Jimmy Weldon

Jimmy on Television

Reel Cowboy Jimmy Weldon, was born December 23, 1923, and began his professional career as a disc jockey at KWCO in Chickasha, Oklahoma from 1946 until 1950. Also in 1950 Jimmy became a true TV pioneer by developing, writing and staring in the first TV show for children on WFAA in Dallas, Texas!  He debuted as 'Uncle Jimmy' on “The Webster Webfoot Show”.

Webster Webfoot, Jimmy's partner is a sassy, talkative duck with an unmistakable 'baby-quacky' voice who wore a Cub Scout 'Webelo' cap and yellow bandanna and was only three years old!  Jimmy provided the totally adorable voice for the character, originally developed for his radio show in 1946 and now for TV, manipulated Webster's beak and body movements as he perched on Uncle Jimmy's knee.

In 1952, Jimmy and Webster moved “the franchise” to Hollywood, California and kept his puppet partner ever-ready when opportunities arose. Meanwhile Jimmy fine tuned his acting skills and appeared in numerous TV episodes and films. Jimmy the actor appeared on Dragnet, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Waltons, Dallas, BJ and the Bear and Diff'rent Strokes among many others. He also continued his voice-over work for various television shows and cartoons.

In 1954-55 Webster and Jimmy appeared on “Funny Boners” on NBC, a game show for children broadcast from Hollywood. In 1959, he and Webster returned as the new hosts of 'Hi, Mom' on NBC affiliate WRCA-TV when original host, puppeteer/ventriloquist Shari Lewis departed.  The show became known as “Cartooneroony”. Eventually Jimmy and Webster would continue performing their act on KJEO-TV Channel 47 in Fresno throughout the 1960s.

When asked how old he was, Webster (born February 31st) replied,

 "I'm only three...but I'm tough!"

But the role Jimmy is best known for is the voice of Yakky Doodle Duck for the Hanna-Barbera cartoon “The Yogi Bear Show”, the animated hit series.  Yakky's voice, of course, was a slight variation of Webster's trademark brand of cuteness, reinvented for a national audience!

Trivia notes:  Yakky Doodle originally aired on an episode of “The Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy” segment of “The Quick Draw McGraw Show” another Hanna-Barbera animated hit series in 1959. And way back in 1950, there was another similar duckling character, also voiced by Jimmy, who appeared in a number of the “Tom and Jerry” cartoons, most notably, “Little Quacker” (January 7th,1950).

And from 1960 to '62 Yakky had his own 'spin-off' show, "The Yakky Doodle Duck Show", produced by Hanna-Barbera.  Yakky's main antagonist was Fibber Fox, voiced by Daws Butler (the voice of Huckleberry Hound and Cap'n Crunch and many others). Butler was also the voice of Alfy Gator, a second-string villain in the Yakky series. As a plausible way to keep Yakky from getting eaten every time he appeared, they gave him his pal and protector, Chopper, a friendly but formidable bulldog, with a 'Wallace Beery style delivery' voiced by Vance Colvig (son of pioneer voice master Pinto Colvig, the voice of Disney's Goofy).

But our own Jimmy Weldon, a best selling author with his motivational book, “Go Get 'Em Tiger!” which has sold over 30,000 copies through his website, www.jimmyweldon.com has been a guest motivational speaker for over 35 years!

Recently, at a large gathering of The Reel Cowboys, attending our weekly club breakfast, members and guests were extremely fortunate to witness Jimmy's original one-man oration, “The Story of The Star Spangled Banner”!  It was a truly an event  that made the little hairs on the back of necks stand out, produced lumps in throats and patriotic tears of all in attendance!  Such is the genius of Jimmy's mastery of language and indelible communication skills!  Go Get 'Em Jimmy!!!

Biography written by Danny “Ramblin' Jack” O'Connell