A rare Morecambe and Wise script signed by The Beatles and left unread in a suitcase for six decades is tipped to sell for £6,500 at auction.

The 1964 recording script bears the signatures of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in blue ballpoint pen.

During their guest appearance at London's Elstree Studios the band performed three hits before joining Ernie Wise for a comic barbershop rendition of Moonlight Bay.

In the script Eric refers to The Beatles as "The Heatles" calling Ringo "Bingo"; and in the TV sketch he calls the Fab Four "the Kaye Sisters" and dubs Ringo, "Bongo".

A signed promotional Thames TV card of Morecambe and Wise autographed by Ernie Wise only, it has an estimate of £40-£60. // A rare Morecambe and Wise script signed by The Beatles which lay in a suitcase for six decades is set to fetch £6,500 at auction. The 1964 recording script bears the signatures of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in blue ballpoint pen. During their appearance at Elstree Studios the band performed three hits before joining Ernie Wise for a comic barbershop rendition of Moonlight Bay. In the script Eric refers to The Beatles as “The Heatles” calling Ringo “Bingo”; and in the TV sketch he calls the Fab Four “the Kaye Sisters” and dubs Ringo, “Bongo”. Photo released 06/11/2026

placeholder image — A signed promotional Thames TV card of Morecambe and Wise autographed by Ernie Wise only, it has an estimate of £40-£60. // A rare Morecambe and Wise script signed by The Beatles which lay in a suitcase for six decades is set to fetch £6,500 at auction. The 1964 recording script bears the signatures of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in blue ballpoint pen. During their appearance at Elstree Studios the band performed three hits before joining Ernie Wise for a comic barbershop rendition of Moonlight Bay. In the script Eric refers to The Beatles as “The Heatles” calling Ringo “Bingo”; and in the TV sketch he calls the Fab Four “the Kaye Sisters” and dubs Ringo, “Bongo”. Photo released 06/11/2026

The script was put in a suitcase and left untouched and unread for more than 60 years until it was passed to a collector by Ernie's beloved wife Doreen in 2008.

It is now expected to sell for between £4,500 and £6,500 but could fetch far more when it goes under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers later this month.

Sale manager Victoria Sheppard said: "Much of this collection was gifted to the current owner when Ernie's wife, Doreen, downsized in 2008.

"The collection includes hundreds of annotated scripts, photographs, scrapbooks, awards and other memorabilia, all of which had been stored in suitcases and a metal trunk and have been carefully preserved ever since.

Charles Hanson with the Beatles-signed script from ATV's Two of a Kind, a forerunner to The Morecambe and Wise show, which is expected to sell for £4,500-£6,500 on November 27 – which would have been Ernie Wise’s 101st birthday. // A rare Morecambe and Wise script signed by The Beatles which lay in a suitcase for six decades is set to fetch £6,500 at auction. The 1964 recording script bears the signatures of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in blue ballpoint pen. During their appearance at Elstree Studios the band performed three hits before joining Ernie Wise for a comic barbershop rendition of Moonlight Bay. In the script Eric refers to The Beatles as “The Heatles” calling Ringo “Bingo”; and in the TV sketch he calls the Fab Four “the Kaye Sisters” and dubs Ringo, “Bongo”. Photo released 06/11/2026

"For students of comedy, comedy fans and lovers of The Beatles, this is a rare and important archive."

The script is one of 400 lots being sold from the Ernie Wise Estate.

The diminutive comedian's size 6 ½ tap dancing shoes are expected to fetch up to £1,500, while one of Eric's famous pipes - which found its way into Ernie's collection - could sell for £500.

Eric Morecambe's son Gary Bartholomew said: "Ernie and Doreen were great keepers of Morecambe and Wise memorabilia - nothing ever got junked. Sensibly, they kept all the scripts."

A handwritten letter from Gene Kelly (1912-1996) to Ernie Wise in which he writes: “I'll never forget your great performance of "Singin` in the Rain". He is referring to Morecambe & Wise 1976 Christmas Show which parodied the famous routine. Ernie, who was a talented dancer, later recalled the sketch was one of his all-time favourites. The letter has an estimate of £60-£100. // A rare Morecambe and Wise script signed by The Beatles which lay in a suitcase for six decades is set to fetch £6,500 at auction. The 1964 recording script bears the signatures of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in blue ballpoint pen. During their appearance at Elstree Studios the band performed three hits before joining Ernie Wise for a comic barbershop rendition of Moonlight Bay. In the script Eric refers to The Beatles as “The Heatles” calling Ringo “Bingo”; and in the TV sketch he calls the Fab Four “the Kaye Sisters” and dubs Ringo, “Bongo”. Photo released 06/11/2026

He also paid tribute to Ernie's vital role in the comedy duo's success which spanned five decades from 1941 until Eric's sudden death in 1984.

Gary said: "A double act requires two people by definition and my father considered Ernie to be the best partner in the business.

"He would never have worked with anyone else. The archive really is a fascinating part of comedy history."

Among the hundreds of scripts, many with Ernie's annotations, are some of the duo's best-loved sketches such as Glenda Jackson appearing in Ernie's play Antony and Cleopatra, in 1971, with the line: "All men are fools, and what makes them so is having beauty like what I've got."

Caricature of Des O'Connor on stage with Eric Morecambe appearing from behind the tabs with caption "RUBBISH!" pen and watercolour, BY Clive Collins (1942-2022). It has an estimate of £500-£700. // A rare Morecambe and Wise script signed by The Beatles which lay in a suitcase for six decades is set to fetch £6,500 at auction. The 1964 recording script bears the signatures of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in blue ballpoint pen. During their appearance at Elstree Studios the band performed three hits before joining Ernie Wise for a comic barbershop rendition of Moonlight Bay. In the script Eric refers to The Beatles as “The Heatles” calling Ringo “Bingo”; and in the TV sketch he calls the Fab Four “the Kaye Sisters” and dubs Ringo, “Bongo”. Photo released 06/11/2026

The sale includes Ernie's handwritten notebooks, scrapbooks compiled by his wife Doreen, photographs as well as scripts from the early radio series, television series and Christmas Specials.

Handwritten letters date from the 1940s in the years following his first meeting with Eric in 1939 when they were aged 12 and 13.

Also in the sale is memorabilia from the late Des O'Connor who died in November 2020 aged 88.

The star was a close friend of Eric and Ernie and features in long-running gags with the pair.

An 18-carat gold Omega watch presented to Des by James and Betty Corrigan, the couple behind Batley Variety Club, once dubbed the "Las Vegas of the North", is expected to sell for between £3,000 and £5,000.

O'Connor appeared at the club in October 1968, shortly before Morecambe and Wise took to its stage in November.

Among the material are scripts for Des O'Connor's television shows, complete with comedy legend Bob Monkhouse's edits and notes.

Auctioneer Charles Hanson said: "The way these funnymen were a part of the fabric of 20th century comedy - both on and off stage - is astounding.

"These four men were at the heart of British comedy during its golden age.

"Together, the material offers collectors and comedy aficionados an opportunity to explore around 75 years of British entertainment history, from variety theatre and early stage performances to the golden age of television."

The comedy collections go under the hammer at Hansons saleroom in Derby on November 27 - what would have been Ernie's 101st birthday.