Danny Webb (American actor)
David "Danny" Weberman (May 24, 1906 — September 16, 1983)[2] was an American actor, voice actor, radio mimic and impressionist.
Danny Webb | |
|---|---|
| Born | David Weberman May 24, 1906 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | September 16, 1983 (aged 77) Far Rockaway, Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Dave Weber, Dave Webber.[1] |
| Occupation | Actor, voice actor, impressionist |
| Years active | 1935–1951 |
Early life
Webb was born 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 and worked as a salesman.[2]
Career
When Webb arrived in Hollywood, he was using the 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.[2] He started working for Warner Bros. in the mid-1930s and his first cartoon was The Coo-Coo Nut Grove. He also voiced Egghead in Daffy Duck & Egghead and did voices for the 1939 Merrie Melodies short A Day at the Zoo.
Webb, for a brief time, voiced the Disney character Goofy after Pinto Colvig had a falling out with Walt Disney and left the studio.[3][4]
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. He voiced the character for two shorts until he enlisted in the army and was succeeded by Kent Rogers.
Webb enlisted in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, worked his way up to staff sergeant and ended up entertaining troops in North Africa. Dwight D. Eisenhower was sufficiently impressed by his technique to deem him as 'Comedy Commando', a tag which stuck around for several years after World War 2 had ended. Webb later returned to radio, became the voice of Sad Sack, hosted the quiz show "Guess Who" and then had a minor career on local television sometime after 1951.[2]
Death
Webb died in September 16th, 1983 according to The New York Times, he was 77. He died of Parkinson's disease.[2]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | The Coo-Coo Nut Grove | Walter Windpipe | Voice, uncredited |
| 1937 | Clean Pastures | Various | Voice, uncredited |
| Porky's Super Service | [5] | Voice, uncredited | |
| Egghead Rides Again | Egghead | Voice, uncredited | |
| Plenty of Money and You | [5] | Voice, uncredited | |
| September in the Rain | Various | Voice, uncredited | |
| 1938 | Daffy Duck & Egghead | Egghead | Voice, uncredited |
| Yokel Boy Makes Good | Snuffy Skunk[6] | Voice, uncredited | |
| Poor Elmer | Voice, uncredited | ||
| Boy Meets Dog | Typewriting Elf[6] | Voice, uncredited | |
| The Big Birdcast | Joe Penner Bird[6] | Voice, uncredited | |
| Katnip Kollege | [5] | Voice, uncredited | |
| Cinderella Meets Fella | Egghead | 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 | [5] | Voice, uncredited | |
| Count Me Out | Egghead | Voice, uncredited | |
| The Disobedient Mouse | [5] | Voice, uncredited | |
| Mother Goose Goes Hollywood | Eddie Cantor, Charlie McCarthy, Joe Penner, Edward G. Robinson, Fats Waller, Stepin Fetchit[7] | 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 | ||
| Bars and Stripes Forever | Prison Guard, Other Prisoners | Voice, uncredited | |
| Thugs with Dirty Mugs | Killer Diller | Voice, uncredited | |
| Swingy: Community Sing No. 10 | Himself | ||
| Believe It or Else | Egghead, Old Man in Jail, Chippofoski | Voice, uncredited | |
| Snuffy's Party | Mr. Whippletree[5] | Voice, uncredited | |
| Life Begins for Andy Panda | Mr. Whippletree, Finchell Broadcasting Station, Pygmies[8] | 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[5] | 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 | |
| All This and Rabbit Stew | Black Hunter[5] | Voice, uncredited | |
| Sing Another Chorus | Imitator | Uncredited | |
| Pantry Panic | Woody Woodpecker, Korny Kat, Moose | Voice, uncredited | |
| 1942 | The Hollywood Matador | Woody Woodpecker, Oxnar the Terrible Bull | Voice, uncredited |
| Old Blackout Joe | Air Raid Warden | Voice, uncredited | |
| 1943 | Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs | Queen | Voice, uncredited |
Radio
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | The Baker's Broadcast | Himself[6] | Episode: "The Old Joe" |
References
- Kress, Earl. "Great Scott!". MyNameIsEarlKress.com. Archived from the original on November 30, 2006. Retrieved April 9, 2015. As per Keith Scott, who gave Webb's birth name of Dave Webber, and Mark Evanier, who gave it as "Dave Weber".
- "Tralfaz: Danny Webb". Tralfaz. 20 September 2014. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
- Paper dreams : the art & artists of Disney storyboards (1st ed.). Hyperion. 20 October 1999. ISBN 978-0786863075.
- Canemaker, John (2006). Paper Dreams: The Art And Artists Of Disney Storyboards. Disney Edition. p. 86. ISBN 978-0786863075. "After four years, Walt apparently forgave Colvig for he returned to Disney to record Goofy's voice for the next twenty-six years. (During his absence Goofy was recorded by a Colvig imitator named Danny Webb)"
- Ohmart, Ben (2012). Mel Blanc: The Man of a Thousand Voices. BearManor Media. ISBN 978-1-5939-3788-1.
- "Radio Round-Up: "Wanna Buy A Duck?" JOE PENNER |". cartoonresearch.com. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
- Merritt, Russell; Kaufman, J. B. (2016). Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series (2nd ed.). Glendale, CA: Disney Editions. pp. 206–207. ISBN 978-1-4847-5132-9.
- "Tralfaz: Surprising a Turtle". Tralfaz. 9 March 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
External links
- Danny Webb on IMDb