Little Ern!: The authorised biography of Ernie Wise

by JamesHogg (Author), RobertSellers (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  2012

  $3.25

  He's the man with short fat hairy legs who kept us laughing for decades, his comic timing sparking perfectly with the genius of his partner Eric Morecambe. Yet little has been known about Ernie's amazing story, until now.

  Little Ern! takes us from Ernie's childhood in Leeds, where he supported his family by performing on stage, to being left to fend for himself in London at thirteen, a star in the making. We see his friendship with the young comic Eric grow when they toured the theatres of war-torn Britain as teenagers, and discover how their double-act evolved. They survived numerous setbacks on the road to television stardom - and we learn the impact fame had on their lives and friendship. Fully exploring the crucial contribution he made to the act, this charming biography reminds us why Ernie Wise deserves his place in the pantheon of comedy greats.

• Used

  Hardcover
  2011

  $3.25

  Even though they are the most famous comedy double act Britain has ever seen, until now there has never been a biography of Ernie Wise. Seen by some as just the straight man in the partnership, in fact 'Little Ern' was regarded by his peers as a great comedian in his own right. It took no ordinary talent to be the perfect foil for the genius of Eric Morecambe, and to be his friend, business partner and co-performer for nearly forty years. Morecambe's personality flared with ego and insecurity, and theirs was a personal relationship that had to be nurtured as carefully as were their on-screen personas. Nearly thirty years after their last appearances, the pair still dominate the landscape of British comedy, and are loved and revered as ever. With the cooperation of Ernie's widow Doreen, and drawing on unpublished material from the family archive as well as interviews with friends, Robert Sellers and James Hogg have shifted the spotlight sideways to examine for the first time the true and patient genius of one of the greatest entertainers of his generation.