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Morecambe and Wise
Morecambe and Wise

Morecambe and Wise were a famous British comic double act comprising Eric Morecambe OBE and Ernie Wise OBE. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A double act, also known as a Comedy duo, is a comic device in which humor is derived from the uneven relationship between two partners usually of the same John Eric Bartholomew OBE ( 14 May 1926 &ndash 28 May 1984) better known by his stage name Eric Morecambe, was an The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British Order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. Ernest Wiseman OBE ( 27 November 1925 &ndash 21 March 1999) better known by his stage name of Ernie Wise, was an The act lasted for 43 years until Morecambe's death in 1984. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) They are widely considered to be the most successful double act in Britain for generations. In a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000, voted for by industry professionals, The Morecambe and Wise Show was placed 14th. In September 2006, they were voted by the general public as number 2 in a poll of TV's Greatest Stars.

Contents

History

Eric and Ernie first joined forces in 1941 when booked separately to appear in Jack Hylton's revue, Youth Takes a Bow. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Jack Hylton ( 2 July 1895 &ndash 29 January 1965) was a British Band leader and Impresario. War service broke up the act but they reunited by chance in 1946 when they joined forces again. Initially appearing in music hall, they made their name in radio, transferring to television in 1954. Music hall is a form of British theatrical Entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960 Their show, Running Wild, was not well received and led to a damning newspaper review: "Definition of the week: TV set - the box in which they buried Morecambe and Wise. " Eric apparently carried this review around with him ever after and from then on Eric and Ernie kept a tight control over their material. In 1956 they were offered a spot in the Winifred Atwell show with material written by Johnny Speight and this was a success. Winifred Atwell ( 27 February 1914 &ndash 28 February 1983) was a Pianist who enjoyed great popularity in Britain Johnny Speight ( 2 June, 1920 &mdash 5 July, 1998) was a TV scriptwriter of many classic British Sitcoms.

They had a series of shows that spanned over twenty years, during which time they developed and honed their act, most notably with the original move to the BBC in 1968 where they were to be teamed with their long-term writer Eddie Braben and it is this period of their careers that is widely regarded as their "glory days". Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Eddie Braben (born 31 October 1930 in Liverpool, England) is a comedy writer and performer who has provided material for such figures as Their shows were:-

During the 1960s the pair starred in three feature films (The Intelligence Men (1965), That Riviera Touch (1966), and The Magnificent Two (1967)) but none of these are generally considered a great success. The Intelligence Men is a 1965 Comedy film starring British comic duo Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, already well-known That Riviera Touch (1966 was the second feature-length film made by the comedy duo Morecambe and Wise. However, they also starred in Night Train To Murder in 1983. Night Train To Murder was the last work that Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise worked on together before Eric's death in 1984. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar)

In 1976, they were both awarded the OBE. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British Order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V.

Collaborators

In the later and most successful part of their career, which spanned the 1970s, they were joined behind the scenes by Eddie Braben, a script writer who generated almost all their material (Morecambe and Wise were also sometimes credited as supplying "additional material") and defined what is now thought of as typical Morecambe and Wise humour. Eddie Braben (born 31 October 1930 in Liverpool, England) is a comedy writer and performer who has provided material for such figures as Together Morecambe, Wise and Braben were known as "The Golden Triangle". Morecambe and Wise are considered by many to be one of the UK's all-time favourite comedy acts.

John Ammonds was also central to the duo's most successful period in the 1970s. John Ammonds (born 1924 is a British Television producer of light entertainment programmes As the producer of the BBC TV shows, it was his idea to involve celebrity guests. He also came up with the duo's familiar dance.

The Show

A typical Morecambe and Wise show, as scripted by Braben, was effectively a sketch show crossed with a sitcom, although shows could also include the duo appearing "as themselves" on a mock stage in front of curtains emblazoned with an M and W logo (this was usually to open the show). Sketch comedy consists of a series of short Comedy scenes or vignettes called "sketches" commonly between one and ten minutes long Braben gave the duo characterisations—Wise egotistical but naive, Morecambe child-like and cocky—although at other times they relied on their acting ability to appear as characters in sketches. Wise was essentially the 'straight man' of the duo, with Morecambe usually given the funnier lines, usually bouncing them off Wise. Wise's contribution to the humour is a subject of an ongoing debate (to the end of his life he would always reject interviewers' suggestions that he was 'the straight man', preferring to call himself 'the song-and-dance man'); but as the manager of the duo he worked hard to ensure their success.

A central conceit was that the duo lived together as close, long-term friends (references to a childhood friendship were legion) who shared not merely a flat but also a bed -- although their relationship was purely platonic and merely continued a tradition of comic partners sleeping in the same bed that started with Laurel and Hardy (Morecambe, one gathers, was initially uncomfortable with the bed-sharing sketches, but changed his mind upon being reminded of the Laurel-and-Hardy precedent. Laurel and Hardy were the popular American -based comedy team of thin British-born Stan Laurel (1890-1965 and heavy American-born Oliver Hardy (1892-1957 Even so, he still insisted on smoking his pipe in the bed scenes "for the masculinity"). The front room of the flat and also the bedroom were used frequently throughout the show episodes, although Braben would also transplant the duo into various external situations, such as a health-food shop or a bank. Many references were made to Ernie's meanness with money and drink.

Another conceit of the shows during the 'Braben era' was Wise's utterly confident presentation of amateurishly inept plays. This allowed for another kind of sketch: the staged 'historical drama', which usually parodied genuine historical television plays or films (such as Stalag 54, Antony and Cleopatra, or Napoleon and Josephine). Antony and Cleopatra is a Tragedy by William Shakespeare. It was first printed in the First Folio of 1623 Wise's character would write a play, complete with cheap props and appallingly clumsy writing ("the play what I wrote" became a catchphrase), which would then be acted out by Morecambe, Wise and the show's guest star. Guests who participated included many big names of the 1970s and 80s, such as Flora Robson, Penelope Keith, Laurence Olivier, John Mills, Vanessa Redgrave, Eric Porter, Peter Cushing and Frank Finlay - as well as Glenda Jackson (as Cleopatra: "All men are fools. Dame Flora McKenzie Robson DBE ( 28 March 1902 – 7 July 1984) was an Oscar -nominated English actress Penelope Anne Constance Keith, CBE, DL (born Penelope Hatfield on 2 April 1940 is an English actress well known in the Laurence Kerr Olivier Baron Sir John Mills CBE (born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills; 22 February 1908 &ndash 23 April 2005) was an English Vanessa Redgrave, CBE (born 30 January, 1937) is an English Academy Award, two-time Cannes Best Actress, Eric Richard Porter (8 April 1928 - 15 May 1995 was a distinguished English actor who appeared on stage as well as in cinema and television Peter Wilton Cushing, OBE (26 May 1913—11 August 1994 was an English actor known for his many appearances in Hammer Films, in which he played Baron Frankenstein Francis "Frank" Finlay, CBE (born 6 August 1926) is a British stage film and television Actor. Glenda May Jackson, CBE, (born 9 May, 1936) is a British actress and Politician, currently Labour And what makes them so is having beauty like what I have got. . . "). Jackson had not previously been known as a comedienne and this appearance led to her Oscar winning role in A Touch of Class. A Touch of Class is a 1973 Romantic comedy Film which tells the story of a couple having an affair who find themselves falling in love Morecambe and Wise would often pretend not to have heard of their guest, or would appear to confuse them with someone else (former UK Prime Minister Harold Wilson returned the favour, when appearing as a guest at the duo's 'flat', by referring to Morecambe as 'Mor-e-cam-by'). James Harold Wilson Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, PC (11 March 1916 &ndash 24 May 1995 was one of the most prominent British politicians Also noteworthy was the occasion when the respected BBC newsreader Angela Rippon was induced to show her shapely legs in a dance-number (she had trained as a ballet dancer before she became a journalist and TV presenter), and when Richard Greene of Robin Hood fame played a lost aviator called 'Miles Behind'. 'Victoria Plum' redirects here For other uses see Victoria plum. Richard Marius Joseph Greene ( 25 August, 1918 - 1 June, 1985) - some sources list his birth date as 1914 - was a noted English The Adventures of Robin Hood was a popular British Television series comprising 143 half-hour black and white episodes starring Richard Greene Braben later said that a large amount of the duo's humour was based on irreverence. A running gag in a number of shows was a short sequence showing a well-known artist in closeup saying "I appeared in an Ernie Wise play, and look what happened to me!". The camera would then pull back and show the artist doing some low-status job such as selling newspapers, streetwalking, driving a bus, or some other ill-paid employment. However, celebrities felt they had received the highest accolade in showbusiness by being invited to appear in "an Ernest Wide play" as Ernie once mispronounced it during a show's introduction involving 'Vanilla' (Vanessa) Redgrave.

As a carry-over from their music hall days, Morecambe and Wise sang and danced at the end of each show (poignantly, this tradition was abandoned when Eric's heart condition prevented him dancing: the comic solution was to present him walking across the stage with coat and bag, ostensibly to 'wait for his bus', while Ernie danced by himself). Their peculiar skipping dance was an improvised form of the Groucho Marx walk that involved putting alternate hands behind the head. Their signature tune was Bring Me Sunshine. Bring Me Sunshine was the best-known signature of Morecambe & Wise who used it to close many of their shows for the BBC in the 1970s and was written by the composer They either sang this at the end of each show or it was used as a theme tune during the credits (although in some of their earlier shows they used other songs as well, notably "Following You Around", "Positive Thinking" and "Don't You Agree"). A standard gag at the end of each show was for a large lady (Janet Webb) to appear behind the pair, walk to the front of the stage and push them out of her way. She would then recite:

“I’d like to thank you for watching me and my little show here tonight. If you’ve enjoyed it then it’s all been worthwhile. So until we meet again, goodnight, and I love you all!”

Webb was never announced and never appeared in their shows in any other context. Another running gag involved an old colleague from their music hall days, harmonica player Arthur Tolcher. Arthur Tolcher ( April 9, 1922 - March 1987 (born Arthur John Stone-Tolcher in Bloxwich, Staffordshire, England) was a virtuoso British Arthur would keep appearing on the stage in evening wear and would play a few bars of his mouth organ only to be told "Not now, Arthur!"

During a theatrical tribute to the duo, The Play What I Wrote, many members of the audience wept when their "Bring me Sunshine" theme tune was played. The Play Wot I Wrote or The Play What I Wrote is a musical Farce written by Hamish McColl, Sean Foley and Eddie Braben This indicates the popularity and special place Morecambe and Wise hold in the hearts of many British people. In June 2007, the BBC released a DVD of surviving material from their first series in 1968, and the complete second series from 1969. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Christmas Specials

With the exception of 1974,[1] the show had end-of-year Christmas specials, which became such an institution during the 1970s that few British families would dream of missing them. The Morecambe & Wise Show that began airing in 1968 was the second TV series for comedy duo Morecambe & Wise. The Morecambe & Wise Show (1978 is generally considered as the output of Morecambe & Wise after they parted company with the BBC following their record-breaking Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Braben would comment that people judged the quality of their Christmas experience on the quality of the Morecambe and Wise Christmas Special. From 1969 until 1980, 1974 apart, the shows were always on Christmas Day. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. The 1977 Christmas Show attracted 28 million viewers, around half of the total UK population at the time. Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays It was a record for a single light entertainment broadcast in Britain, and one which still stands. [2]

Famous Sketches

Singin' In The Rain

One of the famous Morecambe and Wise routines was their recreation of the scene from the film Singin' in the Rain, where Gene Kelly dances in the rain, and sings the song "Singin' in the Rain". Singin' in the Rain is a 1952 Comedy Musical film starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds Eugene Curran “Gene” Kelly ( August 23, &ndash February 2,) was an American Dancer, Actor, Singer, director " Singin' in the Rain " is a song with lyrics by Arthur Freed and music by Nacio Herb Brown, published in 1929. This recreation featured Ernie exactly copying Gene Kelly's dance routine, on a set which exactly copied the set used in the movie, and Eric performed the role of the policeman. The difference from the original was that in the Morecambe and Wise version, there is no water, except for some downpours onto Eric's head (through a drain, or dumped out of a window, etc. ). This lack of water was initially because of practical considerations (the floor of the studio had many electrical cables on it, and such quantities of water would be dangerous) — but Morecambe and Wise found a way to turn the lack of water into a comic asset.

The Stripper

As remembered as the above is The Stripper routine where Eric and Ernie are seen listening to the radio at breakfast time. David Rose's tune "The Stripper" comes on and the duo perform a dance using various kitchen utensils and food items, including Ernie catching slices of toast as they popped out of the toaster, and finally opening the fridge door to be bathed in light, as if on stage, while they pull out strings of sausages which they whirl around to the music. David Rose ( June 15, 1910 &ndash August 23, 1990) was a British-born American Songwriter, Composer, Arranger The sketch demonstrates their brilliant dancing and timing and Eddie Braben's wonderful comic invention.

In December 2007, viewers of UKTV Gold voted the sketch the best moment of Morecambe and Wise's shows. [3]

Tribute To Flanagan & Allen

Eric and Ernie often cited the earlier comedy team Flanagan and Allen as influences on their own work; although Morecambe and Wise never imitated or copied Flanagan and Allen, they did sometimes work explicit references to the earlier team into their own cross-talk routines and sketches. Flanagan and Allen were a British singing and comedy Double act popular during World War II. In the mid-1970s, Eric and Ernie recorded a tribute album, Morecambe and Wise Sing Flanagan and Allen (Phillips 6382 095), in which they performed some of the earlier team's more popular songs in their own style, without attempting to imitate the originals. Fans of either comedy team may be slightly disappointed by this album, since all of the selections are performed absolutely straight, with no comedy except for a brief amount of banter after one of the songs.

Grieg's Piano Concerto by Greig

Classic sketches from such shows revolved around the guest stars, such as André Previn (referred to as "Andrew Preview or Privet") in 1971. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> André Previn ( Andreas Ludwig Priwin) KBE (b This sketch showed Eric attempting to play Edvard Grieg's A minor Piano Concerto, and after much comic business between Eric, Previn and the orchestra ("Is this the band? Who’s the fixer?", "The one in the gold lamé suit", "They usually are. The Piano Concerto in A minor, Op 16 by Edvard Grieg (1843-1907 was the only Concerto Grieg completed LAME is an Open source application used to encode audio into the MP3 file format "), Eric reduces Previn to exasperation because he is playing it in a jerky, out-of-tempo manner. Eventually Previn tells Eric he is playing all the wrong notes, to which Eric responds by seizing Previn by the jacket lapels and menacingly saying to him the classic line "I'm playing all the right notes. . . but not necessarily in the right order. " This line is still used today by musicians and choir members when humorously responding to critical conductors. (André Previn reminisced later that he was conducting a concert in Britain and the Grieg concerto started but had to be stopped because the audience was giggling. He said he knew what they were thinking about and had to give them several minutes to calm down. )

Catchphrases & Visual Gags

Some of the duo's catchphrases include:

Additionally, there were many repeated visual gags:

Famous Guest Stars

Guest Stars & Personalities

Musical Guests

See also

References

  1. ^ TV & Radio Bits - Telly Years - Christmas 1970s
  2. ^ Morecambe and Wise (Television Heaven)
  3. ^ http://uktv.co.uk/gold/stepbystep/aid/596689

External links

John Eric Bartholomew OBE ( 14 May 1926 &ndash 28 May 1984) better known by his stage name Eric Morecambe, was an Ernest Wiseman OBE ( 27 November 1925 &ndash 21 March 1999) better known by his stage name of Ernie Wise, was an Two of a Kind is the first TV series for comedy duo Morecambe & Wise The Intelligence Men is a 1965 Comedy film starring British comic duo Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, already well-known That Riviera Touch (1966 was the second feature-length film made by the comedy duo Morecambe and Wise. The Morecambe & Wise Show that began airing in 1968 was the second TV series for comedy duo Morecambe & Wise. The Morecambe & Wise Show (1978 is generally considered as the output of Morecambe & Wise after they parted company with the BBC following their record-breaking Night Train To Murder was the last work that Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise worked on together before Eric's death in 1984. The Play Wot I Wrote or The Play What I Wrote is a musical Farce written by Hamish McColl, Sean Foley and Eddie Braben The Right Size is a British comedy Double act made up of Hamish McColl and Sean Foley. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> André Previn ( Andreas Ludwig Priwin) KBE (b
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