Marky B

Last night,Jonathan Ross presented a programme about Morecambe & Wise,arguably Britain's greatest double comedy act.
I was always a fan of these two and when Eric died,I thought I'd lost a friend. Always clean,never used bad language,yet their antics commanded audience tv figures that programmes can only dream about today.

I guess their magic existed because they have been together for years and they needed each other. Both were the comics,not one a straight man,they feeded off each other and their timing was impeccable.

They slept in the same bed,but homosexuality never entered your mind,and they shared a flat,but argued like man and wife. Their sketches,especially the plays wot Ern wrote,were priceless. Peter Cushing kept coming back demanding his fee,and they offered him a firewood round in lieu. All the BBC male presenters "sang" Nothing Like A Dame,with an off key Peter Woods finishing it off. Glenda Jackson,Robert Morley,Vanessa Redgrave,Angela Rippon,Eric Porter,Penelope Keith,Diana Rigg etc all shared their comedy pleasure. Very few comics could boast of bringing everything they toufhed to their sublime level.
Who can forget Eric and Ernie doing Singing In The Rain,with a bemused Eric wondering why Ernie was dancing around with an umbrella,even though there was no rain,but Eric got soaked anyway.
Their striptease routine in the kitchen is timeless.
Of course,there were routine appearances of stars who had been on their show and they said:I once appeared on the Morecambe and Wise,and looked what happened to me. Then you see them being a bus contductor or something.
In one show,they phoning up stars to ask if they would appear on their Christmas show. My favourite was Laurence Olivier.
"Yes,this is Laurence Olivier. Would I like to appear on your show? Of course I would. Which show is it. The Morecambe & Wise Show? (Mock Chinese accent). Oh velly solly,this is the Chinese lestaurant."
My three favourite sketches was the striptease in the kitchen,Shirley Bassey singing Smoke Gets In Your Eyes as the boys tried to replace her missing shoe with a big work boot. How she kept a straight face I will never know. The other was with Andrew Preview and Eric on the piano "playing the right notes,but not necessarily in the right order."

The Two Ronnies for me,whilst excellent,couldn't be termed as a double act in the same way,as their partnership was manufactured for television and both could do well outside it. Little and Large,Cannon and Ball,French and Saunders just don't have the same charisma.

They brought us fun,they brought us sunshine,they brought us love.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

francesgumm

I love Morecambe & Wise. They dont make 'em like that anymore. Compare these two with comedy 'genius' Ricky (with a silent p) Gervaise. No contest.

batman

M&W were the best double act on the box - ever!

Bats.

"Boom boom a baby .... Banham Zoo .... Banana pants! Hahahaha"

smudge

I think the whole country thought they'd lost a friend when Eric passed away. Ernie slipped away quietly and for a while I think M&W slipped out of their lingering limelight.

Certainly in the past few years their clipshows haven't tended to appear, so I watched the excellent documentary (In Their Own Words) in the hope that this would bring them back into a higher profile and a more general appreciation - perhaps even a new generation will discover them ?

Surely the Andrew Preview sketch should be up there for a photo-finish with Four Candles for a truer evaluation of 'the nation's favourite comedy sketch' ? It has always sent this house into riots of laughter, no matter how many times we've seen it before - and The Stripper sketch isn't far behind it either; simply inspired.

May their stars shine ever bright...

Smudge

Welcome to my house. Enter freely, and of your own will...

Marky B

Their films were not replicates of the boys' humour,but they are still watchable. On Des O' Connor's first show on Countdown,there were two cameramen called Eric and Ernie.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

Marky B

I was listening to Willy Nelson singing Bring Me Sunshine on the radio this morning. Was it written especially for Eric and Ernie or was it adapted by them?
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

Steve Crook

It was composed by Arthur Kent with lyrics by Sylvia Dee.
But as to if they wrote it specifically for M&W, I'm not sure
Details

Steve

Dame Starry

There were two old men sat in deckchairs and one said, "It's nice out, innit?" The other one said, "Yes, I think I'll get mine out."

YDSL x.

The Christmas countdown has begun - don't leave it all until the last minute!

Marky B

Thanks,Steve. Reading that information,it looks like the boys adapted it as there theme song.
I thought it was going to be used last year to raise money for the victims of the floods in Britain.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

BritATit

I was just watching the Starsky and Hutch Parody, by Morecambe & Wise on YouTube. "Starkers & Krutch" Brilliant comedy. Way ahead of its time, I think.

Dame Starry

Does anybody remember the sketch with M&W and their writers Sid Green and Dick Hills where they sang a song called, "Boom Oo Ya-Ta-Ta-Ta"?

YDSL x.

The Christmas countdown has begun - don't leave it all until the last minute!

Steve Crook

I remember the song, but not the sketch. Wasn't that sung as a backing line to "Are You Lonesome Tonight"?
See this site. They list it as being available to play (audio) if you sign in (free)

Steve

ShirlGirl

Tut tut!

What about these two old dears....

Dame Starry

I actually downloaded the song a couple of months ago - which is the whole sketch. It's just that nobody ever remembers it when I ask them and so it amazed me that they had it on i-Tunes!
It is a similar tune to "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" - not exactly the same though.

Eric decides that he doesn't need Ernie - he's going to be a star on his own. Ernie, hearing him singing says that he can't be a star on his own, he needs a backing group - himself, Sid Green and Dick Hills (their scriptwriters).
He gets Eric all confused, as usual, and Eric ends up doing all the backing vocals while the other three sing the actual song - then Ernie decides to cut the backing out altogether.

Eric: Well, what's going to happen to me then?
Ernie: Well, you can take off that ridiculous leather suit and go!
Eric: Oh, well can I keep me black leather underwear on?

Brilliant!

YDSL x.

The Christmas countdown has begun - don't leave it all until the last minute!

essaljay

This was indeed a t.v. sketch back in the black & white days written by Sid Green and Dick Hills who were also the other voices on the record. (I have the original album). The song was “are you lonesome tonight”. At one point Eric said “I’m ya-ta-ta-tarring instead of miss me tonighting”