Got another Spike Jones clip for you this morning. This one spotlights Doodles Weaver, a very silly comedian and character actor who was a part of Spike's stock company for many years, often performing this assault on "The William Tell Overture." You may also remember Doodles from his occasional appearances on Jack Webb's Dragnet, his three second cameo in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World or his prestigious family ties. He was the brother of Sylvester "Pat" Weaver, who was a major player in early television as the guy in charge of NBC. That means that Doodles was also the uncle of actress Sigourney Weaver.
Me, I remember Doodles because I used to see him at the Silent Movie Theater here in L.A. when I was a frequent patron in the mid-to-late sixties. So was he. He'd arrive before an evening performance, usually on a bicycle which he chained-up outside like it was King Kong and he feared it would break free and go on a rampage. Then he would just wander around and tell jokes to the other folks waiting outside. He was very odd and very funny and it was almost impossible to have any sort of a conversation with the man. Thinking back on him, I am reminded of what David Letterman once said of Andy Kaufman: "When you look into his eyes, you get the feeling that somebody else is driving." Here's Doodles…
