They brought us sunshine...
Usually it was Ernie’s “short, fat, hairy legs” that were the butt of the jokes. But here in 1968 it is Eric who pairs a top hat and tails with shorts and tights. BY STEVE MYALL THIS weekend marks the 50th anniversary of the BBC’s first Morecambe and Wise Show.
To celebrate, BBC History has made public for the first time pictures showing the comedy duo with stars such as Elton John, Sir John Mills and Glenda Jackson.
Comedian Jon Culshaw said: “Eric and Ernie brought joy to so many.” Ann Hamilton, here co-starring in a 1970 sketch, could be classed as the third person in the great Morecambe & Wise double act. After retiring in 1987 she became a dog trainer. What’s that Sooty? You want to swap Sweep for little Ern?
Eric met his match when he dressed as the glove puppet, here with puppeteer Harry Corbett in 1972. With Oscar-winning actor John Mills in uniform it looks like Celebrity Dad’s Army but this 1971 sketch with John Ammonds was called Escape from Stalag 54. Time for a fanfare – 1968 was the start of Eric and Ernie’s golden era, when they moved to the BBC and would soon attract as many as 20million viewers watching their shows. Eric and Ernie had a bad habit of making us laugh with gags like: “My neighbour asked if he could use my lawnmower and I told him of course he could, so long as he didn’t take it out of my garden.”
Here they play monks in a 1976 sketch. Elton John starred in the Christmas Day special in 1976. He asks: “Do you want this blues, reggae or funky?”
Quick as a flash, Eric says: “Can he say ‘funky’? No, ‘funky’. You were close.” Captain Keith Michell and Sgt Ernie of the French Foreign Legion are holding out against great odds in 1971.
Relief is in the form of Private Eric complete with deckchair and inflatable ring in search of a holiday camp. You should never ask a Scotsman what he wears under his kilt... in case he shows you.
But with Eric it was obviously his sporran to All Gas and Gaiters guest Derek Nimmo’s relief.