Product Description

With his recent theatrical success, The Play What I Wrote, Braben shows that the audience for the spirit of the incomparable Eric and Ernie is just as alive today as it was in their glory years. Now, the key figure behind their success, scriptwriter Braben, has written his autobiography - with the inimitable, timeless humour, warmth and affection for Eric and Ernie of that wonderful bygone era which made their classic sketches so successful. From Liverpool to London and on to Snowdonia, Braben peppers his story with wonderful anecdotes about the original straight man and his amiable sidekick. The Book What I Wrote is as much a unique biography of the charismatic Eric and Ernie as it is an autobiography of the man on whose gags their success was made.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2540799 in Books
• Published on: 2005-09-01
• Format: Large Print
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover

Review
Pure Morecombe and Wise. Boom boom. -- Sunday Times

About the Author
Having begun his career as scriptwriter for Ken Dodd, Eddie Braben discovered Eric and Ernie in the late sixties. His hilarious scripts for the comic duo and his remoulding of their TV personas transformed them into the household names they remain today. Born in Liverpool, Eddie has now moved to Snowdonia.

Customer Reviews

Sheer pleasure
This book, by the unsung hero behind the incredible rebirth and success of Morecambe and Wise, is not strictly an autobiograhy. It is indeed peppered with insights from the author's background and upbringing, and some of the warm and inspirational people from his early life, not least his mum, the family member that appears to have inspired his gift for comedy, witness cracks like (to her husband), "Come away from the window, people will think it's a petshop". But it is above all a testament to the talent of Morecambe and Wise, and the inevitable success that followed after the three of them teamed up. And the warmth with which he regarded them, and they each other, shines through the wealth of recollections, mostly of their working relationship. There are also diversions into his other work, such as fourteen years writing for Ken Dodd and his work on radio, but essentially he pays homage to the defining relationship of his life (and theirs). And for good measure he throws in new gags he thought of while writing the book, and even some very moving (and very funny) lines that he imagines Morecambe and Wise playing out. The books jumps around between recollections and new gags, and from one time period to another, but it is a moving insight into his own comedy genius and the personal and professional relationship between Eric and Ern (indeed the two aspects of their relationship are inseparable). And he achieves this whilst throwing out great gags and lines, making it a poignant but ultimately hilarious book.

Pages Of Joy Hidden in Hardback!!!
This is not a long in depth book review. All I will say if you are a fan of Eric & Ern then this is an absolute must own. The boy's script/gag writer has finally penned his story and it's a treat from start to finish. With Mr Braben's fantastic humour and gentle manner this is a book to keep you smiling. Such a treat. I read it in one sitting and I have'nt stopped grinning!! Why can't there be more people in this wicked world like the wonderful Eddie Braben. May he live forever!!!

A long-felt want fulfilled.
Inspired writer for Ken Dodd, Morecambe & Wise and many others, beloved son of Liverpool and bona fide British comedy legend, Eddie Braben has written a genuinely charming, bright and very, very, funny memoir about the life 'wot' he has lived, and it is a classic of its kind. Full of wonderful anecdotes and insights about the likes of Eric and Ernie, Andre 'Preview' Previn, Glenda Jackson, John Mills, Frankie Howerd, Diane Cilento, Sean Connery, Flora Robson, Hughie Green, Robin Day, John Lennon, Shirley Bassey, Bill Cotton, Cliff Richard, the stage play 'The Play Wot I Wrote' and, of course, the much-mocked Des 'Desperate' O'Connor, the book is a treat - it makes you smile, it makes you laugh (often out loud) and it makes you feel much better for having read it. If you love comedy, if you are a fan of Morecambe & Wise or you just want to find confirmation that, sometimes, nice guys really do get right to the top (and remain kind, decent and unspoilt after they've got there), then this really is a 'must-read'.