The Steiner Brothers were a Canadian tap-dancing trio active in North American nightclubs and theatres and in television and film during the 1950s and 1960s. The group consisted of three brothers from

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

: Roy Steiner (May 20, 1941 – October 27, 2019), Ron Steiner (born 1942), and Rob Steiner (born 1944). The group also sang and performed comedy. Ron Steiner was also one of the original Mouseketeers for

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...

Family background and education

The Steiner Brothers are the children of Ralph Steiner and Madge Steiner (née Hoffard). Their father was a child prodigy on the violin who had conducted the

Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Founded in 1947, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at the Centennial Concert Hall. Including travelling performances, the WSO presents an average of ...

at the age of 12, and later worked as the

bandmaster A bandmaster is the leader and conductor of a band, usually a concert band, military band, brass band or a marching band. British Armed Forces In the British Army, bandmasters of the Royal Corps of Army Music now hold the rank of staff ...

of his own dance band. Their mother had danced professionally with the Hoffard Sisters, a

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

-based dance troupe in the 1930s and 1940s. The couple performed together until they had children, with their father sometimes assuming the persona of Howie Squeeks, a clown. The family resided in a home on Eugenie Street in

Saint Boniface, Winnipeg St. Boniface (or Saint Boniface) is a Ward (electoral subdivision), city ward and neighbourhood in Winnipeg. Along with being the centre of the Franco-Manitoban community, it ranks as the largest Francophone Canadian, francophone community in Wes ...

. The brothers began dancing lessons with their parents as a way of treating Roy's slightly crippled foot, initially with no intent of pursuing a professional career in dance. The Steiner family moved to California after their mother's sister was hired as a dancer with

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...

and

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian, with a career spanning seven decades in film, stage, television and radio. Famously nicknamed as "Th ...

. The boys were educated at the Hollywood Professional School.

Performance history

The Steiner Brothers first came to the attention of the Hollywood community after performing at a Christmas party thrown by

Martin and Lewis Martin and Lewis were an American comedy duo, comprising singer Dean Martin and comedian Jerry Lewis. They met in 1944 and debuted at Atlantic City's 500 Club on July 25, 1946; the team lasted ten years to the day. Before they teamed up, Martin ...

in 1952. This informal performance impressed the crowd of professional entertainers, and they were soon being booked professionally, including performances at the Moulin Rouge nightclub in Los Angeles. They were booked for three performances on '' The Dinah Shore Show'' in 1957-1958 after auditioning for

Dinah Shore Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore; February 29, 1916 – February 24, 1994) was an American singer, actress, television personality, and the chart-topping female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during the ...

in a dance studio their parents had set up in the family's garage. Other television shows the group performed on included ''

The Mickey Mouse Club ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' is an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1955 to 1996 and briefly returned to social media in 2017. Created by Walt Disney and produced by Walt Disney Productions, the program was first te ...

'' (1956), '' The George Burns Show'' (1959), ''

The Garry Moore Show ''The Garry Moore Show'' is the name for several separate American variety series on the CBS television network in the 1950s and 1960s. Hosted by experienced radio performer Garry Moore, the series helped launch the careers of many comedic tale ...

'' (1959), ''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the ''CB ...

'' (1963), and '' The Jerry Lewis Show'' (1963). In live performance the brothers performed with many top stars of mid 20th century, including

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. Possessing a strong contralto voice, she was celebrated for her emotional depth and versatility across film, stage, and concert performance. ...

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was an American comedian, actor, entertainer and producer with a career that spanned nearly 80 years and achievements in vaudeville, network radio, television, and USO Tours. He appeared ...

, and

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Steiner Brothers Mouseketeers Musical groups from Winnipeg Canadian dance music groups Tap dancers