Ding Dong Williams is a fictional character created by author Richard English and the title of a 1946 musical comedy film produced by RKO Radio Pictures.
The character originally appeared in a series of short stories published in Collier's magazine during the late 1930s and early 1940s. Ding Dong Williams is portrayed as a highly talented "swing" clarinetist who possesses a natural, intuitive gift for music despite being unable to read or write musical notation.
In the 1946 film adaptation, directed by William Berke, the role of Ding Dong Williams was played by actor Glenn Vernon. The plot follows a movie studio's attempt to hire Williams to compose a "blue" concerto for a prestigious film project. Due to his inability to read music, a classically trained musician (played by Marcy McGuire) is tasked with transcribing his improvisations. The film serves as a vehicle for various musical performances, blending classical themes with contemporary swing arrangements typical of the era.
The character is often cited in discussions of 1940s American pop culture as a representation of the "natural" jazz musician, contrasting formal academic musicology with the improvisational spirit of the swing era.