Morecambe and Wise

Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe’s death in 1984. They have been described as “the most illustrious, and the best-loved, double-act that Britain has ever produced”.

Morecambe and Wise’s partnership began in 1941 when they were each booked separately to appear in Jack Hylton’s revue, Youth Takes a Bow. War service broke up the act but they reunited by chance at the Swansea Empire Theatre in 1946 when they joined forces again. Initially appearing in music hall, they made their name in radio, transferring to television in 1954. 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.

Tom Jones gets the Eric and Ernie Treatment

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”.

Vanessa Redgrave – Song & Dance

Morecambe and Wise’s final show together was the 1983 Christmas special for ITV. By now Morecambe was tired of the double act, and many believe that, had he lived longer, he would not have recorded another series.

Morecambe was now developing as a writer, and enjoyed appearing on chat shows and as a panellist on shows such as What’s My Line. Two months before he died, Morecambe told his wife “If I have another heart attack it will kill me, and if I do another Morecambe and Wise series, I will have another heart attack.”

Eric Morecambe died in Cheltenham General Hospital at 4am, aged 58 after appearing at a local theater and making no less than six curtain calls then collapsing in the wings.

In 1994 Wise wasn’t asked by the BBC to take part in the three-part retrospective tribute to Eric Morecambe called Bring Me Sunshine. The first episode was shown on May 14 1994, and it was hosted by Ben Elton, a huge fan of Morecambe and Wise. Elton cites the duo as a big influence on his career. Those interviewed were John Thaw, Roy Castle, Diana Rigg, Hale & Pace and Fry & Laurie.

The BBC at the time said they didn’t want “Too many talking heads”. However, Wise was invited to take part in Bring Me Sunshine: The Heart and Soul of Eric Morecambe in late 1998, but his health began to deteriorate. The programme was shown on December 23 1998. Earlier that month, Wise suffered two heart attacks within a week whilst on holiday, and had to undergo a triple heart bypass in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on 22 January, 1999. Wise was due to take part in a BBC 1 tribute to Eric Morecambe but had to withdraw due to ill health. In March 1999, he was flown back to the UK by air ambulance and taken to hospital.

Ernie Wise died from heart failure and a chest infection at the Nuffield Hospital, Wexham Street, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire on 21 March, 1999.