Sylvester Wiere

Biography

Sylvester Wiere was born in Prague, in 1910, into a family having a long tradition in show business. He was the youngest of three brothers. In 1922, at the age of twelve, he and his brothers, Herbert Wiere and Harry 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. Some fans regard Sylvester as the funniest of the three brothers. Each had their own unique comedy personality, but Sylvester often did the most outrageous acrobatics of the three. On an appearance on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967), the three brothers walked across the stage with Herbert in front, Harry in the middle and Sylvester last. As the brothers walked by, Herbert flipped his derby hat in the air over Harry and it landed on Sylvester. Another routine required Sylvester to balance a bass fiddle on his chin. The Wiere Brothers continued to appear in night clubs and regularly on television throughout the fifties and sixties and until 1970. Sylvester Wiere suffered a heart attack and died unexpectedly in July of 1970. 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. Herbert Wiere retired in 1996 and died three years later.