Eric Morecambe: Life's Not Hollywood It's Cricklewood

by Gary Morecambe

Morecambe and Wise are perhaps the best loved and most fondly remembered of all British comedy acts. Despite his untimely death 18 years ago, Eric Morecambe's popularity continues to grow. In this book, Eric's son, Gary Morecambe, takes us on a personal journey through the life of one of Britain's greatest comedians, as witnessed from within. To add to the uniquely private and personal theme of this book, each chapter is introduced by a diary extract from Eric Morecambe, while the book itself is studded with many hitherto unseen photographs from the Morecambe family archives.

Genres: Biography

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2003

Reviews

[Bionic Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

A biography of the comedian by his son Gary, who has written several books about his father's life. This one concentrates on the relationship between father and son.

Gary Morecambe clearly admired his father enormously, describing him as a brilliant master of his craft, but a perfectionist to the point of obsession. It is clear that Gary lived in his shadow and is somewhat in awe of his father to this day.

Do not expect many laughs in this book; the funniest thing about it is the title. If you love Eric Morecambe as much as I do, you will find this a rather sad book. He may have been one of the world's greatest comedians, but I think he may have been a little flawed as a father.

[Mark Short · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is as much about Gary Morecambe as Eric and that makes it a very interesting read. Seeing how someone copes in a very famous person's shadow gives the book more depth than the usual biography. Well worth a read

[Maya Panika · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title is somewhat misleading; this book is much more Gary Morecambe's autobiography than a look at the life of his father. It's very warts and all, and consequently, not an easy read, if you're a fan (and who isn't?).
RTF.

[Ian McLagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read about the life of Eric Morecambe or more to the point , the life of Eric Morecambe as seen through the eyes of one of his children (His son Gary) and what life can be like as a son of someone who is incredibly famous .

[Alex Mayberry · Rating 3 out of 5]

An unflashy but competently written book.

[Mike Rymarz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, short, snappy and very readable

[Sinead · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book from Eric's eldest son Gary, offering a powerful insight into their relationship. What is clear is that Eric is just as loved now as he was then.

[Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I am honest, I am not really into biographies or autobiographies. If it were not for the subject matter, i.e. the life of Eric Morecambe, I would not have read this book. It had an interesting slant as it was written by his son and after his death, so there were occasions in the book where you felt he was able to make insights and allege things that he could not have when his father was alive. This is not to say that he paints a picture of his father as a monster, it is more of a case of “warts and all”, though that might be overstating the case, and it is up to the reader to decide. I did not come away thinking that Eric Morecombe had a dark side. Anyone who is interested in the famous British comedy duo Morecombe and Wise that were held with such affection for among other things their Christmas specials should dip into this book.

[Deirdre · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, as I always enjoyed Morecambe & Wise. This is written by Eric Morecambe's son Gary, & is a lovely tribute to his father.

Even though it isn't a glossed over caricature of his father, it is still obvious to see that he was someone he admired & respected as a person, not just as a parent.

Definitely a good read, but don't expect any "revelations" or anything of that ilk. It's a nice book about the man, as remembered by his son.

[Jono Carney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I expected it to be. Ended up as sort of a mixture of the story of EM and the effect having a famous father had on the author. Sometimes funny and with plenty of interesting stories, worth a look if you are a big Morecambe & Wise fan.

[James Hamblin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a very detailed description into the life of both Eric Morecambe and the relationship between him and his son, "Gary Morecambe". Gary shared a great length of his experience on the comic legend himself.

[Karen]

great book and very honest story on eric morecambe and gary relationshiop with his father

[David Freeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sad end to a very funny man. Obviously much loved by his son though.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply adore Eric Morecambe. I've read this twice now and simply love it. he was such a funny and committed man.