The Morecambe & Wise Joke Book

Book Review from 2007

This small, soft cover book consists mainly of short sketch-like material as used by the boys during their curtain or play routines. Whether they had anything to do with it is questionable, but as it was published in 1968, it is almost certain that Eddie Braben had no input.

Despite this, it can still raise a smile now and again, but the reader must think of Eric and Ern saying the words for it to work.

Mixed in with the cross-talk are various small articles that pad out the book to just over 60 pages. Articles such as The Short Fat Hairy Leg Competition, The Morecambe Way With Women and The Eric Morecambe Worry Corner, in which Eric becomes an agony Aunt.

Not having seen every single one of the ATV shows from which this material may have evolved, it is difficult to say it comes from there or not. Maybe one of our readers could confirm this?

The names of the routines may help jog a few memories, so do you remember an interview with Sherlock Holmes, It’s a Man’s Life, with Eric and Ern talking about the war, The Family Way – a three part routine that takes up most of the book, an interview with Nelson or Don Juan?

A short example;

It’s a Man’s Life:
W: I hear you were in the army.
M: Yes. I joined for three reasons.
W: What were they?
M: First, I wanted to defend my country. Second I knew it would make a man of me. Third, they sent round two big blokes in red hats to get me.
W: Didn’t you get your call up papers?
M: Oh yes, I’ll never forget the day they arrived. I was sitting at home, picking my ear with a six inch nail.
W: Do you come from a military family?
M: My family have been in the fighting forces for years. Every time they wanted us to fight, they had to force us.

A nice little book for fans.


© morecambeandwise.com 2007


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