I can't see a thread for Eric Sykes. Surely a candidate for greatest living legend at the moment?
Eric Sykes
Don't speak too soon.
Yes - I never really appreciated him as a great when I used to watch the shows that he did with Hattie. I just took them for granted. But he is a great writer too and well-respected.
A true great indeed. Eric and Hat are a superb combo.
I really liked the Sykes series. Yes, the episodes could be hit and miss, yet that was inevitable due to the huge output. Let's also not forget, he wrote and starred in his shows and had terrible eyesight and suffered from terrible deafness. There were times when he was handwriting his scripts and his pen would run out and he wouldn't notice and would carry on writing. His brother has a bike shop near me called 'Sykes Bykes'. He probably has the best title ever for an autobiography (If I don't write it, nobody else will). The only bad thing about the man is, he votes Conservative.
That's yet another redeeming quality, not a bad thing.
Quote: Jack Massey @ January 25 2010, 10:53 PM GMTHe probably has the best title ever for an autobiography (If I don't write it, nobody else will).
Among the book's amusing anecdotes is the one where he was wicketkeeping at a charity cricket match. Sid James was at slip and Tony Hancock was the opening bowler. Hancock's second delivery was let through by the batsman and hit Sykes in the balls, forcing him to retire from the match.
I loved the series Sykes. I loved Deryck Guyler, who played Constable Wilfred Turnbull (Corky). Deryck played the Janitor in Please Sir! and was a joy to watch. Hattie Jacques and Eric Sykes made perfect twins and I was consistently getting them both mixed up. 
I was watching the episode of My Family he was in the other night, he 'died' in it very well.
I think The Plank has to be the best piece that showcases his talents as both a writer and a comedy actor. There may be few words in it, but the visual scenes still need writing. Has to be one of the great British comedy writers, had a hand in many great British comedies, Radio, TV and Film and partnered the great Spike Milligan for many years in a writing 'stable' which also included John Junkin I believe. All three bounced ideas off each other and helped develop each other's, even though they worked on different projects. It was a unique and very profitable arrangement.
Just watched "If You Go Down In The Woods Today " from my Eric Sykes Collection DVD - slow amusing burn all the way through with enough to keep me interested and smiling throughout BUT there were a couple of sections where I had to stop the DVD as I was laughing so much, tears were streaming down my face as I was in hysterics.
He plays you along and then BANG smacks you between the eyes with a masterpiece of comic genius. Still laughing thinking about it now.
Very, very funny man both as actor and scriptwriter, which by coincidence I am reading about in Frankie Howerd's biog. "On the Way I Lost It" - Frankie did much to get Eric started by buying his first attempts as joke writing.
Also a serious actor. He was in The Others, the great Nicole Kidman ghost film.
Quote: beaky @ 14th July 2017, 9:04 AMAlso a serious actor. He was in The Others, the great Nicole Kidman ghost film.
Good film - didn't twig the twist at the end.
As I said elsewhere I've just picked up on his novels and have started my second one - Smelling of Roses - set in the desert in WWII.
Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 13th July 2017, 11:34 PMVery, very funny man both as actor and scriptwriter, which by coincidence I am reading about in Frankie Howerd's biog. "On the Way I Lost It" - Frankie did much to get Eric started by buying his first attempts as joke writing.
Even a few Sykes/Howerd stories in Terry Nation - The Man Who Invented the Daleks, as Nation started out writing jokes for Spike Milligan and Eric Sykes (after Milligan gave him his break into showbiz), then Howerd, then eventually the Daleks. Hence, when Spike Milligan did the Pakistani Daleks sketch in 1975, Nation gave full permission (for use of his usually closely guarded creation) and even waived his fee.
Quote: Kenneth @ 17th July 2017, 5:37 AMas Nation started out writing jokes for Spike Milligan and Eric Sykes (after Milligan gave him his break into showbiz), then Howerd,
I'm going to pick you up on that because you are wrong. If anyone gave Eric his break in showbiz it was Bill Fraser, who was a very generous man apparently and I think he also helped, like Eric, a starving Norman Wisdom.
Eric first made contact with Frankie Howerd Christmas 1947 and went on to meet him at the Lyceum in Sheffield where Frankie was appearing as Simple Simon in Jack and the Beanstalk. Frankie liked his work as did Bill Fraser who (from Eric's bio. I read some time ago) took him on as a joke writer and paid him £5 a week even though Bill didn't need the material. Both saw potential in Eric and wanted him to get on.
Spike didn't come on the scene until the early 1950s when they eventually formed Associated London Scripts along with Galton and Simpson (from the Spike and Co book I also read about 5 years ago)