Weber and Fields

Known for their slapstick sketches, the duo Weber and Fields (Joseph Weber, 1867–1942 and Lew Fields, b. Moses Schanfield, 1867–1942) performed musical shows that included singing, dancing, burlesque, and comic skits, among them Pousse Cafe, Hurly Burly, Whirl-I-Gig, Fiddle-Dee-Dee, Hoity-Toity, and Twirly Whirly. Weber and Fields established their own company in 1885 and later managed a musical hall. They ended their partnership in 1904 but worked together periodically over the coming decades, collaborating on films (both silent and with sound) and live shows and reenacting some of their famous routines. In one of their best-known acts, characteristic of the period, Weber and Fields played Mike and Meyer, a pair of German immigrants in America. The show Hokey Pokey, performed in 1912, was one instance of their renewed collaboration.