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Hugh Herbert

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Comedian

The Resume

    (August 10, 1884-March 12, 1952)
    Born in Binghamton, New York
    Birth name is Hugh Francis Herbert
    Vaudevillian stage performer and playwright
    Wrote over 150 plays and vaudeville sketches
    Star of the popular Vaudeville stage production, 'Oh, Brother!'
    Featured on the popular radio show, 'That's My Pop'
    Co-wrote the screenplays for the films 'Lights of New York,' 'Second Wife,' and 'The Great Gabbo'
    Acted in 'Danger Lights,' 'Footlight Parade,' 'Bureau of Missing Persons,' 'Fog Over Frisco,' 'Fashions of 1934,' 'Midsummer Night's Dream,' 'We're in the Money,' 'Colleen,' 'Gold Diggers of 1935,' 'The Great Waltz,' 'Eternally Yours,' 'The Black Cat,' 'Kismet,' 'Music for Millions,' 'Hellzapoppin,' 'A Song is Born,' and 'Woo Woo Blues'
    Trademark catch phrases were 'woo-woo!' and 'hoo-hoo-hoo, wonderful, wonderful, hoo hoo hoo!'

Why he might be annoying:

    He was nicknamed 'the Woo Woo Man.'
    His birthdate was variously listed as 1884, 1885, and 1887.
    He was typecast as zany, eccentric millionaires and tycoons.
    His trademark was making fluttery gestures with his fingers.
    Various studios tried to make him into their answer to W.C. Fields.
    His wife's stage name led biographers to believe that he had been married twice.
    His original catchphrase was 'hoo hoo' but it was imitated incorrectly as 'woo woo' so often that he ended up using it too.
    He is frequently confused with the screenwriter, F. Hugh Herbert (although a name like that would LEND itself to comedy).
    He had an extensive decades-long career on stage and film, but is now only remembered for being caricatured in Tex Avery, Disney, and Looney Tunes cartoons.
    He brought his wife breakfast in bed every morning for 25 years. One morning she said ‘does it ever occur to you that I might like tea instead of coffee?’ Herbert flipped, yelling ’tea?!' and hurled the tray to the floor. He never brought her breakfast again.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He inspired the Etta Candy character in the Wonder Woman comic strips.
    He had excellent chemistry with Edna May Oliver and Dudley Dickerson in his early films.
    He was Studio City's Mayor, Chamber of Commerce President, and Chief Newspaper Columnist.
    Curly Howard ripped off his 'woo-woo' catchphrase during his stint with Three Stooges.
    He made a surprise appearance in drag on a live episode of the Spike Jones Show.
    One of his first film jobs was as a 'talker' - standing behind the screen of silent films and speaking the actors' parts.
    He was the original inspiration for the 'Daffy Duck' character (who was originally even crazier than Bugs Bunny).
    His wife traveled to Texas and left him a Dear John letter after 27 years of marriage, divorcing him three years later.
    He willed his $200,000 estate to the motion picture relief fund.
    He probably would have been a huge success on television had he lived even five years more.
    He portrayed Jewish characters so often on the Vaudeville stage that he was incorrectly identified as one for years (although his wife was Jewish).
    On the confusion, he said 'I have found it almost impossible to prove to people that I am not Hebrew... It’s a good religion and were I born a Jew I certainly wouldn’t deny being one.'

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 136 Votes: 53.68% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 6 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 10 Votes: 30.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 19 Votes: 42.11% Annoying