Who Is Ernie Wise?

Who Is Ernie Wise?

Ernest Wiseman, OBE (27 November 1925 – 21 March 1999), known by his stage name Ernie Wise, was an English comedian, best known as one half of the comedy duo Morecambe and Wise, who became a national institution on British television, especially for their Christmas specials.

Wise was commonly regarded as the straight man of the partnership, although his role gradually and subtly changed over the years. When Eddie Braben took over as their chief writer, he enriched Wise's persona by making him pompous and naive. Wise's character changed from being a conventional straight man into a pretentious and self-satisfied idiot. Braben also made Wise a would-be writer; their BBC shows in the 1970s would always climax with an extended sketch, introduced by Wise as "a play what I wrote." It was in such a 'play' that Glenda Jackson, at the height of her career, was made to speak the line "All men are fools, and what makes them so is having beauty like what I have got."

After Morecambe's death from a third heart attack on 28 May 1984, Ernie Wise spent some of his time at Boca Raton, Florida, where he had a holiday home. In the UK, he lived in Thorpe Avenue, Peterborough for many years next door to singer Edmund Hockridge, before moving to a luxury home on the banks of the River Thames in Maidenhead, Berkshire.

Ernie Wise died from heart failure and a chest infection at the Nuffield Hospital, Wexham, near Slough on the morning of 21 March 1999.

His funeral was on 30 March at Slough crematorium. The eulogy was read by Michael Grade. Marion Montgomery, Rolf Harris, Angela Rippon and Frank Bough were among those who attended, along with the family of Eric Morecambe.

Wise was married to the dancer Doreen Blythe from 18 January 1953 until his death; they had no children.