Sid Silvers

Sid Silvers (January 16, 1901 in Brooklyn, New York – August 20, 1976 in Brooklyn) was an American actor, comedian, lyricist, and writer.

Silvers began his career in vaudeville in the early 1920s as a comedy partner of Phil Baker. As part of their act, Silvers would heckle Baker from the audience. The Baker/Silvers act was later used as the basis for the 1951 Martin and Lewis film The Stooge. The duo continued to perform together up through 1928.

In 1925 Silvers made his Broadway debut in the review Artists and Models. He also appeared in the review A Night in Spain in 1927 and contributed lyrics to the musicals The Song Writer (1928) and Pleasure Bound (1929). He wrote the book for the 1931 musical You Said It. He returned to the Broadway stage in 1932 to portray Louie Webb in the musical Take a Chance. He later wrote the music and lyrics to the review New Faces of 1936.

Silvers made his film debut in the 1929 feature The Show of Shows and then went on to play supporting roles in such films as Dancing Sweeties (1930), Bottoms Up (1934), Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round (1934), Born to Dance (1936), and Broadway Melody of 1936, notably also serving as a scriptwriter on the latter two films. He often contributed special comedy material to some of the larger MGM productions, including The Wizard of Oz in 1939.

In the 1940s Silvers was mainly active as a performer on the stage and on radio. He made his final film appearance in 1946, playing a featured comic role in Mr. Ace. In the 1950s, he was a writer for The Mickey Rooney Show.

Birth and Death Data: Born January 16, 1901 (Brooklyn), Died August 20, 1976 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1925 - 1938

Roles Represented in DAHR: songwriter, lyricist, tenor vocal, speaker, composer

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 45 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BVE-32128 10-in. 4/4/1925 Look at those eyes Pennsylvanians ; Fred Waring Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BVE-34638 10-in. 2/19/1926 Pretty little baby Jack Smith Male vocal solo, with piano (self-accompaniment) songwriter  
Victor BVE-34641 10-in. 2/23/1926 Pretty little baby International Novelty Orchestra Orchestra, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BVE-38805 10-in. 5/13/1927 Love and kisses (From baby to you) Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Victor BVE-39117 10-in. 8/25/1927 At the theatre Phil Baker ; Sid Silvers Comic dialogue, with accordion (takes 3 and 4); with piano (takes 1 and 2) speaker  
Victor BVE-39118 10-in. 8/25/1927 At the theatre Phil Baker ; Sid Silvers Comic dialogue, with accordion (takes 3 and 4); with piano (take 1) speaker  
Victor BVE-41107 10-in. 11/25/1927 Did you mean it? Virginians Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BVE-41186 10-in. 12/19/1927 Did you mean it Grace Hayes Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Victor BVE-41345 10-in. 12/8/1927 Did you mean it? Marion Harris Female vocal solo, with violin, piano, and accordion songwriter  
Victor BVE-47576 10-in. 10/1/1928 You're gone Park Central Orchestra ; Ben Pollack Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BVE-58682 10-in. 2/27/1930 Without your love Phil Baker Accordion solo, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BRC-68893 10-in. 4/13/1931 Let's get friendly Andy Sanella All Star Orchestra ; Chick Bullock Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BRC-69682 10-in. 6/3/1931 After tonight Bert Lown Hotel Biltmore Orchestra ; Elmer Feldkamp Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BRC-70172 10-in. 8/18/1931 Alone in a corner Bert Lown Hotel Biltmore Orchestra ; Elmer Feldkamp Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-023273 10-in. 5/24/1938 The moon looks down and laughs Art Kassel ; Kassels-in-the-Air Orchestra ; Billy Leach Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-024463 10-in. 8/5/1938 That night in Avalon Hilo Hawaiian Orchestra ; Jimmy Ray Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo (Hawaiian) lyricist  
Victor [Trial 1928-04-12-01] 10-in. 4/12/1928 Always Sid Silvers Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Victor [Trial 1928-04-12-02] 10-in. 4/12/1928 Golden Gate Sid Silvers Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist, tenor vocal  
Columbia W141390 10-in. 12/14/1925 Pretty little baby Ed Smalle Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia W144332 10-in. 6/15/1927 Love and kisses Paul Ash Orchestra ; Paul Small ; Milton Watson Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet composer  
Columbia W144770 10-in. 10/27/1927 Did you mean it? Frank Harris ; Hollywood Orchestra ; Vincent Rose ; Jackie Taylor Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Columbia W144846 10-in. 10/10/1927 Did you mean it? Lee Morse Female vocal solo, with instrumental quintet songwriter  
Columbia 144890 10-in. 10/21/1927 Did you mean it? Astorites Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Columbia W145603 10-in. 2/3/1928 Did you mean it? Marsh McCurdy Pipe organ solo, with vibraphone and xylophone songwriter  
Columbia W151585 10-in. 6/3/1931 Let's get friendly Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band lyricist  
(Results 1-25 of 45 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Silvers, Sid," accessed November 1, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105940.

Silvers, Sid. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 1, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105940.

"Silvers, Sid." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105940

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