Bert Wheeler
| Bert Wheeler | |
|---|---|
 Dressed in white tie and tails, Bert Wheeler (left) and Robert Woolsey (right) stand and smile for a publicity photo. An inscription appears in the top left corner. | |
| Born |
April 7, 1895 Paterson, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died |
January 18, 1968 (aged 72) New York City, U.S. |
| Nationality | United States |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1929-1962 |
| Known for | Wheeler & Woolsey |
| Spouse(s) |
Margaret Grae (1915-1926) (divorced) Bernice Wheeler (1928-1936) (divorced) (1 child) Sally Haines (1937-1939) (divorced) Patsy Orr (1952-1956) (divorced) Olga Desmondae Rieman (1951-1966) (her death) |
| Children | Patricia Anne Wheeler (1936-1968) |
Albert Jerome "Bert" Wheeler (April 7, 1895 – January 18, 1968) was an American comedian who performed in Broadway theatre, American comedy feature films, and vaudeville acts. He was the comedy partner of Robert Woolsey, and together they formed a successful double act called Wheeler & Woolsey.[1]
Biography
Wheeler was born in Paterson, New Jersey on April 7, 1895.[1]
He worked with Robert Woolsey on Broadway until their film debut in 1929, Rio Rita, established them in the Hollywood film industry.[1][2]
In the early 1940s, after Robert Woolsey had died, Bert Wheeler struggled to restart his career. Their friend and former film costar Dorothy Lee agreed to tour with him in a vaudeville act. He also worked on radio on programs starring Frank Sinatra.[3]
He continued to work off and on through the 1960s. His later appearances were mostly on American television; his last theatrical films were two slapstick short films for Columbia Pictures, filmed in 1950 and produced by Jules White. In 1955 Wheeler co-starred with Keith Larsen in the CBS western series Brave Eagle; Wheeler played the "half-breed" Smokey Joe, known for his tall tales and tribal wisdom.
Bert Wheeler died of emphysema in New York City on January 18, 1968.[1]
Filmography
(As per the AFI database)[4]
| Film title | Year | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Captain Fly-by-Night | 1922 | Governor |
| Rio Rita | 1929 | Chick |
| Dixiana | 1930 | Peewee |
| The Cuckoos | 1930 | Sparrow |
| Half Shot at Sunrise | 1930 | Tommy Turner |
| Hook, Line and Sinker | 1930 | Wilbur Boswell |
| Caught Plastered | 1931 | Tommy Tanner |
| Too Many Cooks | 1931 | Albert Bennett |
| Peach-O-Reno | 1931 | Wattles |
| Cracked Nuts | 1931 | Wendell Graham |
| Hold 'Em Jail | 1932 | Curly Harris |
| Girl Crazy | 1932 | Jimmy Deegan |
| Diplomaniacs | 1933 | Willy Nilly |
| So This Is Africa | 1933 | Wilbur Wheeler |
| Kentucky Kernels | 1934 | Willie Doyle |
| Hips, Hips, Hooray! | 1934 | Andy Williams |
| Cockeyed Cavaliers | 1934 | Bert |
| The Nitwits | 1935 | Johnny |
| The Rainmakers | 1935 | Billy |
| Silly Billies | 1936 | Roy Banks |
| Mummy's Boys | 1936 | Stanley Wright |
| On Again--Off Again | 1937 | William "Willy" Hobbs |
| High Flyers | 1937 | Jerry Lane |
| The Cowboy Quarterback | 1939 | Harry Lynn |
| Las Vegas Nights | 1941 | Stu Grant |
Marriages
Wheeler was married five times, his longest marriage was with Olga Desmondae Rieman, a former vaudevillian singer.[5] His only child, with Speer, was Patricia Anne Wheeler, who died of cancer, the same year as her father.[6]
- Margaret Grae (m. 27 April 1915 to 15 November 1926) divorced.
- Bernice Speer (m. 15 April 1928 to 19 February 1936) divorced, they had 1 child.[7]
- Sally Haines (m. 26 February 1937 to 1939) divorced.[8]
- Patsy Orr (c1940 to c1950) divorced.
- Olga Desmondae Rieman (m. 1951 - 8 August 1966) to her death.
Dvd Releases
Nine of Wheeler's 21 movies were released in a DVD collection entitled "Wheeler & Woolsey: RKO Comedy Classics Collection" in March 2013 by Warner Archive.[9]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Bert Wheeler, Vaudeville Comic With Rubbery Face, Dead at 72. His Over 50-Year Career in Show Business Spanned Films, the Follies and TV". New York Times. January 18, 1968. Retrieved 2015-01-04.
- ↑ Mardaunt Hall (October 7, 1929). "Rio Rita (1929)". New York Times. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
The acting is uniformly capable. Robert Woolsey is excellent as the fast-talking, deep-voiced, narrow-shouldered Lovett. Bert Wheeler does exceedingly well as Chick Bean.
- ↑ "Swing Shift". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. October 7, 1943. p. 15. Retrieved July 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Bert Wheeler". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
- ↑ Anderson, John C. "Olga Desmondae "Des" Rieman Wheeler (1899- 1966) Find A Grave Memorial". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
- ↑ Bert Wheeler at the Internet Movie Database
- ↑ "Bert Wheeler Is Divorced.". New York Times. February 20, 1936. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
Mrs. Bernice S. Wheeler won an interlocutory divorce today from Bert Wheeler, screen comic, after testifying that his actions saddened her. 'He said he didn't want to live with me,' she testified. Custody of the couple's daughter, Patricia, was granted to Mrs. Wheeler. ...
- ↑ "Wife Sues Bert Wheeler". New York Times. May 13, 1939. Retrieved 2015-01-04.
Bert Wheeler ... was sued for divorce today by Sally Haines ... The Wheelers married in Beverly Hills Feb. 26, 1937, and separated April 20, 1939
- ↑ Kehr, Dave (2 March 2013). "DVD Ribaldry Before the Code". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
External links
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