Doodles Weaver
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Born Name:
Winstead Sheffield Weaver
Born Date: May 11, 1911
Born Place: Los Angeles, California
Died Date: January 16, 1983
Died Place: Los Angeles, California
Occupations: Actor, comedian, musician
Brief Biography: Winstead "Doodles" Weaver was best remembered as a key member of Spike Jones' City Slickers and for his manic sports parodies. A multi-talented character actor with a career spanning radio, film, and television, he was also the uncle of actress Sigourney Weaver.
Early Life and Radio Career:
His mother gave him the childhood nickname "Doodlebug" (later shortened to "Doodles") due to his freckles and big ears.
Education: He attended Stanford University, where he gained a reputation for pulling practical jokes and pranks rather than focusing on his studies.
Radio Beginnings: He began his professional career in the late 1930s, performing on Rudy Vallée’s radio programs and the Kraft Music Hall.
The Spike Jones Era:
City Slickers: Weaver joined Spike Jones and his musical pranksters, the City Slickers, in 1946.
Signature Schtick: He became famous for his manic, rapid-fire parodies of sports announcers (such as his satirical take on the William Tell Overture).
Professor Feetlebaum: He developed a fan-favorite character named Professor Feetlebaum, known for his signature spoonerisms and mixing up words in songs.
Television and Film Work:
TV Shows: In the 1950s, he successfully transitioned to television, hosting his own variety program, The Doodles Weaver Show, on NBC. He also hosted local children's shows in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Guest Appearances: He made memorable guest appearances on iconic shows like Dragnet, Batman, The Monkees, and The Andy Griffith Show.
Film Appearances: Weaver was a prolific character actor, appearing in over 90 films. Some of his most notable movie roles include the ill-fated gas station attendant in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963) and roles in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) and The Nutty Professor (1963).
Born Date: May 11, 1911
Born Place: Los Angeles, California
Died Date: January 16, 1983
Died Place: Los Angeles, California
Occupations: Actor, comedian, musician
Brief Biography: Winstead "Doodles" Weaver was best remembered as a key member of Spike Jones' City Slickers and for his manic sports parodies. A multi-talented character actor with a career spanning radio, film, and television, he was also the uncle of actress Sigourney Weaver.
Early Life and Radio Career:
His mother gave him the childhood nickname "Doodlebug" (later shortened to "Doodles") due to his freckles and big ears.
Education: He attended Stanford University, where he gained a reputation for pulling practical jokes and pranks rather than focusing on his studies.
Radio Beginnings: He began his professional career in the late 1930s, performing on Rudy Vallée’s radio programs and the Kraft Music Hall.
The Spike Jones Era:
City Slickers: Weaver joined Spike Jones and his musical pranksters, the City Slickers, in 1946.
Signature Schtick: He became famous for his manic, rapid-fire parodies of sports announcers (such as his satirical take on the William Tell Overture).
Professor Feetlebaum: He developed a fan-favorite character named Professor Feetlebaum, known for his signature spoonerisms and mixing up words in songs.
Television and Film Work:
TV Shows: In the 1950s, he successfully transitioned to television, hosting his own variety program, The Doodles Weaver Show, on NBC. He also hosted local children's shows in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Guest Appearances: He made memorable guest appearances on iconic shows like Dragnet, Batman, The Monkees, and The Andy Griffith Show.
Film Appearances: Weaver was a prolific character actor, appearing in over 90 films. Some of his most notable movie roles include the ill-fated gas station attendant in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963) and roles in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) and The Nutty Professor (1963).