BOB HOPE, THE IMMORTAL
Movies:
Bob's
success in radio led to Hollywood and a long-term contract with Paramount. The
costars of his movies became the guest stars of his radio shows.
Bob makes light of
the fact that he has never won an Oscar for his acting. ("Oscar night at my
house is called Passover") But in truth, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts
and Sciences has honored him five times --- two honorary Oscars, two special
awards and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
'Best Actor' or not,
Bob's impact on moviegoers has grown stronger with time. The "Road Pictures"
with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour made Hope a box office star.
A
Bob Hope movie on television, be it the 'early movie' or the 'late-late show',
is watched and enjoyed by all ages. Consequently, his movies claim a large and
faithful following with each generation.
In all, Hope starred in more
than 50 feature films and has appeared in cameos for another 15 -- the last
being "Spies Like Us" in 1985. As with radio -- Hope earned the status of #1
at the box office.
Bob has introduced two
Academy Award-winning songs: "Thanks for the Memory" with Shirley Ross in "The
Big Broadcast of 1938" and "Buttons and Bows" in "The Paleface" (1948).
To his credit are "Two
Sleepy People" from the movie "Thanks for the Memory," "Silver Bells" from
"The Lemon Drop Kid;" and with Crosby and Lamour in the "road" pictures: "Put
It There Pal," "Teamwork," and "We're Off On the Road to Morocco."
Ah yes, the "road" pictures!
Paramount had been planning a movie called "The Road to Mandaley" (later
changed to "The Road to Singapore") for George Burns and Gracie Allen. Because
Burns and Allen were not available, Paramount tapped Fred MacMurray and Jack
Oakie -- they were also overbooked. Enter Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy
Lamour... and film history is made.
Television:
Radio,
movies, and a heavy schedule of personal appearances made Bob a star! But it
was television that made him a super-star and a welcomed guest in every living
room of America.
Bob made his formal debut on
NBC television Easter Sunday, 1950. Frigidaire sponsored the special, "Star
Spangled Revue," which featured Bob's guest stars, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.,
Beatrice Lillie, and Dinah Shore. The formula, along with Bob's unshakable
decision to avoid a weekly show, proved extremely successful. For 60 years
(radio and television) Bob was an NBC headliner and Nielsen ratings king.
Bob has been honored and
befriended by Presidents of the United States since Roosevelt. Hope's golfing
buddies have been Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford,
Ronald Reagan, George Bush, and Bill Clinton. He was hailed as "America's most
prized ambassador of goodwill throughout the world" when presented with the
Congressional Gold Medal from President Kennedy. President Johnson honored Bob
with the Medal of Freedom and President and Mrs. Carter hosted a White House
reception in celebration of his 75th birthday. Harry Truman played the piano
for him and Bill Clinton bestowed on him a Medal of the Arts.
Likewise he has been feted
by his native England. Most recently in 1998, by order of Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth II, Bob received an honorary knighthood - Knight Commander of the
Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) in recognition of his
contribution to film, to song and to the entertainment of troops in the past.
Upon hearing the news, Bob said, "I'm speechless. 70 years of ad lib material
and I'm speechless."
Cited by the Guinness Book of Records as most honored entertainer in the
world, Hope has more than two thousand awards and citations for humanitarian
and professional efforts, including 54 honorary doctorates.
Entertaining
The Troops
Bob
Hope's unwavering commitment to the morale of America's servicemen and women
is entertainment history, indeed, world history. Many say 'legend.'
For nearly six decades, be
the country at war or at peace, Bob, with a band of Hollywood gypsies, has
traveled the globe to entertain our service men and women.
Continues on the following pages