We Interview Joan Morecambe - page 5
Interview
Joan and Eric
Night Train
No, we were blissfully naive. We knew he was working desperately hard and doing too much, and knew he had to cut down. Eric never gave the impression he was ill though, even right up until he died, he always looked full of vitality.
I remember I had gone to bed and was woken by the telephone. Then I remember thinking what a cruel joke to play on anyone. I didn’t believe it; I thought someone was playing a joke.
I was in shock and wasn’t thinking straight. I called my brother who picked me up and drove me to Leeds, still in shock.
Did you think his career was over at that point?
No, because he wasn’t giving up. He had worked too hard for that, he was going to fight back. Once he had given himself time to recover, he was adamant he would be back to normal.
It was more other people who panicked, the television people and Sid and Dick.
Do you know how Ernie felt?
Ernie was waiting to see what happened, that’s all anyone could do in that situation. He was probably worried, but there nothing he could do but wait and see how things turned out.
The doctors were giving out good signs and Eric was a model patient. He always did what the doctors told him, took the pills, did the exercise, he was very good.
Did the work offers dry up during that time?
Not so much dry up, more on hold. Just like everyone connected with Eric, their lives were put on hold, waiting to see what happened.
There was lot that had to be cancelled, they had a lot of work in the pipeline and of course they couldn’t do it, at least until the doctors gave the all clear.
Was there anything that coaxed Eric back?
I think the fact that Eddie Braben had become free after working for Ken Dodd. Sid and Dick had stayed with ATV to get their own show leaving Eric and Ern without writers. Again the timing was right, Eric was just about recovered and Eddie was available to write.
How did Eric feel about Eddie Braben becoming the new writer?
He was delighted. He held Eddie in high regard. Eddie used to stay here a lot, overnight, working on ideas.
Like the ATV years, they used to work on the scripts every day, tweaking them and adding their own humour.
Do you think the BBC shows were better than the ATV ones?
I think they were different, not better. For the time the ATV shows were brilliant and could not be bettered. When Eddie came along he brought out more character and more depth.
The shows, although much the same format, were very different because of that. Each had their own strong points and I don’t think you can compare them, both are fantastic.
Eric was particularly happy that the BBC shows didn’t show him as a simpleton like the ATV shows did. It was more two funny men than the conventional double act.
Moving on past the well documented BBC years, what are your feelings about moving to Thames?
Eric thought that they were becoming stale on the BBC, there was nothing fresh. All the guests had been used, some more than once; all the ideas were running out. He thought with a new angle and a new station, they might be able to revitalise things.
They also got promised a film if they moved, which was Night Train to Murder.
What did you think about Night Train to Murder?
I thought it was dreadful.
That was one time when Eric was wrong. He wanted to do it; he thought it would be good. A comedy, spoof ghost film. All through filming he thought it was going to be so good.
When he saw the finished film he was absolutely horrified.
He always wanted something special, something that wasn’t a conveyer-belt typical British comedy film like the Ranks ones. He dreamt of getting the chance to do something like Peter Sellers, something polished and professional and he ended up with Night Train.
© morecambeandwise.com 2009