Eric and Ernie: My Comedy Heroes

Given my passion for British comedy, it was only a matter of time before I dedicated a post to the greatest double act in its history: the one and only Morecambe and Wise. With the notable exception of the brilliant Laurel and Hardy, who were of course a major influence on them, there has been no other partnership anywhere in the world, before or since, who can measure up. They are simply sublime.

It was Christmas 2007 when I was first introduced to the genius of Morecambe and Wise - an appropriate time of year, when you think about it, since they ruled Christmas television for more than a decade. In my case, it was a programme on GOLD titled Morecambe & Wise: The Greatest Moment that caught my attention. It was basically a countdown of their greatest sketches, as voted for by the British public, interspersed with interviews and a retelling of their story. For me, it was enough to spark a huge interest in Morecambe and Wise, much to the delight of my dad, who grew up watching them in the 70s when they were at the peak of their powers.

I unashamedly confess that I am a Morecambe and Wise anorak, a hopeless case. I have their ATV, BBC and Thames shows on DVD, as well as their less talked about feature films. I have read numerous books about them and seen various documentaries. I can't get enough. It doesn't matter how often I see the same sketches and hear the same one-liners - I laugh hysterically every single time. I can say in all honesty that I could watch the Grieg's Piano Concerto routine with Andre Previn ten times in a row and it would still be as funny to me as the first time I ever saw it. Great comedy stands the test of time, and people will still be laughing at Morecambe and Wise years from now, just as they still are today. They transcend the barriers of age - something that wouldn't take long to work out if you were to walk into our living room and see me, my dad and my younger sister all laughing at the same sketch.

There has been an unfair tendency among far too many people to talk about the comic genius of Eric Morecambe and completely ignore Ernie Wise - or, worse still, to say that Ernie didn't matter at all, or just 'wasn't funny'. This is complete and utter rubbish. Yes, Eric was a comic genius, but he was also the first to admit that he couldn't possibly have survived as a solo act. He needed Ernie there to bounce off and to keep him grounded. To put it simply, Ernie kept the whole thing ticking over. He also knew exactly how to get the best out of Eric, which is a skill in itself. People talk about him as the straight man of the duo, but he was so much more than that, as he proved time and time again in his role as pompous playwright during the years Eddie Braben was writing their material. Watch those flights of fancy and that comic air of self-importance and then try telling me that Ernie wasn't funny. As well as that, he was a great song and dance man, and he really shines in those wonderful choreographed routines. That's why I can't comprehend why some people insist on pitting them against one another. They were a double act, and that was it.

It's far too difficult for me to pick my own favourite Morecambe and Wise moment. It would be easy to talk about the 'classics', like the Breakfast sketch or Grieg's Piano Concerto, but right now the ones that spring to mind are some of the more obscure sketches. Their parody of Top of the Form, where Eric's button won't work, is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. The Bank Robber sketch, featuring Eric as the most incompetent criminal ever. Or going back to the ATV years, the Flamenco dancing sketch, which I think is one of Ernie's most hilarious moments, and the West Side Story parody. Then there's my 12-year-old sister's favourite sketch, which involves Ernie trying to sing 'I'm Wishing' while Eric is down the well playing the part of the 'echo' and messing the whole thing up as usual. Sheer brilliance.

One of the greatest injustices in comedy is the fact that Morecambe and Wise never made it big internationally. They appeared several times on Ed Sullivan in the 60s, but they just weren't embraced by America as a whole. There are conflicting opinions as to why this was, but I still believe that had they been able to stay in the American public's conciousness for a long enough period of time, they would have been huge. You only have to look at the number of British comics that achieved success in America to see that it was possible. Of course, they achieved iconic status this side of the pond, but it's still a shame that even to this day, despite the worldwide popularity of YouTube, they remain relatively unknown outside of the British Isles.

Eric Morecambe died in 1984, some eight years before I was even born, and Ernie Wise in 1999, when I was just seven. Therefore I wasn't aware of either event at the time, yet I feel an overwhelming sense of sadness when I think about both their absences. When you're watching the shows and laughing at their combined genius, it's very easy to forget that they are no longer around, and it can come as a bit of a nasty shock when you are suddenly reminded. I know this sounds terribly clichéd, but as long as we have the work they left behind, there will always be a part of Eric and Ernie that is still with us. It's there to be cherished and celebrated, and as much as I wish that I had been alive to appreciate them while they were here, I will always be grateful for the fact that I can watch them whenever I like.

Morecambe and Wise never fail to cheer me up if I'm having an off day, or to simply make a good day even better. It's pure escapism, and I can honestly say that they set the bar for great comedy as far as I'm concerned. You'd be hard pressed to find me two bigger comic heroes.

Dr. Strangelove (1964)

As comedy films go, I can think of few more important than Stanley Kubrick's classic Cold War satire Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it's probably my favourite film of all time.

Released in January 1964, at a time when nuclear war had become a serious possibility, the film was loosely based on Peter George's 1958 novel Red Alert. The term 'loosely' is key here - the film is a black comedy, therefore dealing with the subject in a very different way to that of the novel. While the idea of nuclear war is terrifying, Dr. Strangelove is absolutely hilarious - so you find yourself laughing hysterically at something so scary.

What makes it so great? Well, first and foremost, the cast. One of the greatest comic actors of his generation, Peter Sellers is absolutely fantastic in his three major roles in Dr. Strangelove. Sellers was no stranger to taking on multiple roles within the one film; it was something he had previously done in The Mouse That Roared a few years earlier. Originally Kubrick wanted him to play four roles, but Sellers was convinced it would be too much work. In the end it was probably just as well, as it allowed him to play the three - Captain Mandrake, President Merkin Muffley and of course Dr. Strangelove himself - to perfection.

Captain Mandrake, the RAF officer, was reportedly the easiest of the three characters to play, as Sellers wasn't required to alter his own accent too much. He apparently based his performance as Mandrake on the way in which he used to mimic officers during his war service. President Merkin Muffley (a highly amusing name there) was played with an American Midwestern accent. Although Sellers originally aimed to play the role of the President for laughs, Kubrick advised him to play it straight, with the result that he is the serious character just about holding things together in the War Room.

The best character of all, however, is Dr. Strangelove. Sellers is absolutely outstanding in this role, and it is a performance guaranteed to leave you in stitches. Strangelove, a wheelchair-bound German nuclear scientist, is the President's scientific advisor. His ideas about the future of the world are, to put it mildly, unorthodox, and it is made clear from the start that he has Nazi sympathies. The way he unwittingly addresses the President as 'Mein Führer' is very comical, and even more hysterical is his struggle to suppress his Nazi salute reflex. This was completely improvised by Sellers, and if you look closely enough you can see Peter Bull (who plays the Soviet Ambassador, Alexei de Sadeski) trying desperately to hold back the laughter. It's interesting to note that Dr. Strangelove, despite being the title character, only appears in two scenes in the entire film - but it is probably these scenes that are the best remembered, and for me, it is one of Peter Sellers' finest performances.

I did mention the fact that there was a great cast, and although Peter Sellers pretty much makes the entire film, the other actors are also brilliant. As well as the aforementioned Peter Bull as the Soviet Ambassador, there is also Sterling Hayden as Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper (what a great name!), George C. Scott as General Turgidson (another great performance), and of course Slim Pickens as Major Kong, the character that Sellers was originally supposed to play in addition to his other three.

Dr. Strangelove is naturally an extremely quotable film. Who can forget Jack D. Ripper's paranoid obsession with "precious bodily fluids" or Dr. Strangelove's final exclamation as he emerges from his wheelchair: "Mein Führer, I can walk!" Another classic quote comes from Colonel 'Bat' Guano when Mandrake instructs him to shoot open the vending machine for change to use the payphone: "Okay, I'm gonna get your money for you. But if you don't get the President of the United States on that phone, you know what's gonna happen to you? You're gonna have to answer to the Coca-Cola company!"

Without doubt, Dr. Strangelove is one of the most important films in history, having been preserved in the United States National Film Registry on account of being "culturally significant" and frequently being proclaimed one of the greatest comedy films of all time, and indeed the greatest political satire of the century, according to the esteemed Roger Ebert.

My advice if you haven't seen this film would be to get out there and buy it as soon as possible, and admire true genius from all concerned - from Kubrick to Sellers and all the other cast members. You won't be disappointed. Oh, and just for the record, it's also got a 100% 'Fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Just in case you still needed convincing.

Politics Has Never Been So Funny

Over the summer, while waiting impatiently to find out whether or not I got onto my chosen university course, I became a little bit obsessed with a certain British comedy series. Rather than twiddling my thumbs and driving myself to the point of craziness, this show became a welcome distraction for me, something to look forward to in the afternoons. I'm talking about Yes Minister - that classic satirical BBC sitcom of the 1980s - written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn.

I'm still amazed that I managed to overlook this series for so long, especially since it stars one of my favourite comic actors, Paul Eddington (who played Jerry in The Good Life, another sitcom I love). But I'm so glad I decided to tune into GOLD this past summer and have a look, because I can now say that I have become a big fan. It doesn't make the slightest bit of difference if you are uninterested in politics - the point is, Yes Minister is a political satire. It pokes fun at the people in power, and that's what makes it so funny and so popular.

Paul Eddington stars as Jim Hacker, the inept Minister for Administrative Affairs, whose grand plans to reform his department are frequently foiled by his devious and manipulative Permanent Secretary, Sir Humphrey Appleby, played by the brilliant Nigel Hawthorne. Stuck in the middle is Principal Private Secretary Bernard Woolley, played by Derek Fowlds.

What I personally love about the series is the relationship between the three main characters. Hacker is an idealist who thinks he's in control, but little does he realise that Humphrey is the one doing all the controlling. Bernard, meanwhile, is torn between siding with Hacker or giving in to Humphrey. The chemistry between the three actors is sublime.

If I had to choose a favourite character, it would probably be Humphrey. He is wonderfully sly and always manages to manipulate Hacker with his extremely wordy and deliberately bewildering speeches. This perfectly executed obscurity means that he either stops Hacker's plans from going through, or wins him round to his own way of thinking - not that Hacker catches on to this, of course! Nigel Hawthorne's excellent performances as Humphrey resulted in him winning four BAFTA awards in a row for Best Comedy Performance.

Paul Eddington was always nominated too, though sadly he never won. It's a shame because he had a marvellous gift for comic timing, and this is always evident in Hacker's hilarious inadequacies and blunders, as well as his look of pure confusion when Humphrey is busy outwitting him. Comical though it is, Hacker is such a likeable character that you always end up feeling sorry for him, as he is always well-intentioned. Derek Fowlds also deserves a lot of praise for his role as Bernard. He always takes metaphors literally and is prone to the occasional bout of silliness, which means that he can sometimes get on the wrong side of both Hacker and Humphrey!

  
Yes Minister ran for three series from 1980 to 1984, and its success led to a follow-up, Yes, Prime Minister, which ran for two series from 1986 to 1988. This follows Hacker after he is elected Prime Minister, and is every bit as brilliant as its prequel. The idea that this man is now running the country (but still being manipulated by Humphrey) makes for hilarious viewing.

Sadly, Paul Eddington died in 1995 and Nigel Hawthorne in 2001, but both remain fondly remembered, as does the show itself. Right now, I'm missing those afternoons spent watching the re-runs on GOLD. Guess I'll just have to get the DVDs...

The Equally Fab Four

Last week marked an important date for Beatles fans everywhere - John Lennon's birthday. As always, there was an outpouring of richly deserved tributes to a true musical icon. However, the occasion also highlighted something that has bothered me for a long time, namely the fact that the other three Beatles are too often overlooked.

I am a Beatles fanatic, and I love John Lennon as much as anyone could. But let's be honest here. He was a human being, and he had many flaws. He was not a saint, though since his tragic death in 1980, he has been painted as such by many people. On the day of his birthday I read a tribute which proclaimed that he was "the greatest songwriter of all time." I refuse to accept that statement, the reason being that you simply cannot talk about Lennon's importance as a songwriter without also mentioning Paul McCartney. Together they were the greatest songwriting partnership in the history of popular music, even though we all know that they tended to write separately as the band's career progressed. Both men wrote wonderful material in their respective solo careers (and Paul continues to do so) but I think it's fair to say that their work as members of The Beatles has never been bettered.

There are plenty of people out there who will try to tell you that John was the driving force behind The Beatles. Maybe in the early days he was, and of course it's true that he did found the band. I have had this debate many times, and each time I make the same point - it was Paul who was the experimental one. If it weren't for him, Sgt. Pepper would never have come about, and neither would Magical Mystery Tour (though the film was a bit of a mess... but that's another story). How someone can profess to be a Beatles fan and then belittle McCartney's contribution is beyond me. It's something that really irritates me. Think about it - there are only two Beatles left now. You would think these people would be grateful for that fact. Paul McCartney is a living legend, and every lover of great music on this planet should treat him as such.

It's not just the disparity between Lennon and McCartney that riles me, however. There is nothing worse than those who make out that George Harrison and Ringo Starr were nothing more than passengers. Aside from the fact that George was a great songwriter himself, his guitar playing made the band's sound what it was. As it happens, he is my favourite Beatle. Then there's Ringo. Only last week I was sitting in a lecture hall at university and overheard a remark about Ringo supposedly being a useless drummer. It took a lot for me not to turn around and put the speaker straight. Ringo was not simply there as an easy-going personality to complement the more forceful Lennon and McCartney - he had a unique sound that has influenced so many drummers over the years.

All of this does not detract from the fact that John Lennon was one of the all-time greats. The point I'm making is that Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr are right there alongside him - not beneath him. Take any one of them out of the equation and the whole thing would have fallen apart. They don't call them the Fab Four for nothing.