The son of comedy legend Eric Morecambe has said his father would be “disappointed” at the lack of training instilled in “so-called stars” these days.
Together with his long-time partner Ernie Wise, Morecambe formed one of Britain’s best-loved double acts known for their clever wordplay, physical comedy, and musical numbers such as 1976’s “Singin’ in the Rain” parody featuring Morecambe as Gene Kelly and Wise as a sodden police officer.
The duo came to an end when Morecambe died in 1984 after suffering a heart attack on stage at the Roses theatre in Tewkesbury; he was 58. Today (14 May) would have been his 100th birthday.
In a commemorative piece for The Telegraph, his 70-year-old son Gary shed light on what his father would make of the current showbiz landscape.
“I also think my father would be surprised and disappointed that, these days, you don’t need to do anything special or have any kind of training to be a so-called star,” he wrote.
As a child in Lancashire, Morecambe entered – and frequently won – local talent contests. His mother, Sadie, sent him to “stage school” where he learnt to dance and sing. Later in his career, he and Wise cut their teeth doing “twice-nightly variety” shows.
Gary did, however, acknowledge his father would have been impressed at comedians selling out stadiums – “even though that’s not something Eric and Ernie would have wanted to do” due to the “intimate” nature of their comedy.
Gary noted that his father struggled to comprehend the lack of respect given to comedians in his time, writing: “He could never understand why comics were overlooked by the establishment, pointing out that actors such as Laurence Olivier were held in great esteem and given honours, but that it was harder to go out and make people laugh.”
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Elsewhere in the celebratory piece, Gary recalled a playful childhood with his father, from pretend shoot-outs at home (Morecambe was a huge fan of westerns; his son was named after cowboy actor Gary Cooper) to watching Luton Town Football Club play together.
To coincide with Morecambe’s centenary, a long-lost episode of The Morecambe and Wise show will be aired on the BBC.
The instalment, which originally broadcast on 16 September 1968, was found by the charity Film is Fabulous! Within the estate of a now-deceased industry professional.
It features British actor Ann Hamilton in a sketch set in a nudist colony, with Jenny Lee-Wright playing Morecambe’s niece. The Sixties pop trio The Paper Dolls provide a musical performance.
“When I got the call telling me it had been found, I was stunned,” wrote Gary. “It’s like getting a piece of him back.”
Speaking about the discovery last month, his sister, Gail Morecambe, said: “What a lovely surprise this is, and I’m really looking forward to seeing it on a screen once again after so many years. It’s excellent to hear that skilled people are actively going through the archives and discovering ‘lost’ programmes.
“I am especially thrilled that it coincides with my father’s centenary year. Really wonderful.”
While Gary and his sister will be watching at a special anniversary event, fans can watch Morecambe and Wise: the Lost Tape on BBC Four on 14 May at 8pm.
