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Morecambe and Wise
This thorough and thoroughly enjoyable biography of Britain's best- loved double act opens with the phenomena that was their 1977 Christmas Day television show. An unequalled audience of 29 million viewers watched Eric and Ernie do their stuff while Angela Rippon high kicked, Eddie Waring turned back flips, and a confused Elton John complained of having been "all over the place" looking for the studio. "In that suit?", replied an incredulous Eric. This was the last great flowering of the music halls transported to nearly every sitting room in the UK. Graham McCann evocatively recreates the now lost world of entertainment where the young Eric Barthlomew and Ernie Wiseman learned their trade. But it was when they escaped sharing a bill with unicyclists and paper tearers and got on the box that they were finally crowned as a national institution.
McCann does not hide the exhausting hard work that went into their shows, or stint in his praise for their scriptwriters, but it is in recalling their genius for making people of all classes laugh--apparently including the Queen who watched in 1977--that this book is a most affectionate and fitting tribute to two men who really did bring sunshine to millions. --Nick Wroe
413 pages, Hardcover
First published October 29, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 10, 2019
One of the best comedy duos ever! I love Morecambe and Wise and watch their TV series a lot as I have them all on dvd.
Their timing was always spot on and no one will ever be as good as they were.
I really enjoyed this book although I knew a lot of it already but, it was still a lovely fun read.
Their timing was always spot on and no one will ever be as good as they were.
I really enjoyed this book although I knew a lot of it already but, it was still a lovely fun read.
May 17, 2009
Those living outside of the UK - and certainly those of you in the states - probably have no idea how big a part of British culture Morecambe and Wise are. Indeed their 1977 Christmas special was watched by more than half the population, and even now Eric & Ern are a big cultural touchstone.
McCann's book - written while Ernie Wise was still alive - is more of a professional biography than a delve into their private lives (these contemporaries of Sellers, Milligan and Hancock are pretty much scandal free). Instead he concentrates on the early lows and later highs of their careers, drawing on amusing anecdotes that keep the pages turning. Furthermore there's a warmth running through this book that makes us remember why these men were so eagerly invited into the nation's living rooms.
You'll no doubt have to know something of Eric & Ern for the book to work, but if you do, then it's well worth checking out.
McCann's book - written while Ernie Wise was still alive - is more of a professional biography than a delve into their private lives (these contemporaries of Sellers, Milligan and Hancock are pretty much scandal free). Instead he concentrates on the early lows and later highs of their careers, drawing on amusing anecdotes that keep the pages turning. Furthermore there's a warmth running through this book that makes us remember why these men were so eagerly invited into the nation's living rooms.
You'll no doubt have to know something of Eric & Ern for the book to work, but if you do, then it's well worth checking out.
December 23, 2017
Loved this. Brought back many happy memories of the finest comedy duo I think Britain has ever produced. It is to their eternal credit that whenever their shows are broadcast now, they still draw big audiences. Nothing beats the Andre Preview sketch either. This book gives a great biography of the pair of them (and it is nice to see Ernie Wise rightly being given proper accolade as the best straight man we've had in the UK. A great comedian, like Eric Morecambe, needed Ernie's role. Either would have been weaker without the other). Good entertaining read.
March 20, 2018
An interesting account of their lives and the variety tradition of England.
November 23, 2024
What do you think of it so far?
Rubbish!
Thankfully, the above remains only a famous quote from Eric Morecambe himself rather than any sort of comment on McCann's rather good biography of the British comedy giants,
Taking a traditional linear approach - from birth, to youth, to music hall, to TV and to national fame and fortune - McCann walks us through the important milestones of their lives whilst also analysing what made their partnership resonate with British public. The information seems spot on - his own interviews mixed with a plenty of archival research -but McCann uses Eric and Ern' to also explore the shift of British taste from on-stage variety to the delights offered by TV as well as some of the behind the scenes history of the BBC
There's little of the salacious here - perhaps the worst thing is Bill Cotton's heartbroken reaction to the boys upping and leaving BBC for ITV - as Morecambe and Wise seemed to be generally beloved by those who worked with them. True, they were workaholics and perfectionists to a fault (this work ethic probably helping to hurry along Eric's fatal heart attack at the age of 58) but they were charming and generous to collaborators. Yet it never feels like a cash-in hagiography. All the boxes are ticked - the Previn sketch, Angela Ripon's legs and Glenda Jackson's asp - but in all those McCann explores just WHY these worked alongside the historical facts (such as Previn learning his lines in the back of a cab on the way to the studio). There's also some fascinating stuff about what made Eddie Braben such the perfect writer for Eric and Ernie.
A well-researched book and a illuminating snapshot of a Britain long past
Now: Bring me Sunshine, Bring me rain....
Rubbish!
Thankfully, the above remains only a famous quote from Eric Morecambe himself rather than any sort of comment on McCann's rather good biography of the British comedy giants,
Taking a traditional linear approach - from birth, to youth, to music hall, to TV and to national fame and fortune - McCann walks us through the important milestones of their lives whilst also analysing what made their partnership resonate with British public. The information seems spot on - his own interviews mixed with a plenty of archival research -but McCann uses Eric and Ern' to also explore the shift of British taste from on-stage variety to the delights offered by TV as well as some of the behind the scenes history of the BBC
There's little of the salacious here - perhaps the worst thing is Bill Cotton's heartbroken reaction to the boys upping and leaving BBC for ITV - as Morecambe and Wise seemed to be generally beloved by those who worked with them. True, they were workaholics and perfectionists to a fault (this work ethic probably helping to hurry along Eric's fatal heart attack at the age of 58) but they were charming and generous to collaborators. Yet it never feels like a cash-in hagiography. All the boxes are ticked - the Previn sketch, Angela Ripon's legs and Glenda Jackson's asp - but in all those McCann explores just WHY these worked alongside the historical facts (such as Previn learning his lines in the back of a cab on the way to the studio). There's also some fascinating stuff about what made Eddie Braben such the perfect writer for Eric and Ernie.
A well-researched book and a illuminating snapshot of a Britain long past
Now: Bring me Sunshine, Bring me rain....
August 11, 2026
Excellent just Excellent.
August 9, 2024
A fantastic biography. First class.
February 21, 2016
When first published in 1998 this told what was then, a less familiar story about the rise of the best double act of all time. Reading this now , despite their story having been retold on television and in numerous books and DVDs that celebrate the duo, it is still one with surprises- not least how hard they had to work in the early days to get recognition and their telling loyalty to the act when there was a temptation to pursue solo careers.
McCann is a sympathetic storyteller and provides good context on the role of the BBC and its strict rules as a medium initially dominated by radio that forbad any innuendo and was nervous about a variety routine. The 20 minutes of material that served them well in theatres was not enough for TV. Thus the role of the writer is also emphasised. Their first foray into TV could have been their last-Running Wild was a disaster- one scathing review was carried around by Morecambe forever after- "whats the definition of television- the box they buried Morecambe and Wise in".
Only with the arrival of Eddie Braben as a writer did they really have a muse- who understood their rhythms and personalities and the golden years of their TV careers arrived. McCann is hard pressed to explain their move to ITV - Wise claimed it was simply about money but McCann reveals that the BBC matched ITV's offer- his own theory is that ITV promised the duo another go at making a film after their risible trio of films in the 60s had failed to produce any film career, particularly important for Wise...
The final years saw a decline in their fortunes, in part due to Morecambe's health and his desire to rest- though he was incapable of that pursuing numerous hobbies including writing a number of novels- I would have liked a little more on the novels - McCann hurries over this aspect.
Finally the tragedy of Morecambe's death and its effect on Wise are dealt with and there book ends on a literally dying fall......a worthy book with an extensive listing of all the duo's performances in theatre, radio and TV plus a full set of scholarly notes and a bibliography make this a book well worth reading. Anyone who disagrees....I'll smash his face in...
McCann is a sympathetic storyteller and provides good context on the role of the BBC and its strict rules as a medium initially dominated by radio that forbad any innuendo and was nervous about a variety routine. The 20 minutes of material that served them well in theatres was not enough for TV. Thus the role of the writer is also emphasised. Their first foray into TV could have been their last-Running Wild was a disaster- one scathing review was carried around by Morecambe forever after- "whats the definition of television- the box they buried Morecambe and Wise in".
Only with the arrival of Eddie Braben as a writer did they really have a muse- who understood their rhythms and personalities and the golden years of their TV careers arrived. McCann is hard pressed to explain their move to ITV - Wise claimed it was simply about money but McCann reveals that the BBC matched ITV's offer- his own theory is that ITV promised the duo another go at making a film after their risible trio of films in the 60s had failed to produce any film career, particularly important for Wise...
The final years saw a decline in their fortunes, in part due to Morecambe's health and his desire to rest- though he was incapable of that pursuing numerous hobbies including writing a number of novels- I would have liked a little more on the novels - McCann hurries over this aspect.
Finally the tragedy of Morecambe's death and its effect on Wise are dealt with and there book ends on a literally dying fall......a worthy book with an extensive listing of all the duo's performances in theatre, radio and TV plus a full set of scholarly notes and a bibliography make this a book well worth reading. Anyone who disagrees....I'll smash his face in...
June 28, 2016
not bad. i read any tripe as long it has M&W in it. i love them so much. its good. that why i gave it 4 stars. i just feel that there are better books about eric and ernie out there than this one. i read it and enjoyed it nonetheless
September 2, 2013
A very well written and researched look at the best entertainers this country has ever produced.
February 16, 2015
This book goes into a great detail of the real story behind Morecambe and Wise's lives from beginning to end.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews