One half of the iconic English comedic duo Morecambe and Wise, Eric Morecambe was a talented performer and gifted comedian who delighted millions around the world for over 40 years, achieving impressive success with his appearances on stage, radio, film, and television. Throughout his career, Morecambe possessed a remarkable, natural ability to garner laughs with simple body actions, his reactions to various situations and scenarios, and the quotable catchphrases the duo developed. He became a beloved figure in many English homes and remains one of Britain's most successful and influential comedians. Morecambe was also a prolific pipe smoker, owning an impressive collection that contained hundreds of pipes of various shapes, styles, and materials.

Life and Career

Born in 1926 in Lancaster, England, John Eric Barthlomeow grew up in the seaside town of Morecambe, which he would later use for his stage name. He was a natural performer from a young age, winning several talent competitions, including one at age 13 that was organized by Melody Maker magazine. The prize was an audition for famed jazz band leader and impresario Jack Hylton. Shortly after the audition, Morecambe first met Ernest Wiseman, with whom he would form a comedic double act that became immensely successful in post-World War II England, with their famous catch phrases and classic sketches entertaining audiences for over 40 years.

Morecambe and Wise gained popularity thanks to their stage and radio work, and made their television debut in 1954 with their British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) show Running Wild. The duo had no creative control over the show and had no input for ideas or the script. Since they were newcomers to television and recognized that this was an incredible opportunity to advance their careers, they didn't feel comfortable offering suggestions or questioning the show's writers. The show received harsh critical reviews, with The People newspaper writing, "Definition of the week: TV Set: The box they buried Morecambe and Wise in." On Morecambe and Wise's website it's noted, "Eric, in particular, was very upset by the criticism to the point where for the rest of his life, he carried around that definition from The People newspaper. His own confidence had also taken a huge dive, but they had to work on."

The show [Running Wild] received harsh critical reviews

Despite the negative reviews, they continued developing their act on stage and were well received by audiences who responded with standing ovations after each performance. They spent the following years performing and honing their skills, returning to television in 1961 with Two of a Kind. The show gradually became a hit and featured several notable English celebrities, including musical performances by The Beatles and The Dave Clark Five. Two of a Kind ran from 1961 to 1968 and introduced audiences to several of the duo's most memorable catch phrases, such as "Get out of that!" and "Tea, Ern?"

In 1968 Morecambe and Wise returned to the BBC, taking advantage of the technological advancements occurring with television around that time, primarily the ability to broadcast in color instead of black and white. Early in their career, Morecambe was the comedic focus of the duo, with Wise playing the archetypal straight man who would set Morecambe up for punchlines while maintaining his composure. Beginning in the 1960s, aided by experience and new writers, the duo's dynamic evolved and their approach became more complex, with both men adapting complementary comedic personalities that seamlessly played off one another.

Morecambe was the comedic focus of the duo, with Wise playing the archetypal straight man who would set Morecambe up for punchlines

The duo worked tirelessly in pursuit of success and it took a massive toll on Morecambe's health, resulting in him having his first major heart attack in 1969 at age 42. Despite being a noted hypochondriac, Morecambe was a heavy drinker and smoker on top of the immense stress he encountered while working on The Morecambe & Wise Show. In Morecambe's biography, Eric Morecambe: Life's Not Hollywood, It's Cricklewood, his son Gary noted, "EM was increasingly irritable throughout 1967 and into 1968, finding fault with everything — and it was a pattern that repeated itself in the build-up to his two subsequent heart attacks in 1979 and 1984. But he kept on working at the same unforgiving pace, focusing his energies on his new BBC show, his stage, his family and his new house, which was constantly being extended and improved during this time." (pg. 29).

After recovering from his first heart attack, Morecambe went back to work on The Morecambe & Wise Show, with Eddie Braben becoming the show's new writer and helping shift the duo's dynamic further. The following year, 1969, saw the introduction of the duo's immensely popular, annual Christmas show, which became a yearly tradition for many English families and grew in popularity each year, with the final Christmas special in 1977 attracting an impressive and record-breaking audience of 28 million viewers, according to the BBC. The duo made it a goal for each successive Christmas show to top the previous year's, attracting high-profile celebrities and spending months preparing routines and writing jokes.

The duo took great pride in each year's Christmas Special, with Morecambe often prepping material during the summer and found it difficult to not focus on as he was committed to delivering the best Christmas show possible. Despite Morecambe's success, his health suffered from the stress and intense workload, and he suffered his second heart attack in 1979, requiring him to undergo heart bypass surgery that was performed by renowned surgeon Magdi Yacoub. Gary Morecambe noted in his father's biography, "Without the triple bypass, he had only months, perhaps weeks, to live." (pg. 133).

Despite Morecambe's success, his health suffered from the stress and intense workload

Morecambe's second heart attack gave the comedian time to pause and reflect, opting to take things slower in subsequent years but still working hard and continuing to entertain audiences. His son Gary noted, "He was still happy to talk about comedy, but there was nothing left for him to prove, and it no longer formed an obsession for him. He was dedicated to entertaining people, but no longer to the exclusion of all else. His health mattered more, and he didn't have the energy to go at it full throttle any more. He was under doctors' orders to rethink his life, and in a way he did — although not to the extent that the doctors would have liked. On reflection, he should have never returned to comedy after his bypass surgery." (pg. 139). In the years following his heart attack, Morecambe gave up alcohol and smoking and began to focus on developing a writing career.

After taking part in a charity show on May 27, 1984, Morecambe collapsed backstage after receiving a standing ovation and passed away from a heart attack at age 58. During the show, Morecambe reviewed aspects of his career and life in front of a crowd of 800 people, and joined musicians at the end of the show, playing various instruments before the house curtains fell for a final time. Though Morecambe's death was tragic and unexpected, he was able to perform and entertain audiences one last time, concluding his life with roarous applause and cheers.

Morecambe & Pipes

Morecambe's son, Gary, notes in his book Eric Morecambe: Life's Not Hollywood, It's Cricklewood, "EM loved his pipes; he had a drawer filled with them in various states of disrepair, and a dozen or so of his favourites displayed on a shelf in his study. Five or six years earlier I'd bought him a Swiss pipe with a lid on the bowl to stop the ash blowing around; this appealed to his love of novelty items, and joined the other show specimens on the shelf, to be admired but never used. When I presented it to EM on his birthday he thanked me and left the room. Two minutes later he returned with his trouser tucked into his socks, Tyrolean fashion, and a trilby on his head. 'I'm just off to gather in the herd!"' (pg. 147).

Gary fondly remembers childhood memories with his father in the book, including one involving Morecambe's pipe smoking. "Whenever EM was planted on the drawing-room sofa puffing a pipe, I would quickly find one of my planes and rush in to use the smoke as clouds. He was surprisingly tolerant of this, although there was a limit to how much 'strato-cumulus' he could create before going green. I think he reacted positively to genuine enthusiasm." (pg. 71).

Gary Morecambe also recounted visiting a tobacconist with his father to purchase him a new pipe for helping him with his first book, Funnyman:

In the book Eric Morecambe Unseen: The Lost Diaries, Jokes and Photographs , Gary reminisced about his father's small work room at home where he would read and write:

"... his hunched figure poised over his portable typewriter, the whole room engulfed with smoke from his meerschaum pipe."

In the same book, a humorous picture of Morecambe smoking a large gourd Calabash with a meerschaum cap can be seen with the caption: "Eric wasn't just a pipe smoker, he was a pipe collector too. He owned several hundred pipes. This one, which he called his Sherlock Holmes pipe, was a particular favourite."

It's also noted that during the late `70s Morecambe was attempting to negotiate a deal with a tobacco company where he would be given free cigars in exchange for photo opportunities at public events. However, the arrangement was abandoned shortly after his second heart attack.

Another anecdote from the book recounted Morecambe recovering at home after his successful heart bypass surgery:

In January 1971, Morecambe was awarded Pipeman of the Year by the British Pipesmokers' Council for 1970 and accepted the honor at a lunch in London's luxurious Savoy Hotel. The yearly award was created to honor famous pipe smokers with other notable recipients including actor Peter Cushing, writer J.B. Priestley, and comedian Stephen Fry, who received the last award, given in 2003. When the time came for Morecambe to accept the award and give a short speech, he showcased his comedic chops, causing those in attendance to frequently erupt into laughter.

Morecambe was awarded Pipeman of the Year by the British Pipesmokers' Council for 1970

Eric Morecambe remains a highly influential comedic figure decades after his passing, inspiring generations of comedians and leaving behind a vast body of work that deftly demonstrates his brilliant wit and ability to bring people together through laughter. Morecambe and Wise forever changed the comedic landscape with their memorable quotes, songs, and routines, and their legendary Christmas specials remain an annual tradition for many families around the world. It's difficult to imagine what comedy would look like without Morecambe and Wise's contributions, but legions of fans thankfully have a wealth of material to fondly remember them by and can spend endless hours laughing along to their iconic routines.