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| ERIC & ERNIE STORY |
| ERIC BIOGRAPHY |
| ERNIE BIOGRAPHY |
| PICTURE GALLERY |
| PLEASE SIGN THE GUESTBOOK |
| VIEW THE GUESTBOOK | SCREENSAVERS | CHATROOM |
Eric
Morecambe & Ernie Wise met at an audition in early 1939. It was organised by Band
Leader & Showman Jack Hylton. Ernie had been performing for some time & was, even
then quite a celebrity. Jack was auditioning youth talent for a new show & took Ernie
along for his valued opinion. Eric (they both agreed) shone out as being by far the best
performer that day .. there eyes met for the first time that day, but they didn't speak.
The show was
in two sections, the first part featured adults, one of which was Harmonica player Arthur
Tolcher, who I'm sure you will remember as the hapless Harmonica player that was always
unceremoniously thrown off many Morecambe & Wise TV shows .. The boys looked after
their own !!.
Eric thought
Ernie a show-off & didn't particularly take to him. Sadie (Eric's mother)
travelled wit £30.00 per show.
It was about
this time that Ernie married dancer Doreen Blythe & then Eric married Joan Bartlett
(Ernie was best man).These proved to be marriages for life (unlike most of todays
'stars').
At the end
of 1953 they had a brief TV appearance on a variety show , the race was on to sign them
!!!.
They were
appearing at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool when Ronnie Waldman of the BBC light
entertainment department offered them their own TV series , "Ernie & I looked at
each other & said, Well do it !".
At 21:00 on
25th April 1954 The first 'Running Wild' show was aired live from the Television
Theatre Shepards Bush there were 6 episodes & it was a complete disaster. Both the
public & press savaged them, here's an exert from The People Newspaper :->
Definition of the week : TV set = The box in which they Buried Morecambe & Wise.
Eric never
forgot this & until the sad day of his death carried the cutting around with him. He
said a little later , "Those critics .. they broke my heart, my wives heart & my
partners heart !.
The show was
totally controlled by SUITS at the BBC .. it was a valuable lesson for Eric & Ernie,
they would never relinquish control again.
Very lean
& humiliating times followed, they had gone from Top Stars to scrounging round for
work & having to settle, at times for fourth place on the bill. With tremendous loving
support from their wives & Sadie, they managed to pick themselves up & with hard
work & sheer determination, they bounced back.
Between 21st
April 1956 & 23rd June 1956 they appeared as resident comic's on The Winifred Atwell
Show on ITV ... They had full control of their act which was written by comedy genius
'Johnny Speight',(writer of till death us do part etc). The public & critics alike
loved their part in the show & grew to love them (as we do now !).
From 11
August 1957 - 8th September 1957 (Sunday's) they hosted a TV revue show called 'Double
Six'. Then at last, due to huge public demand, on 12th October 1961 the first Morecambe
& Wise Show was aired under the name 'Two of a kind' ..... and the rest, I'm glad to
say is history.
Between 12th
October 1961 & 26th December 1983 they recorded over 169 TV shows + 3 Feature Films
(not including 'Night Train To Murder'), the highlight being the 1977 Christmas Special
which pulled in a record audience of 28 MILLION viewers !.
Eric &
Ernie were awarded an OBE in 1976.
On 28th May
1984 just after coming off the stage of a charity show in Gloucester, Eric had a massive
heart attack & died ... the sunshine had gone forever !!!, the world without him is a
much sadder place.
A while ago
the BBC celebrated it's 60th birthday by asking the public to vote for their favourite
performers of all time. Eric & Ernie together won . Favourite Light Entertainment
Series & Favourite Light Entertainment Performers.
This 22
years after Eric's death .. we the British public really did love them.
I would also
personally like to congratulate the boys as they were given THE FELLOWSHIP AWARD, at the
1999 BAFTA's which was touchingly collected
by their wives.
Norman
Elliott
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Name : John Eric Bartholomew.
Born : 12:30 P.M. 14th May 1926.
Home Town : Morecambe... A North Lancashire Seaside Resort .. UK.
Farther : George Bartholomew..... Labourer for the Morecambe & Heysham Corporation.
Mother : Sadie (Sarah) Bartholomew... Cotton Weaver, Usher & Waitress.
Brothers : None.
Sisters : None.
Children : Gary, an accomplished author, who I thank for giving me an insight into the man &
for writing with such passion that I have been regularly moved to tears & laughter.
: Gail, a volunteer for Victim support.
: Steven, the youngest.
Grandchildren :
: Gails Children - Adam (see very moving quote at the end) & Amelia.
: Garys Children - Jack, Henry, Arthur & Dereka.
John Eric Bartholomew (Eric Morecambe), was born on 14th May 1926 at 42 Buxton Street ( a neighbours house) the Bartholomews actually lived at 48 Buxton Street.
Eric could walk at 10 month's, talk at 12 month's & sing entire songs at 14 month's. At the age of 3 years Eric was regularly entertaining Family & Friends.
Eric hated school so his mother (Sadie), desperate (not Des 'o' Connor) for her son to make his mark, encouraged him into a showbiz career. She took on many extra jobs to send Eric to Singing & Dancing lessons .. one of these extra jobs was as usherette on Morecambe's Central Pier Theatre.
Eric was excited & driven by the fact that Stan Laurel came from 'Ulverstone', which is just a stonesthrow from Morecambe.
The young Eric had calling cards made up to promote his 'show' :
MASTER ERIC BARTHOLOMEW
VOCAL COMEDY & DANCING
Sadie encouraged Eric to enter a series of talent contests, of these we know he won at least three .. here's a copy of a local press revue of the time :
MORECAMBE BOY FIRST
A show within a show was staged at the Arcadian Theatre on Saturday night when the final of the talent spotting competition took place.
The standard of local talent was suprisingly high & the audience enjoyed it immensely. It was only after considerable difficulty that Peter Bernard, one of the artists in the variety show, was able to select the three winners, who were chosen by the applause the audience gave them.
First prize was won by the Morecambe boy, Eric Bartholomew, whose singing of 'I'm not all there' really got the crowd going.
Soon Eric had more bookings than he could handle. One of the high points of his act (as you can see from above) was a rendition of the comedy song ' I'm not all there'.
In early 1939 Sadie took Eric to the Kingsway Cinema in Hoylake near Birkenhead for the Lancashire & Cheshire area heat of a national search for talent competition, organised by 'The Melody Maker' ... again Eric won ... here's a press revue of his performance :
There are a hundred competitors in the area & the ten finalists appeared at the Kingsway Cinema, Hoylake, a week ago. Eric Bartholomew put over a brilliant comedy act which caused the audience to roar with laughter. In an interview, he said, 'My ambition is to become a comedian. My hero is George Formby'.
Eric's prize was an audition with Bandleader & Showman Jack Hylton, in Manchester. A young man called Ernie Wise was in the audience ( acting as Jack's advisor ), it was Eric & Ernie's first meeting, they didn't speak. Both Jack Hylton & Ernie were impressed with Eric.
About three months later Jack Hylton offered Eric a part in the show ' Youths Takes a Bow', Eric accepted & started immediately . Two months later Ernie joined the cast ... For full Double Act Biog see Eric 'n' Ernie Biog in Main Menu.
Eric married Joan Barlett on 11th December 1952, they enjoyed a very happy life together & had 2 children .. Gary & Gail ... Eric always loved Joan, proving it in many ways. On the day after Gary was born, Eric went outside & mixed some concrete, he then proceeded to write JOAN, THANK YOU & I LOVE YOU, apparently this was only one of many romantic acts ... how lucky they both where !!. Ernie was best man at the wedding.
On 28th May 1984 just after coming off stage of a charity show at The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury U.K. Eric collapsed with a huge heart attack, he was rushed to hospital. Laying in bed unconscious , the nurse advised Joan that trying to wake him may help, she shouted loudly at him, though he didn't open his eyes, he squeezed her hand, then became still ... at just before 4:00 A.M. .... the Sunshine had gone. I like to think that the squeezing of her hand was Eric saying to Joan 'It's all right & I Love You .....
Eric's 3 year old grandson (Gails Son), Adam was quoted as saying
"Does that mean there wont be anymore magic".
Ernie on Eric's Death :
"It's the saddest day of my life .. I feel like I've lost a limb, I have been robbed of a partner & brother, there is a cold draught down one side of me where Eric should be".
Joan on the public's reaction :
"I was just so overwhelmed at the reaction from everybody, that they should feel so much grief for someone who wasn't really a member of their family - and yet they all felt he was".
Joan's reaction I have not heard of & can't even imagine ... suffice to say even after all these years I send my condolences & hopefully those of all who read this page.
The Funeral :
The funeral was held at The Church of St Nicholas in Harpenden, on Monday 4th June 1984 ... even though it was a very sad occasion it turned into a celebration of Eric's life .. a while before, Eric had written to Dickie Henderson & asked him to read at his funeral ... "I would like to be cremated & my favourite music is 'Smoke gets in your eyes' ", even in the face of death Eric could joke.
More than 1000 members of the public came to pay their respects.
Ernie fought back the tears to read the lyrics of 'Bring Me Sunshine'.
Ernie's floral tribute read .. 'Goodbye Sunshine, Miss You, Your Little Fat Friend'.
Eric's ashes were scattered in the Churches Gardens Of Remembrance.
I would like to offer my very belated condolences & hopefully the condolences of all visitors to this website, to Joan, Gary , Gail , Steven & all the Morecambe family.
God Bless You Eric .
Norman Elliott
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Comedian and actor who, as a member (the one with “short, fat, hairy legs”) of Morecambe and Wise, one of the most beloved comedy teams on British television, played straight man to Eric for over 40 years; the two were created O.B.E. in 1976
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Full Biog Coming Soon
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