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.
Early life Born Ivy Laverne Shinn on September 23, 1923, in Dale, Texas, 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 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 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 Weldon died at an assisted living residence in Paso Robles, California, on July 6, 2023, at the age of 99.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes1950Webster Webfoot ShowUncle Jimmy1955The Halls of Ivy Episode: "Calhoun Gaddy"Alfred Hitchcock PresentsGuardSeason 1 Episode 7: "Breakdown"1956-1957DragnetHotel Clerk2 episodes1959CartooneroonyUncle Jimmy1961The Phantom PlanetLieutenant Webb1961-1962The Yogi Bear ShowYakky Doodle Voice, 33 episodes1975The WaltonsRailroad ClerkEpisode: "The Runaway"S.W.A.T.Diner OwnerEpisode: "Kill S.W.A.T." The Family HolvakAuctioneerEpisode: "First Love: Part 1"1976The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe Television film1977Fred Flintstone and FriendsYakky-DoodleVoiceThe Oregon TrailLudlowEpisode: "Hard Ride Home"1978Challenge of the SuperfriendsSolomon GrundyVoice, 16 episodes1979B.J. and the BearCrockettEpisode: "Lobo's Revenge"AmericathonBig Jim, VP ResearchScooby-Doo and Scrappy-DooAdditional voicesDallasSy StevensEpisode: "Ellie Saves the Day" The Rockford FilesJohn RockfieldEpisode: "The Big Cheese"1981Diff'rent StrokesBenEpisode: "Drummond's Fair Lady"1982The Little RascalsAdditional voicesEpisode: "Rascal's Revenge" Father MurphyOfficialEpisode: "Happiness Is..."Knight RiderAnnouncerEpisode: "Slammin' Sammy's Stunt Show Spectacular"Ri¢hie Ri¢hAdditional voicesEpisode: "Dollar's Exercise"/"Richie's Cube"/"The Maltese Monkey"/"Everybody's Doing It" Yogi Bear's All Star Comedy Christmas CaperYakky DoodleVoice, television film1983The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo ShowVoiceShirt TalesAdditional voices10 EpisodesSuper FriendsSolomon Grundy Voice, episode: "The Revenge of Doom"1984Chattanooga Choo ChooRev. Norbert PuckettUncreditedChallenge of the GoBotsAdditional Voices1985CBS Storybreak Voice, episode: "Robbut A Tale Of Tails"Yogi's Treasure Hunt Yakky Doodle, additional voices2 episodes1987Popeye and SonAdditional voices13 episodes1988The Wrong GuysScoutmaster1988-1991Fantastic MaxAdditional voices3 episodes1989It's a LivingBilly Lee LordEpisode: "Wedding, Wedding"1992Tom & Jerry Kids ShowAdditional voicesEpisode: "Penthouse Mouse"/"12 Angry Sheep"/"The Ant Attack"2015The 7DBeansie McBean-BeanVoice, episode: "Bing Bong Bean!"; Final role
References
External links
Interview on Stu's Show