One third of the hillbilly act Weaver Brothers and Elviry, Leon Weaver's music instrument of choice was the saw, which the Okie group helped popularize. Beginning with Down in Arkansaw (1938), the act parlayed their Grand Ole Opry success into a lucrative contract with Republic Pictures, the foremost purveyor of folksy entertainment, appearing in a total of 11 popular hillbilly comedies for the company. Leon Weaver was Abner, with brother Frank playing Cicero, sister-in-law June Weaver as Elviry, and niece Loretta Weaver as the ingénue, Violey. The group attracted the same audiences as Republic Pictures' hayseed comedienne Judy Canova.
Leon Weaver
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