After the show folded, they eventually found an agent who booked them for a show at the Walthamstow Palace, in east London, where the duo were billed as Morecambe and Wisdom because there was already an act called Campbell and Wise on the bill.
They subsequently entertained the troops with Ensa the Entertainment National Service Association and performed at the famous Windmill Theatre in Soho, and in nude touring shows, providing comic relief in between the star turns. Then, in April , the duo began their first television series, Running Wild , but the six BBC shows proved a disaster and took them several years to live down.
During that time, they continued to develop their act on radio and in summer shows. It ran for seven years and established them as major stars. Their venture into feature films, with three comedy-thrillers — starting in with The Intelligence Men , followed by That Riviera Touch and The Magnificent Two in each of the following years — was less successful.
The Morecambe and Wise humour was never successfully translated to film, with storylines that were far removed from their usual patter and a method of shooting that did not suit their off-the-cuff style, but lack of success in this medium did nothing to abate their small-screen popularity.
The series was a ratings topper and the annual Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show became an institution. The sight of Morecambe wearing glasses on the side of his head and slapping Wise across the face was a guaranteed audience-puller and enticed some of the biggest stars to join them in front of the cameras during this time — so it was a blow to the BBC when the pair returned to ITV with their show in They were lured back by Thames Television with the promise of more money and a chance to appear in films but, with a change of scriptwriters, The Morecambe and Wise Show never reached the heights it had done and only one television film was made, the poorly received Night Train to Murder Show Business in Britain last night mourned comedian Ernie Wise after he lost his battle for life following a major heart operation.
The year-old star, whose double act with Eric Morecambe was cherished widely, died earlier in hospital, his wife Doreen said.
He had a triple bypass operation in Florida in January but returned to Britain this month. Ms Doreen Wise said of her husband: "We have had ups and downs for quite a while, but he is finally gone.
Tributes from fellow entertainers poured in, while the Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, was said to be "very saddened" at the news. Culture Secretary Mr Chris Smith said: "Together with Eric Morecambe, Ernie Wise produced some of the best comedy ever seen on British television, and brought laughter and enjoyment to millions of people. Mr Wise fell ill at his holiday home in Boca Raton, on Florida's east coast, days after celebrating his birthday last November.
His death brings the final curtain down on arguably Britain's greatest and best-loved comedy team. Ernie - the one with the legendary "short, fat, hairy legs" - made a career out of providing the laughs for his partner Eric Morecambe. For four decades "Little Ern" was on the receiving end of a comic genius and the butt of so many publicly celebrated jokes, not least his "toupee" of which Eric would often joke: "You can't see the join.
Lou Llobell. Tony Audenshaw. Joshua McGuire. Kirsty Hume. Vicky Entwistle. He was certainly more than 5'8''. I think 5'8. He seemed at least 4 inches taller than Wise who I think was no less than 5'5". This keeps cropping up and I cant find the answer anywhere. Best regards, Carl Robinson. Hope this helps. He was often thought of as the tall one which was probably because he worked with Ernie who was about 5'6'' I think.
I seem to remember Ernie talking in a documentary and saying he wasn't that short, growing up at a time when average male height was only 5'8'' and that Eric wasn't that tall. I think you can safely add a couple of inches to your estimate though.
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