Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Der Fuehrer's Face
From:
Gene
Date: 04 Nov 07 - 03:08 AM
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doodles_Weaver
I thought for years Weaver was singing "Beetle Bomb". I never had a recording of it, til years later - just heard it on the radio or jukebox.
Doodles Weaver Television screen-shot Winstead Sheffield "Doodles" Weaver (May 11, 1911 – January 17, 1983) was an American comedian. He was the brother of NBC-TV executive Sylvester "Pat" Weaver and the uncle of actress Sigourney Weaver.
Born in Los Angeles, Weaver attended Stanford University, where he was a member of the Stanford Chaparral. In the 1940's he was a prominent member of Spike Jones' band The City Slickers.
He is well remembered for his routine of a frantic and corny call of a horse race ("William Tell Overture", vide infra): "It's Girdle in the stretch! Locomotive is on the rail! Apartment House is second with plenty of room! It's Cabbage by a head!" and so on, segueing into an impression of the gravelly-voiced Clem McCarthy who forgets whether he's covering a horse race or a boxing
The race features an apparent nag called "Feitlebaum", who begins at long odds, runs almost the entire race a distant last, and suddenly emerges as the winner. Weaver also portrayed a character in the Jones troupe called "Professor Feitlebaum". That name rhymed with, and was often mistaken for, "Beetlebaum".
After his days with The City Slickers, Weaver hosted humorous children-oriented TV shows, and played eccentric characters in various guest appearances on other shows and in films.
Weaver recorded a novelty version of the Beatles song "Eleanor Rigby", singing, mixing up the words, insulting and interrupting , while playing the piano, and getting booed, as well as injuring his hand, in 1966.
He appeared in a handful of "Dragnet 1967" and "Dragnet 1968" episodes playing various bit parts.
Weaver had a lifelong battle with alcoholism and faced declining health in his later years. He committed suicide by gunshot at age 72.
The antics of Doodles and "Feitlebaum" are also to be found on the cited "Best of..." album.
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sj
