Danny Webb (born David Weberman May 24, 1906 — September 16, 1983), also known professionally as Dave Weber, was an American voice actor, vaudeville comic, and radio/TV comedian.

Early life Webb was born David Weberman on May 24, 1906, in New York City to Herman Weberman, a Hungarian Jewish furrier, and Lena (née Rubin) Weberman. Herman left Budapest and moved to the United States in 1887. He worked as a salesman.

Voice actor The young comedian arrived in Hollywood in 1935, using the professional name Dave Weber. He did celebrity impersonations on the Burns & Allen anniversary show along with doing voice work for a Screen Gems cartoon called Sing Time, where he impersonated Bing Crosby, Rudy Vallee, Eddie Cantor, Andy Devine, and others. He started working for Warner Bros. Cartoons in the mid-1930s and his first cartoon was The Coo-Coo Nut Grove. He also voiced Egghead in Daffy Duck & Egghead, Elmer Fudd in Cinderella Meets Fella (1938) and in Believe It or Else (1939). Weber also did voices for the 1939 Merrie Melodies short A Day at the Zoo.

Weber voiced the Disney character Goofy for four years, after Goofy's traditional voice Pinto Colvig had a falling out with Walt Disney and left the studio temporarily. "After four years, Walt apparently forgave Colvig for he returned to Disney to record Goofy's voice for the next 26 years. (During his absence Goofy was recorded by a Colvig imitator named Danny Webb)"

Actor in Hollywood films Dave Weber's comedic versatility was noticed by Columbia Pictures. In September 1938 Columbia signed him to star in 12 two-reel comedies.Hollywood Reporter, "Col. Features Weber in Series of 12 Shorts", Oct. 1, 1938, p. 4. Columbia changed his professional name from Dave Weber to Danny Webb,Film Daily, "From Weber to Webb", Oct. 4, 1938, p. 7. and his first film was to be Behind the Eight Ball.Daily Variety, "Jules White Arranges New Col. Briefies", Sept. 24, 1938, p. 3. The film was released as A Star Is Shorn (1939), directed by Mack Sennett veteran Del Lord, with Webb as a hot-shot talent agent.Ted Okuda and Edward Watz, The Columbia Comedy Shorts, McFarland, 1986, p. 194. Webb's screen personality resembled that of 1950s star Bobby Van.A Star Is Shorn can be viewed on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGvVVloe_YA. Columnist Erskine Johnson reported, "When Jules White, the producer of the comedy shorts, saw Danny Webb on the screen for the first time, he said: 'That Danny Webb is terrific -- we'll ballyhoo him as another Eddie Buzzell.'"Erskine Johnson (syndicated), Oct. 16, 1938. (Buzzell had appeared in Columbia shorts in the early 1930s before becoming a director.)

Danny Webb's short-subject series was abruptly called off, however, after the one film. Webb was transferred to Columbia's Community Sing seriesHollywood Reporter, "Webb Sing Series Lead", Jan. 13, 1939, p. 3. -- also directed by Del Lord that season -- where Webb made comic remarks between vocals by the King Sisters. While at Columbia he was scheduled to work with action star Jack Holt in Wreckage,Edwin Schallert, Los Angeles Times, Oct. 22, 1938, p. A7. (released as Flight into Nowhere), but Webb does not appear in the finished film.

Webb left Columbia for industrial-film producer Wilding Pictures, where he worked on promotional films for Chrysler automobiles,Motion Picture Daily, Jan. 6, 1939. p. 5. and then joined Warner Bros. as an actor.Daily Variety, May 12, 1939, p. 2.

Return to voice work Webb returned to Columbia to provide voices for its animated cartoons, and continued to work behind the scenes in Hollywood, offering his trick voices in feature films like Universal's Sing Another Chorus and Hellzapoppin' (both 1941). Also in 1941, after Mel Blanc signed a contract with Leon Schlesinger in which he exclusively did voice work for Warner Bros., Webb became the first person to succeed Blanc as the voice of Woody Woodpecker for Walter Lantz Productions. He only partially voiced the character in Pantry Panic, which also contained a few spoken lines Blanc had recorded prior to leaving the Lantz studio, before Webb enlisted in the army and was succeeded by Kent Rogers (sources claiming that Ben Hardaway was the first person to succeed Blanc as Woody's voice are incorrect, as Hardaway would not voice the character until The Barber of Seville in 1944).

Webb enlisted in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, worked his way up to staff sergeant, and entertained troops in North Africa. Dwight D. Eisenhower was sufficiently impressed by his technique to call him a "Comedy Commando", a tag which stuck for several years after World War II had ended. Webb later returned to radio, became the voice of Sad Sack, and hosted the quiz show "Guess Who" starting May 11, 1945, replacing Peter Donald.Variety, "Danny Webb Vice Donald on 'Guess Who' Quizzer", Apr. 24, 1945, p. 24.

Television Danny Webb joined local New York television station WPIX-TV in 1949 as a children's entertainer. He co-starred with Toby Sommers on Comics on Parade -- the "comics" referring not to comedians but to newspaper comics. "Uncle" Danny Webb and Toby Sommers would read comic strips on the air on this seven-days-a week, 15-minute program.Wallace A. Ross, Ross Reports on Television, Sept. 11, 1949, p. 23. Webb followed this with another limited-run kids' show, Small Time. During 1950 Webb was also "The Little Professor", commercial spokesman for Dr. Posner's Shoes, seen during broadcasts of WPIX's Six-Gun Playhouse.Sponsor, Sept. 25, 1950, p. 55. On December 9, 1950 Webb debuted as the emcee of a juvenile amateur show, Junior Talent Time.

Danny Webb and Toby Sommers were reteamed on April 21, 1951 in The Danny Webb Show, a Saturday-morning comedy series starring Webb as an Army private opposite Sommers as a USO hostess.Wallace A. Ross, Ross Reports on Television, Apr. 15-21, 1951, p. 2. The 15-minute programs were aired by WPIX until June 16, 1951.

Webb remained in television behind the scenes. In 1957 he joined NBC's Wide Wide World as an assistant producer, alongside producer-director Ed PierceNBC Trade Releases, Nov. 20, 1963, p. 2. and unit manager Ed Faught. It turned out, as Variety reported, that all three were former vaudevillians who "worked the same bill together at the Metropolitan in Boston 15 years ago",Variety, Mar. 13, 1957, p. 22. where Webb was the emcee and comedian. Webb remained with NBC as an assistant producer (and later production supervisor) for other programs, like the network's annual broadcasts of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.NBC Trade Releases, Nov. 20, 1961, p. 6.

Death Danny Webb died on September 16, 1983, according to The New York Times; he was 77. He died of Parkinson's disease.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1936 The Coo-Coo Nut Grove Walter Windpipe Voice, uncredited1937Porky's Duck HuntJoe PennerVoice, uncredited Clean Pastures Various Voice, uncredited Porky's Super Service Voice, uncredited Egghead Rides Again Egghead Voice, uncredited Plenty of Money and You Voice, uncredited September in the Rain Various Voice, uncredited 1938 Daffy Duck & Egghead Egghead Voice, uncredited Yokel Boy Makes Good Snuffy Skunk Voice, uncredited Poor Elmer Voice, uncredited Boy Meets Dog Typewriting Elf Voice, uncredited The Big Birdcast Joe Penner Bird Voice, uncredited Katnip Kollege Voice, uncredited Cinderella Meets Fella Elmer Fudd Voice, uncredited A-Lad-In Bagdad Egghead Voice, uncredited Pals of the Saddle Russian Musician as Dave Weber Porky in Wackyland Voice, uncredited Porky in Egypt Humpty Bumpty Voice, uncredited You're an Education Voice, uncredited Count Me Out Egghead Voice, uncredited The Disobedient Mouse Voice, uncredited Mother Goose Goes Hollywood Eddie Cantor, Charlie McCarthy, Joe Penner, Edward G. Robinson, Fats Waller, Stepin Fetchit Voice, uncredited 1939 The Lone Stranger and Porky Indian in Mirror Voice, uncredited It's an Ill Wind Mysterious Voice Voice, uncredited Jitterbug Follies Tough Guy Voice, uncredited A Day at the Zoo Second Elk, Owl, Parrot, Second Panther, Jailbird Voice, uncredited Porky's Movie Mystery Police Chief Voice, uncredited Goofy and Wilbur Goofy Voice, uncredited Chicken Jitters Fox Voice, uncredited The House That Jack Built Bear, Boss Termite Voice, uncredited A Star Is Shorn Speedy Williams Starring role in two-reel comedy Bars and Stripes Forever Prison Guard, Other Prisoners Voice, uncredited Thugs with Dirty Mugs Killer Diller Voice, uncredited Songs of Romance (Community Sing No. 10)The Exhibitor, June 14, 1939, p. 332. Himself Master of ceremonies in King Sisters musical Believe It or Else Elmer Fudd, Old Man in Jail, Chippofoski Voice, uncredited Snuffy's Party Mr. Whippletree Voice, uncredited Life Begins for Andy Panda Mr. Whippletree, Finchell Broadcasting Station, Pygmies Voice, uncredited Naughty Neighbors Duck Voice, uncredited Pied Piper Porky Mouse Voice, uncredited Fresh Fish Fish Teacher Voice, uncredited Scrambled Eggs Various Voice, uncredited Laugh It Off Indian Wahoon in Production Number Uncredited 1940 Porky's Last Stand Various Voice, uncredited Andy Panda Goes Fishing Mr. Whippletree, Pygmies Voice, uncredited The Mouse Exterminator Krazy Kat Voice, uncredited Slap-Happy Pappy Andy Devine Chicken, Ned Sparks Chicken, Walter Winchell Bird Voice, uncredited 100 Pygmies and Andy Panda Mr. Whippletree, Pygmies Voice, uncredited Tugboat Mickey Goofy Voice, uncredited Billposters Goofy Voice, uncredited Barnyard Babies Various Voice, uncredited News Oddities Various Voice, uncredited Tangled Television Various Voice, uncredited Mr. Elephant Goes to Town Various Voice, uncredited It Happened to Crusoe Various Voice, uncredited Malibu Beach Party Ned Sparks, Most Male Actors Voice, uncredited Crazy House Mysterious Voice Voice, uncredited Goofy's Glider Goofy Voice, uncredited 1941 City of Missing Girls William Short Baggage Buster Goofy Voice, uncredited Woody Woodpecker Owl Voice, uncredited Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company "B" Drill Sergeant Voice, uncredited Sing Another Chorus Imitator Uncredited Pantry Panic Woody Woodpecker, Korny Kat, Moose Voice, uncredited; shared the role with Mel Blanc and Kent Rogers. Hellzapoppin' "Calling all devils" bass voice Voice, uncredited 1942 Old Blackout Joe Air Raid Warden Voice, uncredited 1952 Magical Maestro Blackface singer, bass voice Voice, uncredited

Radio Year Title Role Notes 1936 The Baker's Broadcast Himself Episode: "The Old Joe"

References

External links Danny Webb in A Star Is Shorn (1939) on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGvVVloe_YA