Who were Morecambe and Wise and when did Eric and Ernie die?
MORECAMBE and Wise fans will be treated to an unseen show of the iconic comedy duo on Wednesday, July 28, on ITV at 9pm.
But who were Eric and Ernie, when did they pass away and what are their best-known sketches?
Who were Morecambe and Wise?
Long before the days of Ant and Dec or French and Saunders, Morecambe and Wise were the comedy duo having everyone in stitches.
They were born John Eric Bartholomew (Eric Morecambe) in May 1926, and Ernest Wiseman (Ernie Wise) in November 1925.
The partnership began by chance in 1941, when they were booked separately to appear on stage in Nottingham, and lasted right up until Morecambe’s death in 1984.
The Morecambe And Wise Show, which ran from 1968-1983, made them a household name, and the duo are often cited as Britain’s best-loved double act.
Eric was married to Joan Bartlett, and they had three kids – Gail, Gary and Stephen – with Stephen being adopted by the couple.
Ernie was married to dancer Doreen Blythe, and the couple did not have kids.
Cementing their popularity, Morecambe and Wise were both awarded the OBE in 1976.
When did Morecambe and Wise die?
Eric died in Cheltenham in May 1984, at the age of 58.
A heavy smoker, he had suffered his first major heart attack in 1968, the same year The Morecambe And Wise Show launched, at the wheel of his car aged just 42.
After two weeks in hospital, he returned home – vowing to give up his 50-a-day cigarette habit.
Despite his health problems, Eric continued to work – but had a second heart attack in 1979, and needed a heart bypass operation.
Five years later, he collapsed from a third and final heart attack, literally moments after walking off stage.
Eric had been performing in a charity show, hosted by his pal Stan Stennett, and his wife Joan says he was “on top form” just minutes before his death.
He died a few hours later, in Cheltenham General Hospital.
His partner Ernie passed away in March 1999, at the age of 73. He died from heart failure and a chest infection, in Nuffield Hospital, Wexham, near Slough.
Ernie’s widow Doreen later revealed that the comic genius spent the last few years of his life paranoid and depressed.
He had lost half his sight and hearing following a series of strokes, and his medication made him short-tempered.
Tragically, Doreen says the star “had no idea how much he was appreciated”, in his biography Little Ern!
What are Morecambe and Wise’s most famous sketches?
Many of Morecambe and Wise’s sketches revolved around guest stars.
One of the most famous examples was the 1971 appearance of Oscar and Grammy-winning composer Andre Previn, who was introduced by Ernie as ‘Andrew Preview’.
The sketch’s popularity was proven when, 25 years later, London cabbies were still calling Andre ‘Mr Preview’.
Another popular sketch was their 1976 parody of Singin’ In The Rain.
Most Read In Celebrity
Ernie follows Gene Kelly’s dance moves step for step in the sketch, the only difference being that there’s no rain – except for the occasional downpour, through a drain or out of a window, straight onto his head.
Also in their hall of fame is The Breakfast Sketch, a mimic of a stripper routine.
The pair’s signature song was Bring Me Sunshine, which they either sang at the end of the show or used as a theme tune during the credits.