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".

Legacy

A larger-than-life statue of Eric was unveiled by the Queen at Morecambe in 1999.

Related Topics:
The Queen - 1999

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In 1999 Eric Morecambe was voted the funniest person of the 20th Century in a British internet poll. Eric pulled in 26% of the votes, beating Tommy Cooper and John Cleese to the coveted position.

Related Topics:
1999 - Tommy Cooper - John Cleese

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A West End show, The Play What I Wrote, appeared in 2001 as a tribute to the duo. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, each performance featured a different guest celebrity, including Kylie Minogue, who was said to be particularly keen to participate. Bizarrely, the show later transferred, with some success, to Broadway, only moderately rewritten to allow for the fact that Eric & Ernie were virtually unknown in the U.S. The show toured the UK in 2003.

Related Topics:
West End - 2001 - Kenneth Branagh - Kylie Minogue - Broadway - 2003

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In 2003, Eric's eldest son Gary released "Life's not Hollywood, it's Cricklewood", a biography of his Father from the point of view of his family, using family photos and extracts from previously unseen diaries. The book revealed Morecambe as a toned down version of his on-screen persona, prone to occasional bouts of mild depression and overworking.

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In a 2005 poll The Comedian's Comedian, he was voted the 4th greatest comedy act ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.

Related Topics:
2005 - The Comedian's Comedian

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