HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks is a
fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...
from the
comic strip A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...
''
Little Orphan Annie ''Little Orphan Annie'' is a daily American comic strip created by Harold Gray and syndicated by the Tribune Media Services. The strip took its name from the 1885 poem "Little Orphant Annie" by James Whitcomb Riley, and it made its debut on Aug ...
''. He made his first appearance in the New York ''Daily News'' in the ''Annie'' strip on September 27, 1924. In the series he is said to be around 52 years of age.


Biography


Childhood

Warbucks was born about 1894, near the fictional small town of Supine. (In Thomas Meehan's 1980 novelisation of his 1977 musical, he was born and brought up in
Hell's Kitchen Hell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton, is a neighborhood on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is considered to be bordered by 34th Street (or 41st Street) to the south, 59th Street to the north, Eighth Avenue to the ea ...
, New York, and is 52 years old as of 1933, thus giving him a birthdate of 1881. In the 1982 film, he says he was born in
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
, England.) His father, a section boss on the railway, was killed when he was a month old. His mother was left with only "gumption" and a house in which she was able to keep boarders. His early youth in Supine involved cornering all the
marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...
s in town at age nine, serving as a messenger for the telegraph company, having a girlfriend named Millie, fishing, swimming and raiding melon patches with Spike Spangle and beating up the son of the banker who planned to
foreclose Foreclosure is a legal process in which a lender attempts to recover the balance of a loan from a borrower who has stopped making payments to the lender by forcing the sale of the asset used as the collateral for the loan. Formally, a mort ...
on his mother's house. Then on June 7, 1905, when he was 11 years old, his mother died at age 30, of
typhoid Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...
. On the night of the funeral he was put on the outbound Limited. Presumably he later spent some time in the city for he and Paddy Cairns were companions together in the old 8th Ward. For a few semesters he attended college, studying
engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
, but found no time for football or girls because he had to work seven nights a week in the local
steel mill A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel. It may be an integrated steel works carrying out all steps of steelmaking from smelting iron ore to rolled product, but may also be a plant where steel semi-finish ...
to pay a debt. His family background and lack of prep school education kept him from entering a
fraternity A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, "wiktionary:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal ...
in his youth. But as an adult, Warbucks joined the
Freemasons Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
and went on to serve as
Worshipful Master In Craft Freemasonry, sometimes known as Blue Lodge Freemasonry, every Masonic lodge elects or appoints Masonic lodge officers to execute the necessary functions of the lodge's life and work. The precise list of such offices may vary between the ...
of a
lodge Lodge is originally a term for a relatively small building, often associated with a larger one. Lodge or The Lodge may refer to: Buildings and structures Specific * The Lodge (Australia), the official Canberra residence of the Prime Ministe ...
.


Career, family, and pursuits

He eventually became foreman in the rolling mill, married Mrs. Warbucks, worked and planned for a family and house of their own. When "Daddy" began to make big money during World War I, the marital happiness was lost, but he retained his identity with the common people. After the war, Warbucks continued as an industrialist, but became a philanthropist as well—his fortune had built to "ten
billion Billion is a word for a large number, and it has two distinct definitions: *1,000,000,000, i.e. one thousand million, or (ten to the ninth power), as defined on the short scale. This is its only current meaning in English. * 1,000,000,000,000, i. ...
dollars". His wife instigated the taking in (no
adoption Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...
ever took place) of Annie while Warbucks was away on a business trip. On his return, he was smitten with Annie and, as her father-figure, offered the girl support as needed. He often intervened in Annie's life during crisis, always returning in time to save the day. During World War II, Warbucks, along with his bodyguards Punjab and The Asp, joined Allied forces. Warbucks became a
three-star general Military star ranking is military terminology, used to describe general and flag officers. Within NATO's armed forces, the stars are equal to OF-6–10. Star ranking One–star A one–star rank is usually the lowest ranking general or flag ...
. He was knighted by the
Queen of the United Kingdom The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiw ...
later in life.


Views

Warbucks was often a platform for cartoonist
Harold Gray Harold Lincoln Gray (January 20, 1894 – May 9, 1968) was an American cartoonist, best known as the creator of the newspaper comic strip ''Little Orphan Annie''. Early life Harold Gray was born in Kankakee, Illinois on January 20, 1894, to Este ...
's political views, which were
free market In economics, a free market is an economic system in which the prices of goods and services are determined by supply and demand expressed by sellers and buyers. Such markets, as modeled, operate without the intervention of government or any o ...
-based, opposing the
New Deal The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...
policies of the Democrats. He sometimes expounded on the need for wealthy men to work hard—lest the masses have no employment. At the same time, capitalists who underpaid or mistreated their workers were portrayed in a negative light, with corrupt businessmen often being shown as villains. In 1944, Gray briefly killed off Warbucks on the grounds that it was widely thought that capitalists were obsolete. Warbucks was resurrected, however, after FDR's death. His portrayal in the 1977 stage musical and subsequent film adaptations differs from this, showing him as an associate of
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
, and embracing the New Deal. The musical (and Meehan's novelization of it) takes steps to reconcile this by explaining that Warbucks is a self-made self-reliant millionaire who prides himself on never asking anyone for help. The depression is eating into his financial empire and, although still a long way from poverty, he is lobbying Roosevelt to take steps to resolve the Depression. Warbucks is fiercely adamant that even this does not constitute asking for help; he lobbies on the basis that "if I'm not making money then no one is." Warbucks is finally forced to abandon his stance and ask Roosevelt for help when he needs to rapidly disprove the claim of "Ralph and Shirley Mudge" to be Annie's parents, which Roosevelt gives without reservation.Annie - An Old Fashioned Story by Thomas Meehan, Macmillan Books 1980 Annie by Thomas Meehan 2014 Puffin Edition on Google Books
/ref>


Portrayals in media

* Film versions of the Annie story appeared in 1932 and 1938. Little Orphan Annie#Broadway and films. In the 1932 version, Warbucks was portrayed by
Edgar Kennedy Edgar Livingston Kennedy (April 26, 1890 – November 9, 1948) was an American comedic character actor who appeared in at least 500 films during the silent and sound eras. Professionally, he was known as "Slow Burn", owing to his ability to por ...
, however the 1938 version omits the character. * In the 1970s, Warbucks became more widely known via the 1977 musical ''
Annie Annie may refer to: People and fictional characters * Annie (given name), a given name and a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Annie (actress) (born 1975), Indian actress * Annie (singer) (born 1977), Norwegian singer The ...
'' on Broadway. These were followed in 1982 by the
musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as breaks ...
''
Annie Annie may refer to: People and fictional characters * Annie (given name), a given name and a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Annie (actress) (born 1975), Indian actress * Annie (singer) (born 1977), Norwegian singer The ...
'', in which Daddy Warbucks was portrayed by
Albert Finney Albert Finney (9 May 1936 – 7 February 2019) was an English actor. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked in the theatre before attaining prominence on screen in the early 1960s, debuting with '' The Entertainer'' (1960) ...
, who had shaved his head to play the role. *
George Hearn George Hearn (born June 18, 1934) is an American actor and singer, primarily in Broadway theatre, Broadway musical theatre. Early years Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Hearn studied philosophy at Southwestern at Memphis, now Rhodes College before ...
also shaved his head when he played the role in the 1995 sequel '' Annie: A Royal Adventure!''. * In Disney's 1999 made-for-TV version, Warbucks is portrayed by
Victor Garber Victor Joseph Garber (born March 16, 1949) is a Canadian-American actor and singer. Known for his work in film, television, and theatre, he has been nominated for three Gemini Awards, four Tony Awards, and six Primetime Emmy Awards. He has also ...
, who (like Finney and Hearn) shaved his head to prepare for his role. * In the 2014 film adaptation, Warbucks' name has been changed to Will Stacks and he is portrayed by
Jamie Foxx Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He became widely known for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the 2004 biographical film ''Ray'', for which he won the A ...
. * Oliver Warbucks appears in the ''
Drawn Together ''Drawn Together'' is an American adult animation, adult animated sitcom created by Dave Jeser and Matt Silverstein and premiered on Comedy Central on October 27, 2004. The series is a parody of ''The Surreal Life'' and follows the misadventures ...
'' episode "Nipple Ring-Ring Goes to Foster Care". Annie warns Foxx that Daddy Warbucks will take out her eyes (a reference to how the characters are depicted without pupils). * The father of antagonist Princess Morbucks from ''
The Powerpuff Girls ''The Powerpuff Girls'' is an American superhero animated television series created by animator Craig McCracken and produced by Hanna-Barbera (later Cartoon Network Studios) for Cartoon Network and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Telev ...
'', referred to only as "Daddy" on-screen but as "King Morbucks" unofficially, would appear to be an amalgamation of Oliver Warbucks and
Ernst Stavro Blofeld Ernst Stavro Blofeld is a fictional character and villain from the James Bond series of novels and films, created by Ian Fleming. A criminal mastermind with aspirations of world domination, he is the archenemy of the British Secret Service agen ...
. His face and head are always hidden from the viewer from the shoulders up, and is usually seen wearing either a business suit or a smoking jacket, along with a lit cigar. Like Warbucks, he has access to a seemingly unlimited amount of money. * In the popular TV show '' Breaking Bad'' (season 1 episode 5), Hank makes a reference to "Daddy" Warbucks being wealthy enough to pay for Walter's cancer treatment. Jesse also makes a passing reference to "Daddy" Warbucks when seeking money from Walter for housing (season 2 episode 4). * Oliver Warbucks appears in the '' Robot Chicken'' episode "Tell My Mom", voiced by
Seth MacFarlane Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, comedian, and singer. He is the creator and star of the television series ''Family Guy'' (since 1999) and ''The Orville'' (since 2017), and co-creator ...
.
Stephen Stanton Stephen Walter Stanton (born August 22, 1961) is an American voice actor and visual effects artist. His roles include Sasha Nein in ''Psychonauts'' and ''Psychonauts 2'', Grand Moff Tarkin in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, Admiral Raddus in ''Rogu ...
voices Oliver Warbucks in the episode "Maurice Was Caught" in the sketch "Annie's Super Sweet 16". * The band
Metric Metric or metrical may refer to: * Metric system, an internationally adopted decimal system of measurement * An adjective indicating relation to measurement in general, or a noun describing a specific type of measurement Mathematics In mathem ...
uses the name of this character in a song titled " Monster Hospital". *
Daniel Bedingfield Daniel John Bedingfield (born 3 December 1979) is a New Zealand-British singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is the eldest brother of fellow singers Natasha Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle. He was a judge on '' The X Factor New Z ...
used the name of this character in his song " James Dean (I Wanna Know)". * In ''
Poolhall Junkies ''Poolhall Junkies'' is a 2002 drama, thriller, and sports film co-written, starring, and directed by Mars Callahan. The film also features Alison Eastwood, Michael Rosenbaum, Rick Schroder, Rod Steiger (in his final film role), Chazz Palmint ...
'', character "Joe" (played by Chazz Palminteri) refers to "Daddy Warbucks" when speaking of Christopher Walken's character "Mike". He is referring to Mike's wealth and ability to cover the main character, Johnny, and his bets on pool games. When offering to up a bet Joe says to Johnny: ''Why don't you speak to Daddy Warbucks and see how much it's worth?'' * The character is referenced in the song "Daddy Warbux" by Anti-Flag on the album ''
Underground Network ''Underground Network'' is Anti-Flag's third studio album, released on Fat Wreck Chords in 2001. Widely considered to be the band's breakthrough album, it helped make Anti-Flag become a household name in the U.S. punk scene with tracks like "Und ...
''. * In the TV show '' Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' (season 2 episode 23), Charles Boyle recalls a screenwriter suing his high school's production of ''Annie'', due to him as "Daddy" Warbucks 'full on making out' with the girl playing Annie, while on stage. * In NBC's 2021 live musical, he was played by Harry Connick Jr. * The character is referenced in the lyrics of
The Diplomats The Diplomats (also known as Dipset) is an American hip hop collective formed in 1997 by childhood friends Cam'ron and Jim Jones in Harlem, New York. The group was originally composed of Cam'ron, Jim Jones and Freekey Zekey, all of whom gre ...
song "I Really Mean It/Phone Skit #1" from their 2003 album
Diplomatic Immunity (The Diplomats album) ''Diplomatic Immunity'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop group the Diplomats, released via The Island Def Jam Music Group, Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records, and Cam'ron's Diplomat Records. Originally scheduled for a March 11, 2003 releas ...
.


References


External links


Annie Comics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Warbucks, Oliver Daddy American comics characters Fictional businesspeople Fictional gentry Fictional philanthropists Fictional lords and ladies Fictional people from Liverpool Fictional immigrants to the United States Fictional lieutenant generals Fictional Republicans (United States) Comics characters introduced in 1924 Male characters in comics Little Orphan Annie