Jimmy Weldon (born Ivy Laverne Shinn, September 23, 1923 – July 6, 2023) was an American actor, ventriloquist, and television host. He was best known as the voice of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Yakky Doodle and the host and ventriloquist in the locally produced television series The Webster Webfoot Show. He also had a YouTube channel titled Jimmy's Lecture, where he documented stories of his time in World War II.

Jimmy Weldon
Weldon in 2015
Born
Ivy Laverne Shinn

(1923-09-23)September 23, 1923
DiedJuly 6, 2023(2023-07-06) (aged 99)
OccupationActor
Years active1946–2015
Spouse
Muriel Jones
(m. 1947; died 1988)

Early life

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Born Ivy Laverne Shinn on September 23, 1923, in Dale, Texas,[1] he began his career in 1946 as a disc jockey at KWCO, the radio station which began its operations shortly after he returned home following WWII. He was the first announcer hired at this new radio station.

While there, he developed a character named Webster Webfoot, a little duck who visited him while he was playing record requests from listeners calling in. Often they just wanted to talk to little Webster. They thought Webster was someone other than Weldon, and so he became an important part of Weldon's disc jockey presentations.

Television acting

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In 1948, Weldon (and Webster Webfoot) moved to Duncan, Oklahoma, where they performed on another 250-watt AM station, KRHD, for two more years. The big 50,000-watt radio station WFAA in Dallas, Texas, recruited Webster and Weldon as entertainers, and Webster became a real person on television on April 4, 1950, on The Webster Webfoot Show, produced locally by station WFAA-TV.

They moved to California on September 5, 1952, joining KCOP-TV, Channel 13, in Hollywood and continued their television careers. During an appearance at a middle school in Brentwood, Jeff Chandler and Randolph Scott collected the tickets from the children and parents who came to see the show. These two movie stars made Weldon feel very lucky indeed when they commented, "Our children think more of little Webster than they do OUR movie careers." Also, Ralph Edwards was there, and he later gave Webster and Weldon the positions as co-hosts of a new children's game show titled Funny Boners, a junior version of his famous Truth or Consequences radio and television shows, which aired on ABC.

In 1956, Weldon and Webster moved to Fresno, California, which began a career in the San Joaquin Valley at KFRE-TV, Channel 12. This was interrupted, however, when NBC executives called them to New York to replace Shari Lewis on the Hi, Mom show on NBC flagship station, WRCA-TV, Channel 4.

In 1959, Channel 13 in Hollywood once again became their television home.

In 1961, Weldon and Webster were called back to the San Joaquin Valley. They continued performing their show on KJEO-TV, Channel 47, in Fresno, California, throughout the 1960s. During this time, Weldon and Webster also did TV shows in Salinas and Bakersfield, California, flying their airplane from city to city for those shows.

Voice acting and other work

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It was thanks to Webster's voice that Weldon earned the voice-over for the Hanna-Barbera cartoon character, Yakky Doodle. He also was the voice of Solomon Grundy on Hanna-Barbera's series Challenge of the Superfriends, and made appearances in acting on shows such as Dragnet, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Waltons, Dallas, and Diff'rent Strokes.

Weldon also played some supporting characters on the popular radio drama Adventures in Odyssey, and was a member of the Premiere Speakers Bureau.

Death

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Weldon died at an assisted living residence in Paso Robles, California, on July 6, 2023, at the age of 99.[2][3][4]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1950 Webster Webfoot Show Uncle Jimmy
1955 The Halls of Ivy Episode: "Calhoun Gaddy"
Alfred Hitchcock Presents Guard Season 1 Episode 7: "Breakdown"
1956-1957 Dragnet Hotel Clerk 2 episodes
1959 Cartooneroony Uncle Jimmy
1961 The Phantom Planet Lieutenant Webb
1961-1962 The Yogi Bear Show Yakky Doodle Voice, 33 episodes
1975 The Waltons Railroad Clerk Episode: "The Runaway"
S.W.A.T. Diner Owner Episode: "Kill S.W.A.T."
The Family Holvak Auctioneer Episode: "First Love: Part 1"
1976 The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe Television film
1977 Fred Flintstone and Friends Yakky-Doodle Voice
The Oregon Trail Ludlow Episode: "Hard Ride Home"
1978 Challenge of the Superfriends Solomon Grundy Voice, 16 episodes
1979 B.J. and the Bear Crockett Episode: "Lobo's Revenge"
Americathon Big Jim, VP Research
Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo Additional voices
Dallas Sy Stevens Episode: "Ellie Saves the Day"
The Rockford Files John Rockfield Episode: "The Big Cheese"
1981 Diff'rent Strokes Ben Episode: "Drummond's Fair Lady"
1982 The Little Rascals Additional voices Episode: "Rascal's Revenge"
Father Murphy Official Episode: "Happiness Is..."
Knight Rider Announcer Episode: "Slammin' Sammy's Stunt Show Spectacular"
Ri¢hie Ri¢h Additional voices Episode: "Dollar's Exercise"/"Richie's Cube"/"The Maltese Monkey"/"Everybody's Doing It"
Yogi Bear's All Star Comedy Christmas Caper Yakky Doodle Voice, television film
1983 The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show Voice
Shirt Tales Additional voices 10 Episodes
Super Friends Solomon Grundy Voice, episode: "The Revenge of Doom"
1984 Chattanooga Choo Choo Rev. Norbert Puckett Uncredited
Challenge of the GoBots Additional Voices
1985 CBS Storybreak Voice, episode: "Robbut A Tale Of Tails"
Yogi's Treasure Hunt Yakky Doodle, additional voices 2 episodes
1987 Popeye and Son Additional voices 13 episodes
1988 The Wrong Guys Scoutmaster
1988-1991 Fantastic Max Additional voices 3 episodes
1989 It's a Living Billy Lee Lord Episode: "Wedding, Wedding"
1992 Tom & Jerry Kids Show Additional voices Episode: "Penthouse Mouse"/"12 Angry Sheep"/"The Ant Attack"
2015 The 7D Beansie McBean-Bean Voice, episode: "Bing Bong Bean!"; Final role

References

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  1. ^ "Ivy Laverne Shinn". U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940–1947. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  2. ^ "Jimmy Weldon". Dignity Memorial. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  3. ^ Barnes, Mike (July 11, 2023). "Jimmy Weldon, Ventriloquist and Voice of the Cartoon Duck Yakky Doodle, Dies at 99". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  4. ^ Evans, Greg (July 11, 2023). "Jimmy Weldon Dies: Voice Of Hanna-Barbera's Yakky Doodle Duck Was 99". Deadline. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
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