Comedian, born in Morecambe, Lancashire, NW England, UK. Having appeared in working men's clubs since the age of 11, he teamed up in 1943 with fellow entertainer, Ernie Wise (originally Ernest Wiseman) (192599). They made their West End debut in the revue Strike a New Note in 1943. In 1947 they teamed up again and, as Morecambe and Wise, subsequently became the finest British comedy double-act for many years, working in music-hall, summer-shows, pantomimes, radio, films, and television. In 1968, Morecambe had a heart attack; they reduced their work-load, concentrating on their television shows - programmes of sketches interspersed with the double-act routine. Their films, such as The Magnificent Two (1967), were not successful; the small screen and the stage were their media, and quick-fire repartee their true forte.
| Eric Morecambe | |
|---|---|
| Born |
May 14, 1926 Morecambe, Lancashire, England |
| Died |
May 28, 1984 Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England |
John Eric Bartholomew OBE (May 14, 1926 – May 28, 1984), better known by his stage name, Eric Morecambe was a British comedian who together with Ernie Wise, formed the double act Morecambe and Wise.
Eric took his stage name from the seaside resort of Morecambe in Lancashire, England – his home town.
Of all the comedy acts produced by the United Kingdom, Morecambe and Wise are arguably the best loved and most fondly remembered.
He and Wise 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 former Prime Minister Harold Wilson. O'Connor once asked Morecambe if he could sing on their show. Morecambe replied "Sing on our show? When Morecambe had his first heart attack in 1968, he learned that O'Connor had told his audience to send their best wishes to Morecambe, who replied "Tell him that those 12 people made all the difference".
In reality, O'Connor was very close friends of both Morecambe and Wise and in later years would meet them to devise jokes about himself!
Early life and childhood career
Eric was born to George and Sadie Bartholomew.
During this period, Eric Bartholomew won numerous talent contests, most notably in Hoylake in 1939, the prize for which was an audition with Jack Hylton.
Three months after the audition, Hylton invited Eric to join a revue called Youth Takes A Bow at the Nottingham Empire, where once more he encountered Ernie. Morecambe was a Bevin Boy: conscripted to work in a coal mine in Accrington.
Eric and Ernie
After the war – and a chance reunion in London, where Sadie once again encouraged them to work together – Morecambe and Wise began to make a name for themselves on stage and radio, before arriving on television in 1955. One critic gave a definition of televison as "the box they buried Morecambe and Wise in". Morecambe was particularly upset by this, and carried a clipping of that review in his wallet for some time.
It was several years before the pair would work on television again.
Two of a Kind (1961-1968)
On the back of their success on stage and on screen, in 1961 Lew Grade offered them a series for ATV. Early episodes saw Hills and Green writing for the comedians as if Morecambe and Wise were alter egos of the writers. Green commented to Morecambe "You're done for", to which Morecambe replied "Not at all, we belong to VAF [The Variety Artists' Federation, then a separate trade union, since incorporated into Equity]". The tables turned and Morecambe and Wise got their way.
The series introduced several popular catchphrases (such as "Get out of that!"; and "More tea Ern?") which would stay with them throughout their careers - as well as Morecambe's famous paper bag trick - as well as an original opening segment which saw the pair parody other series such as The Man from UNCLE, Dixon of Dock Green and Take Your Pick.
The celebrities were generally humiliated by the pair, and especially by Morecambe's playful insults, undermining the status of the celebrities, joking that they were "Rubbish" and pretending not to recognise them.
The sixth Morecambe and Wise series for ITV was planned from the start to be aired in the United Kingdom as well as exported to the United States and Canada.
In 1968, as a result of problems with contact negortiations with Lew Grade (they were not offered enough money or the chance to appear in colour), Morecambe and Wise left ATV to return to BBC.
With the BBC (1968-1978)
The first series of The Morecambe and Wise Show was a success. Though now a popular television star, Morecambe felt he was placed under a great deal of pressure. As Wise was, at that stage, very much a basic straight man, Morecambe felt the job of making Hills' and Green's writing sparkle was firmly on his shoulders.
He had been appearing with Wise at a week of midnight performances at the Variety Club in Batley.
Driving home from the Thursday night performance he had a heart attack just outside Leeds. Morecambe recounted in an interview with Michael Parkinson in 1972 that, unable to drive to hospital, he had been rescued by a man named Walter Butterworth ("I'll never forget him," said Morecambe – "That wasn't his real name, but I'll never forget him"). When Morecambe asked him to drive the car, Butterworth replied "I'm in the Territorials – I've only ever driven a tank!" Morecambe thanked Butterworth, who in return asked for an autograph "before you go as my mates will never believe me about this". Morecambe scribbled away, convinced it was the final autograph he would ever sign!
He left Hospital two weeks later. Morecambe give up his 50-a-day [cigarette]] habit and started smoking a pipe.
The heart attack stalled the careers of Morecambe and Wise. While Morecambe was recuperating, Hills and Green left them – feeling that they were finished. Morecambe and Wise were in Barbados at the time and only learned of their writers' departure from the steward on the plane. With Braben, Morecambe and Wise saw their career reach new heights, becoming the most successful comedy act the country had ever seen and a national institution. Originally Morecambe and Wise objected to sharing a bed (which would become one their most popular and fondly remembered character traits), but Braben countered that if it was good enough for Laurel and Hardy it was surely good enough for Morecambe and Wise. Morecambe was greatly appeased and congratulated Braben, saying "It stays!"
So enormous became Morecambe and Wise's popularity that their annual BBC Christmas shows were almost mandatory viewing in the United Kingdom from 1968 to 1978.
However, once more the stress of being such a popular entertainer got to Morecambe.
Final years
In 1978, the pair left BBC for ITV, making front page news.
Morecambe increasingly wanted to move away from the double act, but feared that Wise would not be able to cope without him. In 1981 Morecambe published Mr Lonely, a tragicomic novel about a stand-up comedian. He focussed more on writing in the coming years and what were to be the final years of Morecambe's life. Morecambe and Wise's final show together was the 1983 Christmas special for ITV.
Five months after the Christmas special, Morecambe made a solo stage performance, at the Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury on a Sunday evening. His wife Joan, who was in the audience, recalled Morecambe was "on top form". He recounted and joked to the audience about the tales of his childhood, his career, the influence of his mother Sadie, his time as a Bevin Boy, about Tommy Cooper and the tragic way he had died (Ironically Morecambe said he would hate to die like that with hours to live himself) and even his open heart surgery (a topic from which he would often derive humour). After the show had ended and Morecambe had left the stage, the musicians returned and picked up their instuments. Morecambe rushed back onto the stage to join them and energetically played various instruments. They also repeated the widely held feeling that Morecambe "could be funny just by being there". He also referred to Morecambe as a "partner and a brother" and claimed "it's the saddest day of my life...I feel like I've lost a limb". Afterwards Morecambe was cremated.
Personal life
Morecambe married Joan Bartlett on 11 December 1952. Gary born 21 April 1956 and Steven born 1970, adopted 1973
In his leisure time, Morecambe was a keen birdwatcher, and the statue of him at Morecambe shows him wearing his binoculars. Morecambe also had a love of Long John Silver impressions, which never left him through his life (one can be seen in the 'Monty on the Bonty' sketch with Arthur Lowe).
Legacy
A larger-than-life statue of Eric was unveiled by the Queen at Morecambe in 1999.
In the British town of Harpenden (near to where Eric lived), the town hall is named after him, with a portrait of the great man to go with it.
In 1999 Eric Morecambe was voted the funniest person of the 20th Century in a British internet poll.
A West End show, The Play What I Wrote, appeared in 2001 as a tribute to the duo.
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.
In a 2005 poll The Comedian's Comedian, he was voted the 4th greatest comedy act ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.
Kenilworth Road stadium, home of Luton Town FC, has a suite named after Eric also. Wise - Graham McGann (1999) Life's not Hollywood, it's Cricklewood - Gary Morecambe (2003) ISBN 0563521864
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