Ed Sullivan Appearences

Feature from 2010

3rd November 1963

Walking out looking confident, they head straight into a routine about songs. Both trying to agree on a song to sing, each confusing the other by humming different tunes. The audience are fairly quiet at this point.

Eric suggests ‘Rum titty tum tum’ and the audience begin to warm, especially as Ern looks on in bewilderment.

Ern suggest something from Oklahoma and begins, at which point Eric interrupts with ‘rum titty tum tum’ at the end getting a giggle.

Eventually they settle on “Won’t you play a simple melody”, Ern trying to teach Eric how to sing counter melodies. By now it seems that Ern and Ern are enjoying it more than the audience.

Continuing with the theme, they finally arrive at “boom ooo yatta tat a” with the help of Ed himself.

Ed didn’t get the idea and it has been documented since that he completely messed it up. He continues with his “boom” despite the boys trying to break out to do the gags. This is where the audience finally get into it.

Now they are flying, they have the audience and the routine runs its course with audience shouting for more at the end.

Ed was given a second chance at this routine a few years later, and he still didn’t get the idea!

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23rd February 1964

This is the appearance they made at the same time as the Beatles, and can be found on the Beatles DVD set.

It see’s Eric showing Ern his recent purchase of priceless Louie XIV glasses, admiring all three of them and informing Ern they cost him $500 each. Seems strange hearing them talking in dollars.

Early gags are met with relative silence; Eric claims they cost $500 each amounting to nearly $1000, silence. Ern corrects him and tells him he means $1500. Eric smiles and says it’s an investment because they’ve gone up already; silence.

Ern begins a toast with Eric trying to drink, each time interrupted by more of Ern’s long drawn out toast. It’s only at the very end when Ern smashes one of the glasses that the audience begin to warm.

At this point an English audience would have caught on and know that something bad is going to happen to the others, but somehow the Americans don’t get it until the second one goes with Ernie making a high pitch sound like a violin.

Eric, now worried his last glass is going to get broken, ushers Ern out through the door. As they leave, the door slams and the final glass shatters. They pop back in with a weak payoff line which gets very little from the audience.

Eric: At least I have one consolation.
Ern: Do you? What’s that?
Eric: I do have a consolation don’t I?
Ern: No...
Eric: Oh....


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