From their fourth series with the BBC, this shows Eric & Ernie going to Eric Porter's dressing room to try to persuade him to accept a part in Ernie's latest masterpiece, a re-working of Wuthering Heights
I love how Eric Morecambe at 4:20 spent ages trying to get Eric Porter to corpse laughing and he didn't. Eric tried every trick to get Eric Porter to at least giggle, and Eric Porter held it together. Great men, all three of them here.
Those who complain about apparent homophobia should note that Eric spends most of the scene with ‘Douglas’ and treats him as he would any other character.
Yes, we are viewing this from 2021 perspective and not from 1970 when it was first aired. In fact in 1970 homosexuality was only made legal for two years in England. We have come a long way since then thankfully.
Eric Morecambe in private didn't care about a person's sexuality, he was always very kind and tolerant. However his persona or alter ego version written by Eddie Braben on here was someone who was a bit more crass and always trying for the laugh. We can't judge the Eric we see here to the real Eric Morecambe, there were two different personas.
At 3:10 - I think Eric was a little bit surprised at the audience reaction to his "look out" when Douglas arrives. He sat down and the audience went into a big applause which I think took Eric by surprise.
All these people wittering about political correctness make me sick… This clip is from the 1970s… It was totally acceptable to make these kind of comments… And people still make them whatever you might think… Eric Porter was a great actor… He was also gay and had to keep denying it because it was illegal
Eric Morecambe in private didn't care about a person's sexuality, he was always very kind and tolerant. However his persona or alter ego version written by Eddie Braben on here was someone who was a bit more crass and always trying for the laugh. We can't judge the Eric we see here to the real Eric Morecambe, there were two different personas.
This is certainly interesting to watch. It shows how attitudes have (hopefully) changed and what was once deemed acceptable no longer is. I'm not suggesting Eric Morecambe was in anyway intolerant or homophobic.
Eric Morecambe in private didn't care about a person's sexuality, he was always very kind and tolerant. However his persona or alter ego version written by Eddie Braben on here was someone who was a bit more crass and always trying for the laugh. We can't judge the Eric we see here to the real Eric Morecambe, there were two different personas.
