Bert Wheeler


Albert Jerome "Bert" Wheeler 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.

Biography

Wheeler was born in Paterson, New Jersey on April 7, 1895.
He worked with Robert Woolsey on Broadway until their film debut in 1929, Rio Rita, established them in the Hollywood film industry.
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.
He continued to work off and on through the 1960s. In 1950 he appeared with Jackie Gleason on the early TV variety hour Cavalcade of Stars. His last theatrical films were two slapstick short films for Columbia Pictures, filmed in 1950 and produced by Jules White. He also kept up a busy schedule of live performances in nightclubs and on the legitimate stage, in such plays as Harvey and Three Wishes for Jamie. 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.

Filmography

TitleYearRoleNotes
Captain Fly-by-Night1922Governor
Rio Rita1929Chick Bean
Dixiana1930Peewee
The Cuckoos1930Sparrow
Half Shot at Sunrise1930Tommy Turner
Hook, Line and Sinker1930Wilbur Boswell
Caught Plastered1931Tommy Tanner
Too Many Cooks1931Albert Bennett
Peach-O-Reno1931Wattles
Cracked Nuts1931Wendell Graham
Hold 'Em Jail1932Curly Harris
Girl Crazy1932Jimmy Deegan
Diplomaniacs1933Willy Nilly
So This Is Africa1933Wilbur Wheeler
Kentucky Kernels1934Willie Doyle
Hips, Hips, Hooray!1934Andy Williams
Cockeyed Cavaliers1934Bert Winstanley
The Nitwits1935Johnny
The Rainmakers1935Billy
Silly Billies1936Roy Banks
Mummy's Boys1936Stanley Wright
On Again-Off Again1937William "Willy" Hobbs
High Flyers1937Jerry Lane
The Cowboy Quarterback1939Harry Lynn
Las Vegas Nights1941Stu Grant

Marriages

Wheeler was married five times. His only child, with Speer, was Patricia Anne Wheeler.
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.