Daws Butler

Charles Dawson Butler (November 16, 1916May 18, 1988), professionally known as Daws Butler, was an American voice actor. He worked mostly for the Hanna-Barbera animation production company, where he originated the voices of many familiar characters, including Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Snagglepuss, Auggie Doggie, Loopy De Loop, Wally Gator, Quick Draw McGraw and Baba Looey, Snooper and Blabber, Hokey Wolf, Elroy Jetson, Peter Potamus, The Funky Phantom and Hair Bear. Early life and career Butler was born on November 16, 1916, in Toledo, Ohio, the only child of Charles Allen Butler (1890-1972) and Ruth Butler (1899-1960). The family later moved from Ohio to Oak Park, Illinois, where Butler became interested in impersonating people. In 1935, Butler began performing as an impressionist, entering multiple amateur contests and winning most of them—not with the intention of showing his talent, but as a personal challenge to overcome his shyness. He subsequently won professional engagements at vaudeville theaters. He then teamed up with fellow performers Jack Lavin and Willard Ovitz, forming the comedy trio The Three Short Waves. They played in theaters, on radio, and in nightclubs, with positive reviews from regional critics and audiences. They dissolved the act in 1941 when Butler joined the U.S. Navy as America entered World War II. He subsequently met his wife-to-be Myrtis at a wartime function near Washington, D.C.