninger. He left school while quite young (age 8) to join and tour...
Known For: Show Boat (Cap'n Andy Hawks), God's Gift to Women (John Churchill), Destry Rides Again (Washington Dimsdale), State Fair (Abel Frake)