David Winters (born David Weizer; April 5, 1939 – April 23, 2019) was an English-born American actor, dancer, choreographer, and filmmaker. At a young age, he acted in film and television projects such as Lux Video Theatre, Naked City; Mister Peepers, Rock, Rock, Rock, and Roogie's Bump. He received some attention in Broadway musicals for his roles in West Side Story (1957) and Gypsy (1959). In the film adaptation of West Side Story (1961) he was one of the few actors to be re-cast in a different role than what he performed in the original stage version. West Side Story became the highest grossing motion picture of that year, and won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Winters became a dance choreographer. On films, he choreographed several projects with Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret starting with Viva Las Vegas (filmed in 1963). Other dance choreography credits include T.A.M.I. Show (1964), Send Me No Flowers (1964), Billie (1965), A Star Is Born (1976), etc. On television, he was frequently seen with his troupe on a variety of shows choreographing popular dances of the 1960s. At the Emmy Awards, for the television special Movin' with Nancy (1967), his choreography was nominated in the category Special Classification of Individual Achievements.
In the 1970s, Winters ran Winters-Rosen a production house, where he produced, directed, and choreographed television specials. Some of these credits are The Ann-Margret Show (1968), Ann-Margret: From Hollywood With Love (1969), Raquel! (1970), Once Upon a Wheel (1971), Timex All-Star Swing Festival (1972). In films, he directed Alice Cooper: Welcome to My Nightmare (1976), The Last Horror Film (1982), Thrashin' (1986). From the 1980s to the 1990s, Winters ran Action International Pictures where he would produce, distribute and direct action oriented films. From the 2000s to his death in 2019, Winters continued to produce, direct, and act.
Winters was born David Weizer in London, England, the son of Jewish parents Sadie and Samuel Weizer. His family relocated to the United States in 1953. He became a naturalized United States citizen in 1956. Winters was interested in dancing at an early age.
Early 1950s-1967: Early roles, stage musicals, and dance choreography
At age 12, Winters was shining shoes to pay for dance classes afraid his mother would not approve. She eventually caught him and made a deal to make him stop: if he did his bar mitzvah, she would bring him to dance classes. That same year, Winters was spotted by a talent agent while dancing in a Manhattan restaurant. From this point he began acting and dancing on television. By the age of 14 he had worked with Jackie Gleason, Martha Raye, Mindy Carson, Sarah Churchill, Wally Cox, George Jessel, Ella Raines, Paul Douglas, and Perry Como. He also was heard on radio plays with Donald Cook and Joseph Cotten. It led him to act in over 15 television shows during a span of 10 years, including Lux Video Theatre, Naked City, The Red Buttons Show, Mister Peepers, etc.
In 1954, Winters acted in the film Roogie's Bump. That year he performed in the first Broadway revival of On Your Toes, directed by George Abbott and choreographed by George Balanchine. It opened on October 11, 1954, at the 46th Street Theatre, where it ran for 64 performances.
On November 23 of that year he acted in another Broadway play called Sandhog. In the musical, Winters alongside Yuriko, Eliot Feld, Muriel Mannings, and Betty Ageloff played a group of kids. Paul Affelder of The Brooklyn Eagle praised all the performances, and found the kids talented.
In 1956, Winters appeared in the film Rock, Rock, Rock!
In 1957, he performed in Shinbone Alley. The Broadway production opened on April 13, 1957, at The Broadway Theatre and closed on May 25, 1957, after 49 performances. Later that year, he played the role of Baby John in the original Broadway production of West Side Story. Conceived, directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins, it ran for 732 performances before going on tour. The production was nominated for six Tony Awards including Best Musical.
On May 21, 1959, he starred as Yonkers in the original production of Gypsy. The show was produced by David Merrick and directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins. Critic Frank Rich has referred to it as one of the more influential stagings of a musical in American theatrical history. The original production received eight Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical. It closed on March 25, 1961, after 702 performances and two previews.
In 1960, he acted in the Broadway musical One More River.
In 1961, he appeared as A-Rab in the movie version of West Side Story directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. He and Carole D'Andrea, Jay Norman, Tommy Abbott, William Bramley and Tony Mordente were the only actors to have been cast in both the original Broadway show and the motion picture. The film was the highest grossing motion picture of that year, going on to win 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
During that time and moving forward to 1967, he acted regularly on television, he was seen in 77 Sunset Strip, Perry Mason, The Dick Powell Show, and more.
On January 30, 1963, the play Billy Liar made its American premiere with Winters in the title role. Margaret Harford of the Los Angeles Times liked the acting and said that Winters played the role with "coltish swagger".
In 1964, he choreographed George Sidney's Viva Las Vegas starring Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret. Ann-Margret, who was his student at the time, recommended him for the job. That year Winters choreographed Norman Jewison's Send Me No Flowers, Don Weis' Pajama Party, and Steve Binder's T.A.M.I. Show. T.A.M.I. Show would go on to be deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in 2006 in the National Film Registry. He also had a role in the film The New Intern. On September 21, the variety show Shindig! premiered where Winters served as a choreographer.
In 1965, he choreographed two musicals starring Elvis Presley: Boris Sagal's Girl Happy and Norman Taurog's Tickle Me. He also choreographed two Ann-Margret films: Bus Riley's Back in Town and Kitten with a Whip. Another choreographer credit was Don Weis' Billie. That year, he started to perform on television with his troupe, named the David Winters Dancers. That year, on the tv show Hullabaloo, he choreographed popular dances of the 1960s, including the Watusi, and originated the Freddy.
In 1966, he co-produced and choreographed the Lucille Ball television special Lucy in London. Also that year he acted in The Crazy-Quilt by John Korty, and The David Winters Dancers also appeared in the television special MJ's. Finally he choreographed two more Ann-Margret films Boris Sagal's Made in Paris, and George Sidney's The Swinger.