Eric Morecambe
Writer

Eric Morecambe Net Worth

Eric Morecambe was a British writer, actor, and soundtrack born on May 14, 1926 in Buxton Street, Morecambe, Lancashire, England. He was best known for his work on The Morecambe & Wise Show (1968), Night Train to Murder (1984), and The Intelligence Men (1965). He was married to Joan Morecambe and passed away on May 28, 1984 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.
Eric Morecambe is a member of Writer

Age, Biography and Wiki

Who is it? Writer, Actor, Soundtrack
Birth Day May 14, 1926
Birth Place  Buxton Street, Morecambe, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom
Age 94 YEARS OLD
Died On 28 May 1984(1984-05-28) (aged 58)\nTewkesbury, Gloucestershire, England
Birth Sign Gemini
Occupation Comedian, actor, entertainer, singer
Years active 1941–1984
Spouse(s) Joan Bartlett (m. 1952–1984) (his death)
Children 3 (1 adopted)

💰 Net worth

Eric Morecambe's net worth is estimated to be between $100K and $1M in 2024. As a celebrated writer, actor, and soundtrack artist hailing from the United Kingdom, Morecambe left an indelible mark in the entertainment industry. Known for his comedic genius and captivating performances, he brought joy to audiences worldwide. His significant contributions to the arts paved the way for his financial success, earning him a respectable fortune by 2024.

Biography/Timeline

1940

Eric Morecambe was born in Morecambe, Lancashire as John Eric Bartholomew to George and Sadie Bartholomew (Sarah Elizabeth née Robinson). Sadie took work as a waitress to raise funds for his dancing lessons. During this period, Eric Bartholomew won numerous talent contests, including one in Hoylake in 1940 for which the prize was an audition in Manchester for Jack Hylton. Three months after the audition, Hylton invited Morecambe to join a revue called Youth Takes a Bow at the Nottingham Empire, where he met the then Ernest Wiseman. The two soon became very close friends, and with Sadie's encouragement started to develop a double act.

1944

When the two were eventually allowed to perform their double act on stage (in addition to their solo spots), Hylton was impressed enough to make it a regular feature in the revue. However, the duo were separated when they came of age for their War Service during the final stages of the Second World War. Wise joined the Merchant Navy, while Morecambe was conscripted to become a Bevin Boy and worked as a coal miner in Accrington from May 1944 onwards.

1952

Eric Morecambe married Joan Bartlett on 11 December 1952. They had three children: Gail (born 14 September 1953); Gary (born 21 April 1956) and Steven (born 1970 and adopted in 1974).

1954

After the war, Morecambe and Wise began performing on stage and radio and secured a contract with the BBC to make a television show, where they started the short-lived show Running Wild in 1954. They returned to the stage to hone their act, and later made appearances on Sunday Night at the London Palladium and Double Six.

1961

In 1961 Lew Grade offered the duo a series for the London-based ITV station ATV. Entitled Two of a Kind, it was written by Dick Hills and Sid Green. An Equity strike halted that show, but Morecambe and Wise were members of Variety Artists' Federation, then a separate trade union unaffiliated with Equity. Hills and Green later appeared in the series as "Sid" and "Dick".

1967

After leaving hospital, Morecambe gave up his cigarette habit to start smoking a pipe, as he mentioned that he was trying to do in August 1967. He also stopped doing summer and winter seasons and reduced many of his public engagements. Morecambe took six months off, returning for a press call at the BBC Television centre in May 1969. In August of that year, Morecambe and Wise returned to the stage at the Bournemouth Winter Gardens, and received a four-minute standing ovation.

1968

Morecambe was a hypochondriac, but he rarely wrote about his health concerns, until after his heart attack. At the time, Morecambe was smoking 60 cigarettes a day and drinking heavily. He suffered a near-fatal heart attack on 8 November 1968 at the age of 42, after a show, while driving back to his hotel outside Leeds.

1972

Morecambe headed back to his hotel, and recounted in an interview with Michael Parkinson in November 1972 that, as the pains spread to his chest, he became unable to drive. He was rescued by a passerby as he stopped the car. The first hospital they found had no Accident and Emergency. At the second one, a heart attack was immediately diagnosed.

1978

In January 1978, the pair left the BBC for ITV signing a contract with the London station Thames Television.

1979

Morecambe suffered a second heart attack in March 1979 and underwent bypass surgery in June.

1980

Morecambe increasingly wanted to move away from the double act, and into writing and playing other roles. In 1980 he played the "Funny Uncle" in a dramatisation of the John Betjeman poem "Indoor Games Near Newbury", part of an ITV special titled Betjeman's Britain. Produced and directed by Charles Wallace, it spawned the start of a working relationship that led to a follow-up in 1981 for Paramount Pictures titled Late Flowering Love in which Morecambe played an RAF major. The film was released in the UK with Raiders of the Lost Ark. In 1981, Morecambe published Mr Lonely, a tragicomic novel about a stand-up Comedian. He began to focus more on writing.

1983

Morecambe and Wise worked on a television movie in 1983, Night Train to Murder, which was broadcast on ITV in January 1985. Continuing his collaboration with Wallace, Morecambe also acted in a short comedy film called The Passionate Pilgrim opposite Tom Baker and Madeline Smith, again directed by Wallace for MGM/UA. It was released in the cinema with the James Bond film Octopussy, and later, WarGames. Wallace and Morecambe were halfway through filming a fourth film when Morecambe died. It was never completed.

1984

Morecambe took part in a charity show, hosted by close friend and Comedian Stan Stennett, at the Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, on Sunday 27 May 1984. His wife Joan, who was in the audience, recalled that Morecambe was "on top form".

2002

He was the co-star of the television series The Morecambe & Wise Show, which for one Christmas episode gained UK viewing figures of over twenty-seven million people. One of the most prominent comedians in British popular culture, in 2002 he was named one of the 100 Greatest Britons in a BBC poll.

Some Eric Morecambe images

About the author

Lisa Scholfield

As a Senior Writer at Famous Net Worth, I spearhead an exceptional team dedicated to uncovering and sharing the stories of pioneering individuals. My passion for unearthing untold narratives drives me to delve deep into the essence of each subject, bringing forth a unique blend of factual accuracy and narrative allure. In orchestrating the editorial workflow, I am deeply involved in every step—from initial research to the final touches of publishing, ensuring each biography not only informs but also engages and inspires our readership.