Have you ever noticed that Winston wasn’t important. I mean around here everyone seems to love him, but in the movies and sometimes in ths show, he wasn’t very important. For example, he didn’t have very many lines in either movies, in the second movie he wasn’t at the court hearing in the beginning. In the show there was no PeopleBuster Winston!
actually, Winston WAS in the court room scene in GBII. but i somewhat agree. but they up’d his role up in GBII, considering how he saved Egon and Ray’s asses when the Vigo pictures went in flames and the door was locked.
in terms of the RGB episode: maybe it was like: since Ray, Peter, and Egon were in the alternate dimension, there were alternate forms of themselves, if Winston went there could’ve been one of him.
i think it’s like that b/c he wasnt an original founder of the Ghostbusters, they hired him later on. but, eh.
This subject could very well form someone’s university thesis one day. I believe that he was important, but he most definitely falls into the “token black guy” category, unfortunately. Whether the character was originally intended for Eddie Murphy or not, Winston was a much bigger role in the first drafts of the script, as an original member, not someone they hired later. In fact, his character was supposed to get slimed at the Sedgewick, not Venkman. I can’t speak for the cartoons, as I haven’t watched that many, but in the movies, it’s a little hard to give away great lines when you have TWO Saturday Night Live cast members (and TWO SCTV cast members if you want to get particular) there, that the fans have come to see. Ernie Hudson is a great actor, but not necessarily of the comic variety. In fact, I think he excels at drama more than anything else. Even though he didn’t get his fair shake, he is the only cast member that makes appearances at Comic Conventions, and for that we love him!
~5B
Ernie definately seems to be more FAN friendly,I’ve seen lots of pics of him posing with fans at conventions,can’t say as much for the others.
I never saw winston in that scene, show me a pic of him, because all i remember is seeing ray,egon, and peter catch the Scalary Bros.
I don’t have a screencap but I remember the scene well. Winstons appearence is right after the judge makes that little speech about not talking about ghosts, goblins, spooks, or demons and just wants to stick to the facts in the case. Winston turns to the guys in the defendents section and says to them, “Boy, he sounds like a pretty open-minded guy.” and Egon says, “They call him ‘The Hammer’”. Where Winston went after this is beyond me.
Well he wasn’t obsessed with the whole paranormal thing like the other three. It’s like he only wanted a job, remember the part where he was in jail? He said “I wasn’t even there, I just work with them”(something like that) . You know about the firehouse blowing up in GB1. I don’t think it has anything to do with race. He’s like the drummer in the band. The drummer is always the last guy to get picked in a band.
I also remember somebody saying there is a deleted courtroom scene, where Winston is shown helping people out of the court room when the Scoleri Bros. show up.
Peoplebusters isn’t a really fair example because the animators/scriptors seemed to have a huge problem talking to each other in terms of that episode… half developed ideas and rather large plot holes.
He did have, in my mind a decent role in the cartoon. He was the voice of reason in addition to usually being the one to reign the others in if they got crazy… plus he was there to be the philisophical one, to consider the less scientific but no less important aspects of the cases they came across (Proof that I may be reading too much into it. :P)
Film wise, Winston deserved more… but over the broader range he does okay.
And year, Ernie is great around the fans… real nice guy. 
if you look closely behind peter ray and egon in the court scene you will notice that winston is there one minute and gone the next…like he probably wasnt there on some of the days of filming that scene
a little on topic, of the courtroom scene. The guy helping out the short man after the Scoleris come out. It’s just kinda weird. Anyway, I feel Winston was really done right and established in the cartoon. The movies aren’t really where the character shines through. Though Ernie Hudson does a great job. The second one had a few more classic Winston moments.
I feel in the first movie he got the great last line of the film “I love this town!” which really is a great finisher and I’m glad they gave him that. It really fits the character that all these bizarre absurd paranormal events can occur and he can say that like “New York! What a town!”
-Zack
I’ve always thought Winston’s encounter with the ghost train in GBII was great. “Did you get the number on that locomotive?” “I’m sorry…I missed it.” :lol:
Because, when they got to jail, he says 2 times to the policemen “Hey, i just work for these guys” while they are trying to save the universe looking at Dana´s building´s blueprints… and later on he tells them “no ofense guys but i´m calling my own lawyer!” … I remember thinking “What a great friend he is!!!”
BUt i thinck in GBII he bonded with them and he was more human and had a closer relationship … at least that was my impression.
What do you thinck?
I’m a huge Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd fan, but really I like all the actors/characters equally. The movie just wouldn’t be the same without them all included. I can’t imagine either of them having not been in the movies. And Ernie Hudson is a good actor. He was great in Congo. I wish he would get more movie rolls because he has an awesome screen presence.
Perhaps they gave him less creedance since he wasn’t a scientist as the other’s were. Still, even Annie Potts and Rick Morranis, (who were both awesome in the movie), got more camera time than he did.
My favorite scene of is in both movies is the one with him and Ray in the Ecto-1A in the first film when they’re driving on the bridge and talking about how the dead have been rising from the grave. That was one of the best scenes in both films I think.
I’m thinking that during their trial the reason that Winston wasn’t there initially, and only shows up to talk to the guys for a few minutes was that his case was seperate from their’s since he got his own lawyer. He decided to get his own lawyer and make it a seperate case. That’s probably why he wasn’t there during the trial of Peter, Ray and Egon. Most likely in that situation he probably wouldn’t have been allowed to be in the courtroom during the trial.
I’m no legal expert, but that’s my best guess as to why he wasn’t there.
I’m watching Ghostbusters II now as I type this and that scene was just going on.
As a side note, Winston was originally intended to be a security guard who stood outside the GB HQ.
Where did you hear that?.. That’s kinda interesting.
I agree with everyone else on here the Ernie Hudson definately didnt get enough screen time in the movies. I wished in both movies that they actually showed all 4 busting ghost more. Not 2 guys in 1 scene and the other 2 guys in another. I grew up watching the RGB series and I remember thinking the 1st time I saw the movie like man they look nothing like my cartoon and the proton packs look different and the other thing I noticed was Winston didnt have the mustache in the cartoon as in the movies. to be honest I liked Winstons role in the cartoon alot better then the movies. In the movies he seems alil ruff around the edges but in the cartoons he was smooth talking and easy going. I dont know just my 2 cents
Ok, first of all, the reason Winston wasn’t in the courtroom scene is because he WASN’T one of the guys digging a hole in 5th Ave! The prosecuter would have NO REASON to go after Winston! Secondly, Wiston originally had a bigger role in the first movie, but, for whatever reason, they decided to lessen his role. Third, His character in the cartoon was an integral part of the team. Case in point, the episode “Mr Sandman, Dream Me A Dream”. It was Winston that essentially saved the world. If it wasn’t for his idea about telling yourself ‘it’s just a dream’ then Janine would have gone to sleep to and not become a Ghostbuster! I mean, sure he couldn’t play a kazoo (Play them Ragtime Boos) but he was one hell of a Ghostbuster! Finally let me just say that Ernie Hudson REALLY does care about his fans. He’s the ONLY celebrity to EVER respond to an Email!
Steve
Ya what that guy said!