14 May: Morecambe and Wise

This date in 1926 saw the birth of Eric Morecambe, English comedian, best known for his work with Ernie Wise. 10 facts about Morecambe and Wise.

1. Eric Morecambe was born John Eric Bartholomew, and Ernie Wise was originally Ernest Wiseman.
2. They first met in 1941 when they were each booked separately to appear in Jack Hylton's revue, Youth Takes a Bow, at the Nottingham Empire Theatre. There was a break when they both got called up to serve in World War II - Wise joined the Merchant Navy, while Morecambe was conscripted to become a Bevin Boy and worked as a coal miner in Accrington. After the war, they met at the Swansea Empire Theatre, again by chance, and joined forces.
3. Ernie shortened his last name to Wise, and for a while the duo was called Bartholomew and Wise. Eric decided to change his name, to Morecambe, after his home town. For a while, Ernie considered re-naming himself Leeds after his home town, but decided in the end that Morecambe and Leeds sounded too much like a day out on the train.
4. They did the rounds of theatres and Radio before first appearing on TV in 1954. Although they were to become one of, if not the, most popular duos ever, their first show, Running Wild, didn't go down so well. A Newspaper review of the time read "Definition of the week: TV set—the box in which they buried Morecambe and Wise." It's said Eric carried that review around with him ever after.
5. They starred in some films, too. The Intelligence Men (1965), That Riviera Touch (1966), The Magnificent Two (1967) and Night Train To Murder (1983).
6. They didn't sing Bring Me Sunshine at the end of every single show. Sometimes they sang another song called Positive Thinking - but it's Bring Me Sunshine which really caught on.
7. Ernie is said to have made the first mobile phone call in the UK in 1985 when he called Vodafone's Headquarters in Newbury, Berkshire from St Katharine Docks, east London. While it later came to light that Sir Ernest Harrison, chairman of Vodafone had already had a mobile phone call from his son, Michael, Ernie's was still the first call to be made by a member of the public.
8. In 1976, they were both awarded the OBE.
9. They both died of heart attacks, Eric in 1984 - he had his third heart attack as he left the stage of the Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury after a show and died later in hospital. Ernie lived until 1999. he had two heart attacks while on holiday in Florida and had a triple heart bypass in Fort Lauderdale. He was flown home by an air ambulance, but died a few weeks later.
10. There are statues dedicated to both in their home towns. In March 2010, Ernie's widow Doreen unveiled a statue of him in his home town of Morley, West Yorkshire, and there is a statue of Eric in Morecambe. He is shown with binoculars around his neck, to acknowledge that he was a keen birdwatcher in his spare time. Little and Large nearly called their act Syd Blackpool and Eddie Daft, but decided in the end that nobody could copy Morecambe and Wise.

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