Daws Butler

Daws Butler (1916 - 1988) was a prolific voice actor, puppeteer, and occasional writer; along with Mel Blanc and Paul Frees, he was one of the leading cartoon voice actors for four decades, particularly known for his work with Hanna-Barbera. Butler began his vocal career as an impressionist, and after a tour of duty in the Naval Reserves during WWII, he slowly began establishing himself as an radio actor, on such series as The Whistler and Family Theater.

In 1946, he auditioned for MGM diurector Tex Avery and landes his first cartoon role, as the country wolf in Little Rural Riding Hood. He was subsequently heard as Spike the bulldog in the Tom and Jerry entries and a Southern-accented wolf (who would eventually develop into Huckleberry Hound). In the early television era, he collaborated with Stan Freberg on Bob Clampett's puppet series Time for Beany in 1949, as the voice and puppeteer of Beany Boy, Professor X, and others. He continued to work with Freberg in radio, first on the sitcom That's Rich and then as co-star and writer of the sketch series The Stan Freberg Show in 1957, where he essayed such roles as the interpreter for a tuned sheep orchestra (predating Marvin Suggs' Muppaphone) and an over-anxious censor. Butler and Freberg's collaboration continued in several records.

Butler's cartoon voice career continued. For the Warner Brothers Looney Tunes, he was heard as The Honeymousers and in various bit roles, and for Walter Lantz, he was several of Woody Woodpecker's antagonists as well as Chilly Willy. He truly made his mark in the television era, playing most of the stars of Hanna-Barbera's animated series: Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, Quickdraw McGraw, Dixie and Mr. Jinks, Elroy (on The Jetsons), Augie Doggie, Hokey Wolf, and Peter Potamus, amongst others. His other TV voice work included Aesop Jr. and various prissy princes on The Bullwinkle Show. Like many other prominent voice actors, he also lent his talents to animated inserts on Sesame Street.