What about Sid Little?
Comedy Duo Dead Weights Page 2
Well spotted zooo, yes he was and starred in the very underrated comedy buddy cop caper Running Scared with Billy Crystal.
Sid Little? I think there was a comedy pairing where both were the weak link in the partnership. 
Mke and Bernie Winters? Or was it the dog who was the comedy partner. Didn't do anything for me.
Eric and Ernie - the absolute, all time greatest.
Quote: Loopey @ March 12 2009, 12:32 AM GMTEric and Ernie - the absolute, all time greatest.
Blimey, greater then Laurel and Hardy, Abbot and Costello, Hope and Crosby...er, Bradford and Bingley?
I'm not disputing the love people have for Mr. Wise, however I did notice that without Morecambe, he didn't get a lot of work. Before you all surround my castle for a second time this week with your pesky torches and pitchforks, I'm not the only one who didn't ring up the networks demanding an Ernie Wise show after Morecambe had 'left'.
'In thine own eye judge not the beholder' or something.
Quote: Balf @ March 11 2009, 10:19 PM GMTRob Newman was the better half by a long chalk, only mildly funny thing Baddiel did was the Poltergeist stuff.
I once heard David Baddiel described as "The Ian Duncan Smith of comedy", which just about sums him up perfectly, and gave me the only David Baddiel related laugh I've ever had!
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ March 12 2009, 12:43 AM GMTBlimey, greater then Laurel and Hardy, Abbot and Costello, Hope and Crosby...er, Bradford and Bingley?
I'm not disputing the love people have for Mr. Wise, however I did notice that without Morecambe, he didn't get a lot of work. Before you all surround my castle for a second time this week with your pesky torches and pitchforks, I'm not the only one who didn't ring up the networks demanding an Ernie Wise show after Morecambe had 'left'.
'In thine own eye judge not the beholder' or something.
I am not knocking the others, they are just my personal favourites because they envoke some very happy memories.
Speaking of Bernie Winters, I'm sure "Schnorbitz" is still appearing in Pantomime every year. Obviously it's not the original dog, but, the franchise (is that the right word?) is still going.
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ March 12 2009, 12:43 AM GMTI'm not disputing the love people have for Mr. Wise, however I did notice that without Morecambe, he didn't get a lot of work.
Even when he was alive, Eric didn't get a lot of work without Ernie either. They were a double act.
Badge,
According to what I've read, Eric wanted to leave the double act but feared for Ernie without him. In fact, on the night of his death, he had just appeared in a solo stage show.
Ooh, just thought of another one Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. I doubt there'll be too many arguments about who was the funnier of the two.
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ March 12 2009, 1:43 AM GMTIn fact, on the night of his death, he had just appeared in a solo stage show.
See? How dangerous was that?
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ March 12 2009, 12:43 AM GMTI'm not disputing the love people have for Mr. Wise, however I did notice that without Morecambe, he didn't get a lot of work.
Well he was 59 when his best friend and almost exclusive working partner of 43 years died, plus had quite a large fortune, so I doubt he had much need or inclination to work much again. Although, IIRC, he did quite a bit on the cruise ships. And looking at Wikipedia, he actually did quite a bit of TV and theatrical work. Besides anything else, he would almost certainly to have struggled to realign himself in the mainstream public eye from the straight man persona to be an individual performer again - and I think much the same if it had been the other way around; Eric wouldn't have been accepted as a comic without Ernie.
Quote: Badge @ March 12 2009, 1:01 AM GMTEven when he was alive, Eric didn't get a lot of work without Ernie either. They were a double act.
Quote: count lytham @ March 12 2009, 12:45 AM GMTI once heard David Baddiel described as "The Ian Duncan Smith of comedy", which just about sums him up perfectly, and gave me the only David Baddiel related laugh I've ever had!
*snigger*
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ March 12 2009, 1:43 AM GMTOoh, just thought of another one Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. I doubt there'll be too many arguments about who was the funnier of the two.
Cook NEEDED Moore, he balanced out the double act. Moore was the gifted clown, the warmth, the one the audience loved; Cook was too aloof and cold without him, and certainly couldn't act. Don't underestimate Moore's importance to Cook's success Mr Park!!
Quote: Matthew Stott @ March 12 2009, 8:59 AM GMTCook NEEDED Moore, he balanced out the double act. Moore was the gifted clown, the warmth, the one the audience loved; Cook was too aloof and cold without him, and certainly couldn't act.
Agreed. Peter Cook was never as funny on his own, he needed someone to play off, like Dud, or Clive Anderson or Chris Morris.
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ March 11 2009, 5:55 PM GMTWhen I think back to Morecambe and Wise, I often wonder if Wise could have been just about anyone off the street?
I have started an internet petition to get you hung, drawn and quartered.
Bert and Ernie are a brilliant double act that are pretty well matched.
Chas'n'Dave too....
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ March 12 2009, 1:43 AM GMTAccording to what I've read, Eric wanted to leave the double act but feared for Ernie without him. In fact, on the night of his death, he had just appeared in a solo stage show.
Ooh, just thought of another one Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.
I think, before he died, Eric had wound things up in his own mind- it had been 7 years since they were at the BBC- 7 years since they were really good. They were slowing up, plus the dreadful film at the end was the final nail- he knew it wasn't going to get better. He was also very ill and knew it.
The final show he did was a try out for a possible retirement pastime- a supposedly low-stress, quiet series of Q&A theatre tours. It wasn't as if he thought "Get rid of Ernie and now I'll have new career", it was more 'This is over, now I can spend my time writing, fishing, and a little bit of theatre work'.
As for whether M&W are better than most other double acts- yes, I think so. Abbott & Costello were not that good- and they hated each other (ironically they were the original inspiration for M&W). Laurel & Hardy were excellent, but due to the media they worked in, they can't really be compared to M&W- they were more slapstick and visual (often silent).
Little & Large, Hale & Pace, Horne & Corden, Mike & Bernie Winters- they could ALL have been any man off the street