"demonstrates how the piece should be played but Eric, after a moment's reflection, delivers a verdict of ""Rubbish!"" and he and Ernie walk off in disgust. Previn starts playing Eric's version and the duo rush back, declare that Previn has finally ""got it"" and start dancing ecstatically. The sketch's impact can be assessed by the fact that twenty-five years later, London taxi drivers were still addressing André Previn as ""Mr. Preview"". One of the famous Morecambe and Wise routines was their 1976 Christmas Show parody of the scene from the film ""Singin' in the Rain"" in which Gene Kelly dances"
"his ""Band Waggon"" radio show, billed as Britain's Mickey Rooney. Gradually, Wise and Morecambe formed a close friendship, and, in 1941, they began their comedy double act, which was to last until Morecambe's death in 1984. They made their debut together as ""Bartholomew and Wise"" on Thursday 28 August 1941, at the Liverpool Empire. A change of name followed in the autumn: after agreeing that the combination of their respective places of birth—Morecambe and Leeds—would make the act sound too much like a cheap day return, they settled on ""Morecambe and Wise"" During World War II, Morecambe was a Bevin"
"town of Morley, West Yorkshire where he won a talent contest in 1936. The statue was commissioned by the Morley Murals Committee and funded by Doreen. Ernie Wise Ernest Wiseman, (27 November 1925 – 21 March 1999), known by his stage name Ernie Wise, was an English comedian, best known as one half of the comedy duo Morecambe and Wise, who became a national institution on British television, especially for their Christmas specials. Ernest Wiseman, born in Bramley (a district of Leeds) to Harry and Connie Wiseman (née Wright) who married in St Thomas Stanningley, was the eldest of five"
"Morecambe and Wise Eric Morecambe (John Eric Bartholomew, 14 May 1926 – 28 May 1984) and Ernie Wise (Ernest Wiseman, 27 November 1925 – 21 March 1999), known as Morecambe and Wise (and sometimes as Eric and Ernie), were an iconic English comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984. The show was a significant part of British popular culture, and they have been described as ""the most illustrious, and the best-loved, double-act that Britain has ever produced"". In a list of the 100 Greatest"
"been recorded by: http://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/389292/Doctor-prescribes-The-Jive-Aces-Bring-Me-Sunshine-video-to-patient-with-winter-blues Bring Me Sunshine ""Bring Me Sunshine"" is a song written in 1966 by the composer Arthur Kent, with lyrics by Sylvia Dee, and first performed by American artists in the late 1960s. In the UK, the song is synonymous with the popular comedy duo Morecambe & Wise, after it was adopted as their signature tune in their second series for the BBC in 1969. Professor of Critical Musicology at the University of Leeds, Prof Derek B Scott, argues that the song is influenced by the Viennese popular style. He writes: Although the second verse was often"
"Bring Me Sunshine ""Bring Me Sunshine"" is a song written in 1966 by the composer Arthur Kent, with lyrics by Sylvia Dee, and first performed by American artists in the late 1960s. In the UK, the song is synonymous with the popular comedy duo Morecambe & Wise, after it was adopted as their signature tune in their second series for the BBC in 1969. Professor of Critical Musicology at the University of Leeds, Prof Derek B Scott, argues that the song is influenced by the Viennese popular style. He writes: Although the second verse was often performed by an orchestra"
"Ernie Wise Ernest Wiseman, (27 November 1925 – 21 March 1999), known by his stage name Ernie Wise, was an English comedian, best known as one half of the comedy duo Morecambe and Wise, who became a national institution on British television, especially for their Christmas specials. Ernest Wiseman, born in Bramley (a district of Leeds) to Harry and Connie Wiseman (née Wright) who married in St Thomas Stanningley, was the eldest of five children, and changed his surname (as did his future partner) to go into show business. He attended Thorpe Infant and Junior School, and then East Ardsley"
"of Morecambe & Wise's career written by Victoria Wood. This told the duo's story up to their return to variety following their first television series, and featured recreations of several scenes from ""Running Wild"". Running Wild (1954 TV series) Running Wild was a comedy sketch show originally broadcast by BBC television, the first TV series by English comedy double-act Morecambe and Wise. The first attempt by the pair at a television series, it aired for a single series of six episodes in 1954. ""Running Wild"" was Morecambe & Wise's first collaboration with Ernest Maxin, who subsequently worked with the duo"
"Eric Morecambe John Eric Bartholomew, (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 in Lancashire. He was the co-star of the television series ""The Morecambe & Wise Show"", which for one Christmas episode gained UK viewing figures of over 27 million people. One of the most prominent comedians in British popular culture, in"
"The Morecambe & Wise Show (1968 TV series) The Morecambe & Wise Show was a comedy sketch show originally broadcast by BBC television and the third TV series by English comedy double-act Morecambe and Wise. It began airing in 1968 on BBC2, specifically because it was then the only channel broadcasting in colour, following the duo's move to the BBC from ATV, where they had made ""Two of a Kind"" since 1961. ""The Morecambe & Wise Show"" was popular enough to be moved to BBC1, with its Christmas specials garnering prime-time audiences in excess of 20 million, some of the"
"1971 Morecambe and Wise sketch that featured conductor André Previn. Previn was told that the booked guest, Yehudi Menuhin, had cancelled because he was ""opening at the Argyle Theatre, Birkenhead in Old King Cole"". A large, decorative stone sign that was once attached to the Argyle Theatre's exterior was moved to the Williamson Art Gallery for preservation, prior to demolition. The inscription on the sign read: """"Argyle Theatre Of Varieties. Two Performances Nightly""."" A department store car park now occupies the site and a play, ""Argyle Remembered"", was written to commemorate the theatre. Argyle Theatre The Argyle Theatre was a"
"the first-act torch song to a blaze. . Ms. McKechnie is in great form. ...""Annie Warbucks"" provides enough of the familiar fun to qualify as more than a postscript. The predisposed shouldn't be disappointed, while the wary may well be won over."" Annie Warbucks Annie Warbucks is a musical with a book by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse, and lyrics by Martin Charnin. A sequel to the 1977 Tony Award-winning hit ""Annie"", based on Harold Gray's ""Little Orphan Annie"" comic strip, it begins immediately after ""Annie"" ends. On Christmas morning in 1933, when Child Welfare Commissioner Harriet Doyle (replacing"
"utensils and food items, including Ernie catching slices of toast as they popped out of the toaster, and finally opening the fridge door to be bathed in light, as if on stage, while they pull out strings of sausages which they whirl around to the music. The sketch was choreographed and produced by Ernest Maxin. In December 2007, viewers of satellite channel Gold voted the sketch the best moment of Morecambe and Wise's shows. Propellerheads parodied the sketch in the video for their 1998 single ""Crash!"" and it was parodied in two UK television commercials in 2008, for PG Tips"
"edition of Michael Parkinson's show was aired late at night in which he interviewed Eric and Ernie interspersed with clips of their previous shows. By far the most fondly remembered of the duo's signature tunes was ""Bring Me Sunshine"" which was written by Arthur Kent but it was not the only tune the pair used. The other songs used were ""Positive Thinking"", ""We Get Along So Easily (Don't You Agree?)"" ""Following You Around"" and ""Just Around The Corner"". Bring Me Sunshine was used as the title of the tribute show at the London Palladium after Eric Morecambe's death. The BBC"
"principal address delivered by Dickie Henderson. There was a private cremation service at Garston. His ashes were later returned to the church for burial in the Garden of Remembrance. Eric Morecambe John Eric Bartholomew, (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 in Lancashire. He was the co-star of the television series ""The"
"and Aunt Bessie's Yorkshire Puddings. Eric and Ernie often cited the earlier comedy team Flanagan and Allen as influences on their own work; although Morecambe and Wise never imitated or copied Flanagan and Allen, they did sometimes work explicit references to the earlier team into their own cross-talk routines and sketches. In the mid-1970s they recorded a tribute album, ""Morecambe and Wise Sing Flanagan and Allen"" (Phillips 6382 095), in which they performed some of the earlier team's more popular songs in their own style, without attempting to imitate the originals. Morecambe and Wise Eric Morecambe (John Eric Bartholomew, 14"
"remain confined to theatres and radio until the late 1950s, when double acts such as Morecambe and Wise and Mike and Bernie Winters slowly began the transition to television on variety programmes such as ""Sunday Night at the London Palladium"". It was not until the mid to late 1960s that these acts truly came into their own. When Morecambe and Wise teamed up with writer Eddie Braben, they began to redefine what was meant by a double act, with Wise, the straight man, being developed into a comic character in his own right. They provided the link between music hall"
"Morecambe and Wise, Ken Dodd and Spike Milligan. The programme was hosted by Leonard Sachs. The show eventually became so popular that the waiting list for tickets had to be closed, when it rose to a total of 25,000 people. Colehan was also involved in other major television successes. Colehan had the idea in 1963 of making a TV version of Jimmy Savile's popular Radio Luxembourg show ""Teen and Twenty Disc Club"". He produced the pilot which later became ""Top of the Pops"". In August 1966, Colehan brought ""It's a Knockout"" to the screen which ran for 16 years under"
"conducted by Peter Knight over the duo's closing credits, they only ever sang the first verse, the second one being purely instrumental, with Eric and Ernie performing a ""skip dance"" to exit the stage. The dance has been attributed to BBC producer, John Ammonds, and Eric's son Gary recalls that the inspiration for the skip-dance came from a Groucho Marx film sequence. When Eric Morecambe died in 1984 so closely associated were the pair with the song that it was the title of the Bring Me Sunshine tribute show at the London Palladium held in his memory. Ten years later,"
"The Morecambe & Wise Show (1978 TV series) The Morecambe & Wise Show was a comedy sketch show originally produced by Thames Television and broadcast on the ITV network. The second show to be broadcast under the title, it was the fourth and final television series by English comedy double-act Morecambe and Wise, and saw their return to ITV after their successful nine-year association with the BBC. In January 1978, Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, just over four weeks after the broadcast of their successful 1977 Christmas Show on BBC1, which attracted an audience of just over 28m, announced that"
"Thames Television. So enormous became Morecambe and Wise's popularity that their Christmas shows were essential viewing in the United Kingdom. Always broadcast at peak time on Christmas Day, these increasingly lavish affairs provided some of the most memorable moments in the series. For example, ""Grieg's Piano Concerto"" with André Previn, ""Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"" with Shirley Bassey and Glenda Jackson's medley of Hollywood tunes all came from the same Christmas Show in 1971. The show was known for introducing newsreader Angela Rippon's legs to the world in 1976. This (along with the 1972 special) were the only Christmas shows"
"the BBC to Thames Television in 1978, directly after their record-breaking Christmas Special the previous year, the signature tune was dropped. It was however used in later installments of these shows. In 2011, the BBC used the song in a promotional clip for the 75th anniversary of its main channel, beginning with the familiar opening shot of Morecambe & Wise before leading into a montage of other famous moments from the channel's history, most of which were edited so as to lip-sync with the song. The 30 Nov 1968 edition of Billboard magazine predicted that Willie Nelson's version of ""Bring"
"club were the British comedy team of Morecambe and Wise. In 1975 the song ""We Are The Ovaltineys"" came back to a new audience when it was used by Ovaltine in a TV advertisement and released as a single record. Theme Tune introduction We are the Ovaltineys Happy girls and boys, Make your request we'll not refuse you We are here just to amuse you. Would you like a song or story Will you share our joys? At games and sports we're more than keen, Mo merrier children could be seen, Because we all drink Ovaltine, We're happy girls and"
"in distinctive costumes. Charlesworth's group sported pin stripes and bowler hats, and had a Latin motto, Dum vivimus vivamus, (“While we live, let us enjoy life”). Their only chart single was ""Billy Boy"",which reached 41 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1961. The City Gents often appeared on television including ""The Morecambe and Wise Show"" and ""Sunday Night at the London Palladium"". Charlesworth sang the title song of a comedy film, ""In the Doghouse"", starring Leslie Phillips and featured in his own 15 minute musical short in 1963. However the British pop scene changed significantly in the early sixties"
"Running Wild (1954 TV series) Running Wild was a comedy sketch show originally broadcast by BBC television, the first TV series by English comedy double-act Morecambe and Wise. The first attempt by the pair at a television series, it aired for a single series of six episodes in 1954. ""Running Wild"" was Morecambe & Wise's first collaboration with Ernest Maxin, who subsequently worked with the duo on their second BBC television show. From the late 1940s onwards, Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise had been steadily building a reputation for their comedy on the national variety circuit. In September 1951, the"
"were separated when they came of age for their War Service during the final stages of the Second World War. Wise joined the Merchant Navy, while Morecambe was conscripted to become a Bevin Boy and worked as a coal miner in Accrington from May 1944 onwards. After the war, Morecambe and Wise began performing on stage and radio and secured a contract with the BBC to make a television show, where they started the short-lived show ""Running Wild"" in 1954. They returned to the stage to hone their act, and later made appearances on ""Sunday Night at the London Palladium"""
"occasionally rebroadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra. Scrooge (musical) Scrooge: The Musical is a 1992 stage musical with book, music and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse. Its score and book are closely adapted from the music and screenplay of the 1970 musical film ""Scrooge"" starring Albert Finney and ""A Christmas Carol"" by Charles Dickens. Bricusse was nominated for an Academy Award for the song score he wrote for the film, and most of those songs were carried over to the musical. The musical opens with the company singing a Christmas carol medley as the city of London begins to reminisce over"
"cause further complications. The original cast starred Vivienne Segal as Mollie Farringdon. The songs include ""Not Yet"", ""When Ships Come Home"", ""Greenwich Village"", the innovative ""Moon Song"" and ""Our Little Nest"". The song ""Bill"", later famous in ""Show Boat"", was cut before the production opened. The Princess Theatre was a small Broadway house that seated only 299 people. Theatre agent Elisabeth Marbury urged composer Jerome Kern and librettist Guy Bolton, later joined by British humorist and lyricist/playwright P. G. Wodehouse to write a series of musicals tailored to the theatre, with an intimate style and modest budgets. These ""Princess Theatre"
"water would be dangerous)—but Morecambe and Wise found a way to turn the lack of water into a comic asset. The sketch was devised and choreographed by Ernest Maxin. This 1976 sketch has become one of the duo's most familiar, and is a parody of a stripper routine where Eric and Ernie are seen listening to the radio at breakfast time. This sketch was not an original but was adapted from an earlier one Benny Hill performed on his own show during the mid-1960s. David Rose's tune ""The Stripper"" comes on and the duo perform a dance using various kitchen"
"Morecambe's wife Joan. Bring Me Morecambe & Wise Bring Me Morecambe & Wise is a five-part television documentary series that goes behind the scenes of one of Morecambe and Wise acts. The series was first shown on UK television station Gold in November 2012. The first of five sixty minute shows aired on 21 November 2012. In the series, people close to the duo are interviewed about their shared experiences during the 1970s and 1980s. The series also showcases never-before-seen sketches and routines from the double act and clips from some of their earliest TV performances, as well as an"
"Bill (song) ""Bill"" is a song heard in Act II of Kern and Hammerstein's classic 1927 musical ""Show Boat"". The song was written by Kern and P.G. Wodehouse for their 1917 musical ""Oh, Lady! Lady!!"" for Vivienne Segal to perform, but withdrawn because it was considered too melancholy for that show. However, when Kern and Hammerstein were at work on the serious and somewhat tragic ""Show Boat"", they decided that the song would be perfect for a nightclub scene in the show. Hammerstein revised Wodehouse's original lyrics somewhat (though he would always give full credit to Wodehouse for the song"
"concerns until after his first heart attack. At the time, Morecambe was smoking 60 cigarettes a day and drinking heavily. He suffered a near-fatal heart attack on 8 November 1968 at the age of 42, after a show, while driving back to his hotel outside Leeds. Morecambe had been appearing with Wise during a week of midnight performances at the Variety Club in Batley, Yorkshire. Morecambe and Wise appeared there in December 1967 for a week, making £4,000. After that, they were booked to play a New York City nightclub, the Royal Variety Performance and then eight weeks in pantomime"
"Triangle"". Morecambe and Wise are considered by many to be one of the UK's all-time favourite comedy acts. John Ammonds was also central to the duo's most successful period in the 1970s. As the producer of the BBC TV shows, it was his idea to involve celebrity guests. He also perfected the duo's familiar dance, which was based on a dance performed by Groucho Marx in the film ""Horse Feathers"". Ernest Maxin started choreographing the musical numbers in 1970, and succeeded John Ammonds as producer of the BBC TV shows in 1974. Maxin, who won a BAFTA for the Best"