Costume worn by Ernie Wise Morecambe and Wise, 1970s.

Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise are one of the most successful comedy duos in television history. They met in 1941, whilst performing in a variety show at the Nottingham Empire Theatre. They performed on radio in the 1950s, then made the transition to TV in 1954. The pair also starred in a series of films including That Riviera Touch (1966) and The Magnificent Two (1967). It was their BBC TV series that brought the duo enduring fame. The Morecambe and Wise Show ran from 1968 until 1983 and their annual Christmas Specials became the most highly-watched TV programmes of the era. Their shows became known for their celebrity guest ‘spots’: featuring guests including Glenda Jackson, Diana Rigg, Laurence Olivier and Vanessa Redgrave. The duo would finish their TV programme skipping off stage whilst singing ‘Bring Me Sunshine’.

The British Film Institute (BFI) acquired its costume collection for display at the Museum of the Moving Image, which existed on the South Bank in London between 1988 and 1999. The collection is made up of British, European, American and Japanese films and covers the period from the silent film era to the mid-1990s. It contains a wealth of historic and significant film costumes worn by major performers and designed by some of the 20th century’s most important film costume designers. The collection was transferred to the V&A in 2015.