Morecambe and Wise - Be Wise Don't Drink and Drive

Ernie tells Eric to ‘be wise’ and not drive home after their Christmas party

47 seconds of pure comedy genius, this recently rediscovered Morecambe and Wise public information film, one of the earliest drink-drive campaign films, hasn’t be seen by the public for over 50 years. The original 35mm film was found in a box of 1960s cigarette advertisements recovered from Ulster Television, who were in the process of moving to new premises in Belfast.

The rediscovered material was returned to the BFI National Archive via Kaleidoscope, the classic TV archive based in Birmingham, and is preserved as part of the Central Office of Information (COI) collection in partnership with The National Archives. Two decades later Ernie Wise made another appearance in a public information film for the National Blood Service, starring alongside Morecambe and Wise regular, Glenda Jackson. Blood Donor: Glenda and Ernie (1981) is also available on BFI Player as part of the NHS on Film collection.