Eric and Ern
WHEN Morecambe and Wise stepped out to perform at Newcastle City Hall this week 45 years ago the comedy duo were firmly established national treasures and two of Britain’s most famous and popular showbusiness stars.
For those of us growing up in the 1970s, they were like two hilarious uncles who lit up TV screens in family homes across the country.
Their Christmas specials especially were watched by huge audiences of tens of millions. Anyone of a certain age will remember the pair’s hilarious sketch with classical composer Andre Previn (aka ‘Andrew Preview’) in 1971 or TV news presenter Angela Rippon showing off her dancing skills on their 1976 festive show.
The pair had trodden the boards of the nation’s provincial theatres, including the likes of the now-vanished Newcastle Empire, honing their considerable skills before becoming household names and stars of both the small screen and the big screen.
The mid-60s had seen them starring in three feature films, including the successful That Riveria Touch.
Both Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise were 51 when they stepped out at Newcastle City Hall for a show on Saturday, June 25, 1977. The pair received rave reviews in our sister title The Journal after providing “one and a half hours of giggles and laughter.”
Our reporter declared: “They were superbly, faultlessly professional and very, very funny. Millions will already know that but to see them live is really something else.
“They are poised and on the alert for anything happening in the audience which can be woven in to the act.
“A photographer’s flash bulb pops - immediately they pose with fixed grins on their faces. Audience question time - and the answers sound part of a faultless comedy script.
“The way they do it is with professional relaxed ad-libbing of the kind which can only come from years of working together.
“Everyone from babies to great grannies in the audience was kept totally absorbed by the two middleaged gentlemen cavorting on stage.”
Our reviewer also noted there were no “smutty humour or blue jokes.”
Indeed, only Eric and Ernie could get away with innocuously sitting up in the
same bed together in their pyjamas (as they did in their TV show), Eric smoking his pipe and reading The Beano and Ernie reading a serious newspaper.
The famous pair had fond memories of performing in Newcastle, revealing on one occasion as they drove out of the city they were stopped by police cars - only to be asked by the pursuing officers for their autographs.
In a Chronicle interview in August 1971, Eric - also a well-known football director - talked of his long-standing friendship with Malcolm Macdonald, who had just signed for United from Morecambe’s beloved Luton Town.
The comic said prophetically: “Malcolm is going to be one of the greats. He’ll play for England in my opinion. On top of that he has short, fat hairy legs. He swears too. What more could you ask for?”
The laughter finally stopped in May 1984. Following a history of health problems, Morecambe collapsed on stage in Gloucestershire after suffering from a heart attack and never regaining consciousness. He was 58.
Wise died of heart failure in a hospital near Slough in 1999 aged 73 - the end of an era for British comedy.