I met Eric just the once, about 10 years ago. He was already quite elderly, and had hearing and vision problems for a long time, yet he was a very kind fellow who made sure everyone had a word with him. His word to me "Hullo, have you come to arrest me?" (I am quite tall). That was at a BFI interview Eric gave to Michael Parkinson (no relation) which was hilarious and revealing. It was due to last 100 minutes, and was meant to be an examination of his life's work. We were at minute 95 and he was still regaling us with anecdotes about the War!
I also saw him in a play about 5 years earlier when he stole the show by entering two lines too early and saying "Have you got to my part yet?" (his hearing was very poor!)
When Spike Milligan died, it was revealed that Eric wrote some of the best Goon Shows single-handed, and that alone would mark him out as a hero for me, but his sitcom with Hattie Jaques was a Thursday night joy in the 70s, and I'm going to watch the one with Peter Sellers right now in tribute to the last of the great comedy writer/performers. Cheers, Eric!
3 comments:
Regarding that Peter Sellers episode of Sykes, you can clearly see just how much fun they're having. There's a couple of edits where they must have cracked up and had to start again. Good clean fun, and I have fond memories myself of watching the programme in the '70s.
I like Eric's humour and love the good show..its amazing how he kept going despite his disablities..
He certainly was a very humourous man and that must of helped him a lot.
He wrote the elephant on the underground for Frankie Howard which is very funny.and took your advice Nigel and looked at the Goon shows he co-wrote
7 : Lurgi Strikes Britain
That is a great one..hhhhhhheeeeeyakkaboom!!
15 : Nineteen-Eighty-Five
First Broadcast: 1955-01-04
Recorded: 1955-01-02
Author: Spike Milligan and Eric Sykes
Its great to be alive in 1985!!
from http://www.thegoonshow.net
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