Dewey Barto
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Born Name:
Steward Stephen Swoyer
Born Date: June 10, 1896
Born Place: Reading, Pennsylvania
Died Date: January 31, 1973
Died Place: Beverly Hills, California
Occupations: Comedian, acrobat
Brief Biography: Dewey Barto was a famous American vaudevillian and acrobatic dancer, best known as one-half of the comedic duo Barto and Mann. He is also widely recognized as the father of actress and comedian Nancy Walker.
Early Life & Career:
Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, Barto grew up in a family of circus performers; his father was an acrobat and his sisters were trapeze artists.
The Hectic Hoofer: Before his major fame, Barto performed solo as a dancer known as "The Hectic Hoofer" and worked with various acrobatic teams like The Three Bartos.
Barto and Mann: In the late 1920s, he teamed up with George Mann (who stood 6'6" to Barto's 4'11"). Their act, known for its physical comedy and height disparity, became a headline attraction in vaudeville and appeared in the Broadway hit Hellzapoppin from 1938 to 1943.
Nancy Walker (born Anna Myrtle Swoyer), who inherited her father’s height and comedic timing, becoming a television icon on shows like Rhoda and McMillan & Wife.
Born Date: June 10, 1896
Born Place: Reading, Pennsylvania
Died Date: January 31, 1973
Died Place: Beverly Hills, California
Occupations: Comedian, acrobat
Brief Biography: Dewey Barto was a famous American vaudevillian and acrobatic dancer, best known as one-half of the comedic duo Barto and Mann. He is also widely recognized as the father of actress and comedian Nancy Walker.
Early Life & Career:
Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, Barto grew up in a family of circus performers; his father was an acrobat and his sisters were trapeze artists.
The Hectic Hoofer: Before his major fame, Barto performed solo as a dancer known as "The Hectic Hoofer" and worked with various acrobatic teams like The Three Bartos.
Barto and Mann: In the late 1920s, he teamed up with George Mann (who stood 6'6" to Barto's 4'11"). Their act, known for its physical comedy and height disparity, became a headline attraction in vaudeville and appeared in the Broadway hit Hellzapoppin from 1938 to 1943.
Nancy Walker (born Anna Myrtle Swoyer), who inherited her father’s height and comedic timing, becoming a television icon on shows like Rhoda and McMillan & Wife.