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On this day, May 11, 1911, comedian and actor Doodles Weaver was born.
Wed May 11, 2022: Comic/actor Doodles Weaver was #BornOnThisDay, May 11, 1911.
Comic/actor Doodles Weaver was #BornOnThisDay, May 11, 1911. Appeared in over 90 films & had his own TV show in the #1950s, remembered for his slightly off-beat, eccentric character roles. Passed in 1983 (age 71) from suicide (gun). #RIP #SuicidePrevention #GoneTooSoon #birthday
Link to tweet
Doodles Weaver
Born: Winstead Sheffield Glenndenning Dixon Weaver; May 11, 1911; Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died: January 17, 1983 (aged 71); Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place: Avalon Cemetery
Relatives: Pat Weaver (brother), Sigourney Weaver (niece)
Winstead Sheffield Glenndenning Dixon "Doodles" Weaver (May 11, 1911 – January 17, 1983)[1] was an American character actor, comedian, and musician.
Born into a wealthy West Coast family, Weaver began his career in radio. In the late 1930s, he performed on Rudy Vallée's radio programs and Kraft Music Hall. He later joined Spike Jones' City Slickers. In 1957, Weaver hosted his own NBC variety show The Doodles Weaver Show. In addition to his radio work, he also recorded a number of comedy records, appeared in films and guest starred on numerous television series from the 1950s through the 1970s. Weaver made his last onscreen appearance in 1981. Despondent over poor health, Weaver fatally shot himself in January 1983.
{snip}
Career
Radio and recordings
On radio during the late 1930s and early 1940s, he was heard as an occasional guest on Rudy Vallée's program and on the Kraft Music Hall.
In 1946, Weaver signed on as a member of Spike Jones's City Slickers band. Weaver was heard on Jones's 1947–49 radio shows, where he introduced his comedic Professor Feetlebaum (which Weaver sometimes spelled as Feitlebaum), a character who spoke in Spoonerisms. Part of the Professor's shtick was mixing up words and sentences in various songs and recitations as if he were suffering from myopia and/or dyslexia. Weaver toured the country with the Spike Jones Music Depreciation Revue until 1951. The radio programs were often broadcast from cities where the Revue was staged.
One of Weaver's most popular recordings is the Spike Jones parody of Rossini's "William Tell Overture". Weaver gives a close impression of the gravel-voiced sports announcer Clem McCarthy in a satire of a horse race announcer who forgets whether he's covering a horse race or a boxing match ( "It's Girdle in the stretch! Locomotive is on the rail! Apartment House is second with plenty of room! It's Cabbage by a head!" ). The race features a nag named Beetlebaum, who begins at long odds, runs the race a distant last—and yet suddenly emerges as the winner. The oft-repeated "Beetlebaum" became so identified with the record that RCA reprinted the record label, adding "Beetlebaum" in parentheses after the song title. Jones and Weaver followed this hit with a 1949 parody of the Indianapolis 500 automobile race, again with Weaver as commentator, and set to Ponchielli's "Dance of the Hours". The surprise winner? Beetlebaum. When an angry listener named Beetlebaum threatened a lawsuit, Weaver changed the name to Feetlebaum.
In 1966, Weaver recorded a novelty version of "Eleanor Rigby"—singing, mixing up the words, insulting, and interrupting, while playing the piano.
{snip}
Born: Winstead Sheffield Glenndenning Dixon Weaver; May 11, 1911; Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died: January 17, 1983 (aged 71); Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place: Avalon Cemetery
Relatives: Pat Weaver (brother), Sigourney Weaver (niece)
Winstead Sheffield Glenndenning Dixon "Doodles" Weaver (May 11, 1911 – January 17, 1983)[1] was an American character actor, comedian, and musician.
Born into a wealthy West Coast family, Weaver began his career in radio. In the late 1930s, he performed on Rudy Vallée's radio programs and Kraft Music Hall. He later joined Spike Jones' City Slickers. In 1957, Weaver hosted his own NBC variety show The Doodles Weaver Show. In addition to his radio work, he also recorded a number of comedy records, appeared in films and guest starred on numerous television series from the 1950s through the 1970s. Weaver made his last onscreen appearance in 1981. Despondent over poor health, Weaver fatally shot himself in January 1983.
{snip}
Career
Radio and recordings
On radio during the late 1930s and early 1940s, he was heard as an occasional guest on Rudy Vallée's program and on the Kraft Music Hall.
In 1946, Weaver signed on as a member of Spike Jones's City Slickers band. Weaver was heard on Jones's 1947–49 radio shows, where he introduced his comedic Professor Feetlebaum (which Weaver sometimes spelled as Feitlebaum), a character who spoke in Spoonerisms. Part of the Professor's shtick was mixing up words and sentences in various songs and recitations as if he were suffering from myopia and/or dyslexia. Weaver toured the country with the Spike Jones Music Depreciation Revue until 1951. The radio programs were often broadcast from cities where the Revue was staged.
One of Weaver's most popular recordings is the Spike Jones parody of Rossini's "William Tell Overture". Weaver gives a close impression of the gravel-voiced sports announcer Clem McCarthy in a satire of a horse race announcer who forgets whether he's covering a horse race or a boxing match ( "It's Girdle in the stretch! Locomotive is on the rail! Apartment House is second with plenty of room! It's Cabbage by a head!" ). The race features a nag named Beetlebaum, who begins at long odds, runs the race a distant last—and yet suddenly emerges as the winner. The oft-repeated "Beetlebaum" became so identified with the record that RCA reprinted the record label, adding "Beetlebaum" in parentheses after the song title. Jones and Weaver followed this hit with a 1949 parody of the Indianapolis 500 automobile race, again with Weaver as commentator, and set to Ponchielli's "Dance of the Hours". The surprise winner? Beetlebaum. When an angry listener named Beetlebaum threatened a lawsuit, Weaver changed the name to Feetlebaum.
In 1966, Weaver recorded a novelty version of "Eleanor Rigby"—singing, mixing up the words, insulting, and interrupting, while playing the piano.
{snip}
1948 HITS ARCHIVE: William Tell Overture (Feetlebaum!) - Spike Jones (Doodles Weaver, narr.)
5,608 views May 30, 2019
the78prof
30.6K subscribers
William Tell Overture (Rossini) by Spike Jones and his City Slickers, commentary by Doodles Weaver
Right up there with “Der Feuhrer’s Face” “Cocktails For Two” and “All I Want For Christmas” is this fondly-remembered Spike Jones classic, a madcap (mis)treatment of Rossini’s famous overture. It is highlighted by the horse race commentary of Doodles Weaver, brother of Sylvester ‘Pat’ Weaver (future president of NBC) and uncle of Pat’s daughter, actress Sigourney. A #6 best-seller, “William Tell” was followed a year later by a ‘sequel’ of sorts, “Dance Of The Hours” with Doodles calling an auto race at Indianapolis (posted to the 1949 HITS ARCHIVE).
THE 1948 HITS ARCHIVE - here in one place, a good-quality library of original-release-version best-sellers and songs that made an impact that were either released or enjoyed a major chunk of their popularity within the calendar year 1948 (some were recorded in 1947).
5,608 views May 30, 2019
the78prof
30.6K subscribers
William Tell Overture (Rossini) by Spike Jones and his City Slickers, commentary by Doodles Weaver
Right up there with “Der Feuhrer’s Face” “Cocktails For Two” and “All I Want For Christmas” is this fondly-remembered Spike Jones classic, a madcap (mis)treatment of Rossini’s famous overture. It is highlighted by the horse race commentary of Doodles Weaver, brother of Sylvester ‘Pat’ Weaver (future president of NBC) and uncle of Pat’s daughter, actress Sigourney. A #6 best-seller, “William Tell” was followed a year later by a ‘sequel’ of sorts, “Dance Of The Hours” with Doodles calling an auto race at Indianapolis (posted to the 1949 HITS ARCHIVE).
THE 1948 HITS ARCHIVE - here in one place, a good-quality library of original-release-version best-sellers and songs that made an impact that were either released or enjoyed a major chunk of their popularity within the calendar year 1948 (some were recorded in 1947).