Ernie Wise
Ernie Wise OBE (
November 27,
1925 –
March 21,
1999) was an
English comedian, best known as one half of the comedy duo
Morecambe and Wise, who became an institution on British
television, especially for their
Christmas specials.
Wise's real name was
Ernest Wiseman, but he changed his name (as did his partner) to go into show business â€"- which he did at an early age, appearing as an
actor and
singer in
music hall. Born in
Leeds,
Yorkshire, his father, Harry, a railway porter, was also a semi-professional singer, and they appeared together under the name "Bert Carson and his Little Wonder". In
1939, while still a teenager, he appeared with top British comedian
Arthur Askey in his famous
Bandwagon show.
Ernie joined forces with
Eric Morecambe in
1941, and they became one of the greatest comedy
double acts of all time. They made their name in
radio, transferring to television in
1955. Over a period of nearly twenty years, they had regular series with both
ITV and
BBC. Their hallmark was the way they invited celebrities onto the show only to make them look ridiculous. It was considered a sign of having "arrived" if a person was invited to appear. In
1976, they were both appointed
OBEs.
Although Ernie was, strictly speaking, the "
straight man" of the partnership, his role gradually and subtly changed over the years. The climax of each weekly show was a play "written" by Ernie, which generally demonstrated pretentiousness combined with bad grammar. (For example,
Glenda Jackson, at the height of her career, was made to speak the line:
All men are fools, and what makes them so is having beauty like what I have got.) Others who appeared in his "plays" included
Peter Cushing,
Vanessa Redgrave,
John Mills, and
Frank Finlay.
Following Eric's death from a
heart attack in
1984, Ernie Wise spent much of his time in
Florida and made only occasional appearances -- usually reminiscing about his late partner. In the UK, Ernie lived in a luxury home on the banks of the River Thames in Maidenhead, Berkshire. He suffered a minor
stroke in
December 1993, followed by a second one in
August 1995. With his health declining, Ernie formally announced his retirement from showbusiness on his 70th birthday.
Ernie Wise died of a heart attack at Nuffield Hospital, Wexham, near
Slough,
Berkshire at the age of 73, following a series of heart problems over the years. He predeceased his wife and had no children.
* Ernie Wise made the first
mobile phone call in the UK on
January 1,
1985 from
St Katherine's Dock, East London, to
Vodafone's Headquarters in
Newbury, Berkshire[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4138449.stm].
* His
1992 Christmas single was a recommended retail release in
Music Week, alongside other releases by
Michael Bolton and
David Barry and the Fat Cow Too.
AutobiographyEric and Ernie (
1973)'Still on my Way to Hollywood' by Ernie Wise
