Eric Morecambe

Eric Morecambe OBE was the stage name of Eric John Bartholomew (May 14, 1926 – May 28, 1984), part of the double act of Morecambe and Wise with Ernie Wise. In the UK he is widely considered to have been a "comic genius".

Eric and Ernie

After the war, they made their name on radio, before arriving on television in 1955. They appeared together in many series such as Two of A Kind. There were also a number of Christmas specials. They were well-regarded and their reputation enabled them to garner a number of prestigious guests including Angela Rippon, Princess Anne, Cliff Richard, Glenda Jackson, Tom Jones, Elton John and even the then Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Des O'Connor was frequently the butt of their humour.

Related Topics:
1955 - Angela Rippon - Princess Anne - Cliff Richard - Glenda Jackson - Tom Jones - Elton John - Harold Wilson - Des O'Connor

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The celebrities were generally humiliated by the pair, and especially by Eric's playful insults, undermining the status of the celebrities, joking that they're "Rubbish" and pretending not to recognise them. Generally, the greater the quality of the celebrities, the greater the humiliation. A fine example is their exchange with the Beatles at the height of their fame.

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(Ernie is talking to the band when Eric enters)

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Morecambe: Yeah-eh! It's the Kay sisters, they've come! Great! Fabulous!

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Wise: The Kay sisters?! This is...

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Morecambe: Look, they've dyed their hair!

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Wise: ...this is the Beatles!

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Morecambe: Hello, Beatle! Where is he?

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Wise: "Where is he?"

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Morecambe: There he is! Hello, Bongo! Hey.

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Wise: That's Ringo!

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Morecambe: Oh, is he there as well?

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...

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John: Me dad used to tell me about you, you know.

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Morecambe: You've only got a little dad have you? Yer dad used to tell yer, that's a bit

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strong, innit? Alright, Bonzo?

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Wise: That's Ringo!

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Morecambe: Yeah, him as well!

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Of all the comedy acts produced by Britain, Morecambe and Wise are perhaps the best loved and most fondly remembered. They were arguably the first truly great double act in Britain. Many have highlighted the genuine affection Eric and Ernie had for one other, which shone through Braben's material. Their enjoyment of their work was picked up by the audience who regarded them as friends as well as entertainers.

Related Topics:
Britain - Morecambe and Wise - Double act

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The humour was largely derived from their on-stage relationship, especially in their work with Eddie Braben at the BBC. Eric was regarded as the funny man, although this was one of the most equal partnerships of all time. He constantly poked fun of Ernie's appearance, but there was clearly great affection between the two. In sketches, Eric frequently appeared playing the piano (badly), most notably in the famous "Grieg's Piano Concerto" sketch, featuring Andre Previn (who only had a few hours to learn his part). Eric's favourite catch phrase was "What do you think of the show so far? - Rubbish!" which became a favourite with imitators everywhere.

Related Topics:
Eddie Braben - BBC - Andre Previn - Catch phrase

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So enormous was Morecambe and Wise's popularity that their annual BBC Christmas shows became almost mandatory viewing in Britain from 1968-1978. Despite his heart condition (his first attack striking in 1968), he and Ernie still managed energetic song and dance routines and superbly timed visual comedy.

Related Topics:
BBC - Christmas - 1968 - 1978 - Heart - Attack

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The sixth Morecambe and Wise series for ITV was planned from the start to be aired in Britain as well as exported to the United States and Canada. It was taped in colour and starred international guests, often American. Prior to its British run, it was broadcast in North America by ABC network as a summer replacement for re-runs of The Hollywood Palace under the title The Piccadilly Palace from May 20 to September 9, 1967. The duo had appeared in the U.S on The Ed Sullivan Show and hoped to become stars there, but negotiations for a longer run broke down when the show's ratings were strong in Canada but weak in the U.S. ATV's Sir Lew Grade, who represented the comedians in the negotiations, said in his autobiography that the disappointing American ratings were a result of the comedians' refusal to slow down their fast-paced act.

Related Topics:
The Hollywood Palace - 1967 - The Ed Sullivan Show - Lew Grade

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