Herbert Wiere

Biography

Herbert Wiere was born in Vienna in 1909 into a family having a long tradition in show business. In 1922, he and his brothers, Harry Wiere and Sylvester Wiere, formed The Wiere Brothers comedy act and began performing in theatres and on stages. They came to America for the first time in 1935 and remained in 1937. The Wiere Bros. were an exceptionally talented comedy team having the ability to play numerous instruments, sing, dance and perform acrobatics, while being extremely funny in the process. Their act was a headliner on the theatre and night club circuit and, in films, they are very funny, but unfortunately were not used very frequently. Their first film appearance was in Vogues of 1938 (1937). Two of their film appearances in 1943, Swing Shift Maisie (1943) and Hands Across the Border (1943), both claim to "introduce the Wiere Brothers" to American audiences. Their dancing and music routine is probably best captured on film in Road to Rio (1947), starring Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. Their last film appearance was in Double Trouble (1967), starring Elvis Presley. In 1960, CBS commissioned thirteen episodes of a television series starring The Wiere Brothers. The series, Oh! Those Bells (1962), was initially directed by former "Three Stooges" director Jules White. The show aired in the Summer of 1962 and was not renewed after its first season. The Wiere Brothers continued to appear in night clubs and regularly on television throughout the fifties, sixties and until 1970, when Sylvester Wiere died. After Sylvester's death, Harry and Herbert went into semi-retirement, but continued to work occasionally in television and on stage. In January of 1992, Harry Wiere died. As of 1996, Herbert Wiere semi-retired and died three years later.