| Morecambe and Wise: Fools Rush In | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Produced by | Ronald Smedley |
| Cinematography | Brian Tufano |
| Edited by | Geoffrey Botterill |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 49 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Fools Rush In is a 1973 British fly-on-the-wall TV documentary about the double act Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, produced by Ronald Smedley for the BBC Omnibus arts series. [1] [2] It was first broadcast on 18 February 1973. [3]
The film follows Morecambe and Wise as they rehearse one of their BBC programmes, the seventh episode of their seventh series, which was broadcast on 16 February 1973 with guest stars Anita Harris and Anthony Sharp, [4] both of whom appear in the documentary.
The programme is an insight into how the duo honed their material (written by Eddie Braben who is also interviewed) and how they run through bits of "business" with the guest stars, adding and subtracting material as they go. The sketches featured are also shown at the recording stage giving the viewer an insight as to how they developed from the page to the screen. Interviews are also included with the two stars and director John Ammonds who is also present at the script read-throughs.
The opening credits to the programme, accompanied by the Bring Me Sunshine theme tune are made in the style of old-fashioned variety handbills in the familiar red, white and blue liveries of the time.
Sections of this programme have been used in other Morecambe and Wise documentaries[ citation needed ] and the programme itself was repeated on BBC2 in the 1980s;[ citation needed ]
Of note is the fact that the title Fools Rush In was seen again[ clarification needed ] in the pair's final work together Night Train To Murder in 1983 which was not broadcast until after Morecambe's death the following year.
Barry Charles Cryer was an English writer, comedian, and actor. As well as performing on stage, radio and television, Cryer wrote for many performers including Dave Allen, Stanley Baxter, Jack Benny, Rory Bremner, George Burns, Jasper Carrott, Tommy Cooper, Ronnie Corbett, Les Dawson, Dick Emery, Kenny Everett, Bruce Forsyth, David Frost, Bob Hope, Frankie Howerd, Richard Pryor, Spike Milligan, Mike Yarwood, The Two Ronnies and Morecambe and Wise.
John Eric Bartholomew, known by his stage name Eric Morecambe, was an English comedian who together with Ernie Wise formed the double act Morecambe and Wise. The partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984. Morecambe took his stage name from his home town, the seaside resort of Morecambe in Lancashire.
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Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, known as Morecambe and Wise, were an English comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's sudden death in 1984. They have been described as "the most illustrious, and the best-loved, double-act that Britain has ever produced".
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"Bring Me Sunshine" is a song written in 1966 by the composer Arthur Kent, with lyrics by Sylvia Dee. It was first recorded by The Mills Brothers in 1968, on their album My Shy Violet. In the UK, the song is associated with the popular comedy duo Morecambe & Wise, after it was adopted as their signature tune in their second series for the BBC in 1969.
This is a list of British television related events from 1969.
Running Wild was a comedy sketch show originally broadcast by BBC television, the first TV series by English comedy double-act Morecambe and Wise. The first attempt by the pair at a television series, it aired for a single series of six episodes in 1954. Running Wild was Morecambe & Wise's first collaboration with Ernest Maxin, who subsequently worked with the duo on their second BBC television show.
The Morecambe & Wise Show is a comedy sketch show originally produced by Thames Television and broadcast on the ITV network. The second show to be broadcast under the title, it was the fourth and final television series by English comedy double-act Morecambe and Wise, and saw their return to ITV after their successful nine-year association with the BBC.