John Eric Bartholomew, OBE (14 May 1926 – 28 May 1984), known by his stage name Eric Morecambe, was an English comedian who together with Ernie Wise formed the award-winning double act Morecambe and Wise. The partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984. Morecambe took his stage name from his home town, the seaside resort of Morecambe.He was the co-star of the television series The Morecambe & Wise Show, which for some of its Christmas episodes gained UK viewing figures of over twenty-eight million people. In 2002 he was named one of the 100 Greatest Britons in a BBC poll.
BAFTA Fellowship, British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance
Music Groups
Morecambe and Wise
Movies
Night Train to Murder, The Passionate Pilgrim, The Magnificent Two, That Riviera Touch, The Intelligence Men
TV Shows
The Morecambe & Wise Show, Piccadilly Palace
Star Sign
Taurus
#
Quote
1
I always take my wife morning tea in my pajamas, but is she grateful? No, she says she'd rather have it in a cup.
2
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.
3
I'm playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order.
4
We had not had time to establish ourselves as a double act before Ernie joined the Merchant Navy. I teamed up with the brother of the late Dave Morris.
5
Together with script writers Syd green and Dick Hills, we worked on the comedy ideas for this series.
6
I know this great Doctor, if you're at Death's Door he'll pull you through!
His real surname was Bartholomew. In Morecambe where he was born there is a pub called the Eric Bartholomew, named in his honour. It is close to a bronze statue of him on the seafront.
5
Was director of Luton Town FC from 1970 to 1977, when he resigned and became the club's vice-president.
6
Made his professional debut in 1939 in a touring show at the age of thirteen, having won a talent competition over 100 other contestants. There, he first met Ernie Wise.
7
Wrote a novel, entitled "Mr. Lonely", and a children's book, "The Reluctant Vampire".
8
His hobbies included photography and twitching (bird watching).
9
Was fond of doing Long John Silver impressions.
10
Avidly involved with charity work on behalf of heart research.
11
After appearing on their first television show, Running Wild (1954), Morecambe and Wise received many highly critical and derogatory reviews in newspapers, one of which said "Definition of Television - the box they buried Morecambe and Wise in". Eric carried a cutting of that review in his wallet for the rest of his life.
12
Has a ward at Harefield Hospital, Middlesex in the UK named after him.
13
He worked as a Bevin boy (i.e. was drafted into coal mining) during World War II, in Accrington, Lancashire.
14
He was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1976 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to entertainment.
15
He called himself 'Morecambe' after his home town in England, UK
16
He appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) (aka "The Ed Sullivan Show"), with his partner-in-comedy, Ernie Wise, numerous times during the 1960s.
17
His wife, Joan Morecambe, was a former dancer and model.
Morecambe was one of five comedians pictured on a set of UK postage stamps issued 23 April 1998. His caricatured likeness was on the 26p stamp. The other comedians honored were Tommy Cooper (20p), Joyce Grenfell (37p), Les Dawson (43p), and Peter Cook (63p).
20
He was a lifelong fan of Luton Town Football club, and often wrote material about them for comedy sketches. Eric Morecambe Suite named in his honor at the ground.
21
He collapsed and died on-stage at The Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury in May 1984, watched by his wife, immediately after appearing in a show with Stan Stennett.
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Night Train to Murder
1983
TV Movie written by
The Morecambe & Wise Show
1978-1981
TV Series additional material - 10 episodes
The Morecambe & Wise Show
1972-1977
TV Series additional material - 19 episodes
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Passionate Pilgrim
1984
Short
Lord Eric
Night Train to Murder
1983
TV Movie
Eric Morecambe
Late Flowering Love
1981
Short
Funny Uncle
Rubbish Tips
1980
Short
The Sweeney
1978
TV Series
Eric Morecambe
Simon Simon
1970
Short
Roof Tiler
The Magnificent Two
1967
Eric / Fernando Torres
That Riviera Touch
1966
Eric Simpson
The Intelligence Men
1965
Eric Morecambe
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Eric & Ernie
2011
TV Movie performer: "Positive Thinking"
Neds
2010
performer: "Bring Me Sunshine"
Disco Pigs
2001
performer: "Bring Me Sunshine"
The Beatles Anthology
1995
TV Mini-Series documentary performer - 1 episode
The Morecambe & Wise Show
1973-1976
TV Series performer - 3 episodes
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Saturday Show
1984
TV Series
Himself
The Morecambe & Wise Show
1978-1983
TV Series
Himself / Various Characters
Looks Familiar
1976-1978
TV Series
Himself - Guest / Himself
The Morecambe & Wise Show
1968-1977
TV Series
Himself / Himself - Host
Everyman
1977
TV Series documentary
Himself
The Big Time
1976
TV Series documentary
Himself
It's Childsplay
1976
TV Series
Himself - Presenter
Parkinson
1972-1974
TV Series
Himself
Omnibus
1973-1974
TV Series documentary
Himself - Narrator / Himself
Fifty Bighearted Years: The Variety Club of Great Britain's Tribute to Arthur Askey
1974
TV Movie
Himself
Eric & Ernie Live
1973
TV Movie
Himself
Wildlife Spectacular
1971
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Frost on Sunday
1970
TV Series
Himself - Best Light Entertainment Personality Winner
One Pair of Eyes
1969
TV Series documentary
Himself
A Christmas Night with the Stars
1968
TV Series
Himself
The Ed Sullivan Show
1963-1968
TV Series
Comedian / Himself / Himself - Comedian
Two of a Kind
1961-1968
TV Series
Himself
Those Two Fellers
1967
TV Series
Himself - Guest
Look at Life: Funny Business Is No Joke
1967
Documentary short
Himself
The London Palladium Show
1966
TV Series
Himself
Val Parnell's Sunday Night at the London Palladium
1955-1965
TV Series
Himself
Juke Box Jury
1964
TV Series
Himself - Panellist
The Royal Variety Performance 1964
1964
TV Movie
Himself (as Morecambe and Wise)
The Royal Variety Performance 1961
1961
TV Movie
Himself (as Morecambe and Wise)
The Jo Stafford Show
1961
TV Series
Himself
Spectacular
1959-1960
TV Series
Himself / Himself - Guest
Little Miss Music
1960
TV Series
Himself - Guest
The Good Old Days
1958-1959
TV Series
Himself - Performer / Himself
Blackpool Show Parade
1957-1959
TV Series
Himself
Stars at Blackpool
1953-1957
TV Series
Himself
Double Six
1957
TV Series
Himself
This Is Show Business
1956
TV Series
Himself
The Winifred Atwell Show
1956
TV Series
Himself
Running Wild
1954
TV Series
Himself
Variety Parade
1953
TV Series
Himself
Parade of Youth
1951
TV Short
Himself (as Morecambe and Wise)
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
To See Such Fun
1977
Documentary
Himself
The Dean Martin Comedy World
1974
TV Series
Himself
The Morecambe and Wise Story: Look Back in Laughter
$8 Million
