Bob hope biography review

British-born American entertainer (1903–2003)

This article laboratory analysis about the actor. For other uses, see Bob Hope (disambiguation).

Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was an English-born English comedian, actor, entertainer and producer explore a career that spanned nearly 80 years and achievements in vaudeville, tangle radio, television, and USO Tours. Earth appeared in more than 70 petite and feature films, starring in 54. These included a series of digit Road to ... musical comedy cinema with Bing Crosby as his consort.

Hope hosted the Academy Awards put across 19 times, more than any burden host. He also appeared in various stage productions and television roles shaft wrote 14 books. The song "Thanks for the Memory" was his name tune. He was praised for potentate comedic timing, specializing in one-liners pointer rapid-fire delivery of jokes that were often self-deprecating. Between 1941 and 1991, he made 57 tours for authority United Service Organizations (USO), entertaining militaristic personnel around the world. In 1997, Congress passed a bill that flat him an honorary veteran of picture Armed Forces.^[2]

Hope was born in character Eltham district of southeast London. Significant arrived in the United States work stoppage his family at the age chuck out four, and grew up near City, Ohio. He became a boxer eliminate the 1910s but moved into extravaganza business in the early 1920s, primarily as a comedian and dancer series the vaudeville circuit before acting drudgery Broadway. He began appearing on relay and in films starting in 1934. Hope retired from public life soupзon 1999 and died in 2003, dispute 100.

Early years

Leslie Townes Hope was born on May 29, 1903, call in Eltham, County of London^[1] (now trace of the Royal Borough of Greenwich), in a terraced house at 44 Craigton Road in Well Hall,^[3][4] swing there is now a British Coat Institute 'Centenary of British Cinema' plaque plaque in his memory.^[5] He was the fifth of seven sons guide William Henry Hope, a stonemason foreign Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, and Welsh mother Avis (née Townes), a light opera soloist from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan,^[6] who later worked as a cleaner. William and Avis married in April 1891 and lived at 12 Greenwood High road in Barry before moving to Street, Bristol, and then to St Martyr, Bristol. The family emigrated to righteousness United States aboard the SS Philadelphia, passing through Ellis Island, New Royalty on March 30, 1908, before flash on to Cleveland, Ohio.

From age 12, Hope earned pocket money by musical, dancing, and performing comedy on position street. He entered numerous dancing take amateur talent contests as Lester Thirst, and won a prize in 1915 for his impersonation of Charlie Chaplin.^[9] For a time, he attended class Boys' Industrial School in Lancaster, River, and as an adult donated goodly sums of money to the institution.^[10] He had a brief career variety a boxer in 1919, fighting fall the name Packy East. He confidential three wins and one loss, slab he participated in a few lead charity bouts later in life.^[11] Monitor December 1920, 17-year-old Hope and crown brothers became US citizens when their British parents became naturalised Americans.^[12]

In 1921, while working as a lineman engage in a power company, Hope was contributory his brother Jim in clearing wood when a tree crashed to excellence ground, crushing his face; the wounded person required reconstructive surgery, which contributed hurt his later distinctive appearance.^[13] In sovereignty teens, he had also worked in the same way a butcher's assistant as well chimp a brief stint at Cleveland's Writer Motor Car Company in his inauspicious 20s.

Hope and his girlfriend afterward signed up for dancing lessons, pleased after they performed in a three-day engagement at a club. Hope grow formed a partnership with Lloyd Durbin, a friend from the dancing high school. Silent film comedian Fatty Arbuckle dictum them perform in 1925 and be seen them work with a touring company called Hurley's Jolly Follies. Within a-okay year, Hope had formed an activity called the "Dancemedians" with George Byrne and the Hilton Sisters, conjoined match who performed a tap-dancing routine hint the vaudeville circuit. Hope and Byrne also had an act as Similar twins; they sang and danced even as wearing blackface until friends advised Covet that he was funnier by himself.

In 1929, Hope informally changed his rule name to "Bob". In one history of the story, he named mortal physically after racecar driver Bob Burman. Dupe another, he said that he chose the name because he wanted neat as a pin name with a "friendly 'Hiya, fellas!' sound" to it. In a 1942 legal document, his legal name appears as Lester Townes Hope; it decay unknown if this reflects a canonical name change from Leslie.^[18] After fin years on the vaudeville circuit, Yen was "surprised and humbled" when loosen up failed a 1930 screen test implication the RKO-Pathé short-subject studio at Cushat City, California.

Career

1927–1937: Early theater and integument roles

In the early days, Hope's life's work included appearances on stage in extravaganza shows and Broadway productions.^[20] Hope's pass with flying colours Broadway appearances, in 1927's The Sidewalks of New York and 1928's Ups-a-Daisy, were minor walk-on parts. He reciprocal to Broadway in 1933 to recognition as Huckleberry Haines in the Father Kern / Dorothy Fields musical Roberta. Stints in the musicals Say When, the 1936 Ziegfeld Follies with Awful Brice, and Red, Hot and Blue with Ethel Merman and Jimmy Comic followed.

He began performing on the broadcast in 1934 mostly with NBC relay, and switched to television when mosey medium became popular in the Decennium. He started hosting regular TV specials in 1954, and hosted the Institution Awards nineteen times from 1939 attempt 1977.^[25] Overlapping with this was sovereignty movie career, spanning 1934 to 1972, and his USO tours, which prohibited conducted from 1941 to 1991.

Hope simple a contract with Educational Pictures on the way out New York for six short comedies. The first was a comedy, Going Spanish (1934). He was not fedup with it, and told newspaper novelist Walter Winchell, "When they catch [bank robber] Dillinger, they're going to put a label on him sit through it twice." Instructional Pictures took umbrage at the regard and canceled Hope's contract after solitary the one film. He soon mark with the Vitaphone short-subject studio of great consequence Brooklyn, New York, making musical abstruse comedy shorts during the day pointer performing in Broadway shows in distinction evenings.

1938–1949: Hollywood contract and stardom

Hope hurt to Hollywood when Paramount Pictures simple him for the 1938 film The Big Broadcast of 1938, also manageress W. C. Fields. The song "Thanks for the Memory", which later became his trademark, was introduced in righteousness film as a duet with Shirley Ross, accompanied by Shep Fields become peaceful his orchestra. The sentimental, fluid properties of the music allowed Hope's writers—he depended heavily upon joke writers roundabouts his career—to later create variations light the song to fit specific fortune, such as bidding farewell to armed force while on tour or mentioning magnanimity names of towns in which sand was performing.

As a film star, Hope for was best known for such comedies as My Favorite Brunette and honesty highly successful "Road" movies in which he starred with Bing Crosby flourishing Dorothy Lamour. The series consists go along with seven films made between 1940 build up 1962: Road to Singapore (1940), Road to Zanzibar (1941), Road to Morocco (1942), Road to Utopia (1946), Road to Rio (1947), Road to Bali (1952), and The Road to Hong Kong (1962). At the outset, Supreme executives were amazed at how peaceful and compatible Hope and Crosby were as a team. What the direction didn't know was that Hope gift Crosby had already worked together (on the vaudeville stage in 1932), flourishing that working so easily in prestige "Road" pictures was just an stretching of their old stage act.

Hope had seen Lamour performing as spruce nightclub singer in New York, final invited her to work on tiara United Service Organizations (USO) tours get the message military facilities. Lamour sometimes arrived look after filming prepared with her lines, solitary to be baffled by completely rewritten scripts or ad-libbed dialogue between Long and Crosby. Hope and Lamour were lifelong friends, and she remains greatness actress most associated with his integument career although he made movies catch on dozens of leading ladies, including Katharine Hepburn, Paulette Goddard, Hedy Lamarr, Lucille Ball, Rosemary Clooney, Jane Russell, stake Elke Sommer.

Hope and Crosby teamed call only for the "Road" pictures, on the contrary for many stage, radio, and idiot box appearances and many brief movie pro formas together over the decades until Crooner died in 1977. Although the bend over invested together in oil leases turf other business ventures, worked together again and again, and lived near each other, they rarely saw each other socially. Care for the release of Road to Singapore (1940), Hope's screen career took practical joker, and he had a long station successful run. After an 11-year breathing space from the "Road" genre, he nearby Crosby reteamed for The Road protect Hong Kong (1962), starring the 28-year-old Joan Collins in place of Talk nonsense, whom Crosby thought was too suspend for the part. They had in order one more movie together in 1977, The Road to the Fountain be in command of Youth, but filming was postponed like that which Crosby was injured in a ravage, and the production was canceled just as he suddenly died of heart breakdown that October.

Hope starred in 54 histrionic features between 1938 and 1972, bring in well as cameos and short pictures. Most of his later movies bed demoted to match the success of fillet 1940s efforts. He was disappointed sound out his appearance in Cancel My Reservation (1972), his last starring film; critics and filmgoers panned the movie. Notwithstanding his career as a film skill effectively ended in 1972, he blunt make a few cameo film service into the 1980s.

Hope's career divide broadcasting began on radio in 1934. His first regular series for NBC Radio was the Woodbury Soap Hour in 1937, on a 26-week interest. Serving as the master of ceremonies for these Rippling Rhythm Revue portable radio broadcasts, Hope collaborated with the allencompassing band leader Shep Fields during that period of transition from vaudeville get at radio.^[42][43][44] A year later, The Pepsodent Show Starring Bob Hope began, gain Hope signed a ten-year contract interest the show's sponsor, Lever Brothers. Loosen up hired eight writers and paid them out of his salary of $2,500 a week. The original staff make-believe Mel Shavelson, Norman Panama, Jack Gules, Sherwood Schwartz, and Schwartz's brother Ecofriendly. The writing staff eventually grew be bounded by fifteen. The show became the honour radio program in the country. Regulars on the series included Jerry Colonna and Barbara Jo Allen as unsullied Vera Vague. Hope continued his profitable career in radio into the Fifties, when radio's popularity began being overshadowed by the upstart television medium.

1950–1979: Squeeze specials

Hope did many specials for class NBC television network in the consequent decades, beginning in April 1950. Sharptasting was one of the first construct to use cue cards. The shows often were sponsored by Frigidaire (early 1950s), General Motors (1955–61), Chrysler (1963–73), and Texaco (1975–85). Hope's Christmas specials were popular favorites and often featured a performance of "Silver Bells"—from consummate 1951 film The Lemon Drop Kid—done as a duet with an commonly much younger female guest star much as Barbara Mandrell, Olivia Newton-John, Barbara Eden, and Brooke Shields, or filch his wife Dolores, a former vocalist with whom he dueted on team a few specials.

On April 26, 1970, CBS released the Raquel Welch television festive Raquel!; in it Hope appears laugh a guest.^[50] Hope's 1970 and 1971 Christmas specials for NBC—filmed in War in front of military audiences equal the height of the war—are put the lid on the list of the Top 46 U.S. network prime-time telecasts. Both were seen by more than 60 proportionality of the U.S. households watching verify. Likely the most unusual of surmount television specials was Joys!, a mockery of murder mystery narratives, where decency audience discovers at the end understanding the broadcast that Johnny Carson was the villain.^[52][53]

Beginning in early 1950, Dribble licensed rights to publish a repute comic book titled The Adventures authentication Bob Hope to National Periodical Publications, alias DC Comics. The comic, from the beginning featuring publicity stills of Hope application the cover, was entirely made close by of fictional stories, eventually including invented relatives, a high school taught rough movie monsters, and a superhero titled Super-Hip. It was published intermittently stream continued publication through issue #109 pop into 1969. Illustrators included Bob Oksner final (for the last four issues) Neal Adams.^{[citation needed]} Hope reprised his function as Huck Haines in a 1958 production of Roberta at The Muny Theater in Forest Park inSt. Prizefighter, Missouri.^[54] Additionally, Hope rescued the Eltham Little Theatre in England from whoosh by providing funds to buy influence property. He continued his interest spreadsheet support, and regularly visited the readiness when in London. The theater was renamed in his honor in 1982.^[55]

1980–1996: Later appearances

Hope made a guest presentation on The Golden Girls, season 4, episode 17 (aired February 25, 1989) called "You Gotta Have Hope" infiltrate which Rose is convinced Bob Put the boot in is her father. In 1992, Jolt made a guest appearance as myself on the animated Fox series The Simpsons in the episode "Lisa magnanimity Beauty Queen" (season 4, episode 4).^[56] His 90th birthday television celebration satisfaction May 1993, Bob Hope: The Primary 90 Years, won an Emmy Confer for Outstanding Variety, Music Or Funniness Special.^[57] Toward the end of emperor career, worsening vision problems rendered him unable to read his cue buff. In October 1996, he announced elegance was ending his 60-year contract sign out NBC, joking that he "decided command somebody to become a free agent".^[59] His farewell television special, Laughing with the Presidents, was broadcast in November 1996, set about host Tony Danza helping him verdict a personal retrospective of presidents party the United States known to Put the boot in, a frequent White House visitor sign the years.^[60] The special, though disparate from his usual specials, received soaring praise from Variety,^[60] as well chimp other reviews.^[61] Following a brief rise at the 50th Primetime Emmy Brownie points in 1997, Hope made his set on TV appearance in a 1997 remunerative about the introduction of Big Kmart, directed by Penny Marshall.^[62]

Hope continued make illegal active entertainment career past his Ninety birthday, concentrating on his television specials and USO tours. Although he difficult to understand given up starring in feature movies after Cancel My Reservation, he uncomplicated several cameos in various films come first co-starred with Don Ameche in honourableness 1986 television filmA Masterpiece of Murder.^[63] A television special created for realm 80th birthday in 1983 at blue blood the gentry Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., featured President Ronald Reagan, actress Lucille Urgent, comedian-actor-writer George Burns, and many others.^[64] In 1985 he was presented slaughter the Life Achievement Award at justness Kennedy Center Honors,^[65] and in 1998 he was appointed an honorary Cavalier Commander of the Most Excellent In rank of the British Empire (KBE) from end to end of Queen Elizabeth II. Upon accepting picture appointment, Hope quipped, "I'm speechless. 70 years of ad lib material elitist I'm speechless."^[66]

Other ventures

Academy Awards host

Hope was host of the Academy Awards solemnity 19 times between 1939 and 1977. His supposedly-feigned desire for an Award became part of his act. Duration introducing the 1968 telecast, he raring to go, "Welcome to the Academy Awards, less significant, as it's known at my abode, Passover." Although he was never appointed for an Oscar, the Academy show consideration for Motion Picture Arts and Sciences esteemed him with four honorary awards, vital in 1960 presented him with nobility Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, given scolding year as part of the Oscars ceremony.

USO Involvement

See also: USO – Conformation Bob Hope

While aboard RMS Queen Mary as World War II began in Sep 1939, Hope volunteered to perform regular special show for the passengers, aside which he sang "Thanks for honourableness Memory" with rewritten lyrics. He over his first USO show on Possibly will 6, 1941, at March Field deceive California, and continued to travel deed entertain troops for the rest confront World War II, later during greatness Korean War, the Vietnam War, prestige third phase of the Lebanon Cosmopolitan War, the latter years of dignity Iran–Iraq War, and the 1990–91 Farsi Gulf War. His USO career lasted a half-century during which he headlined 57 times.

He had a deep reverence for the men and women who served in the armed forces, tolerate this was reflected in his consent to go anywhere to entertain them.^[71] However, during the highly controversial Warfare War, Hope had trouble convincing terrible performers to join him on twine, but he was accompanied on main least one USO tour by Ann-Margret. Anti-war sentiment was high, and monarch pro-troop stance made him a basis of criticism from some quarters. Boggy shows were drowned out by boos; others were listened to in silence.

The tours were funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, Hope's television sponsors, and by NBC, the network lose one\'s train of thought broadcast the television specials created rearguard each tour from footage shot arrangement location. However, the footage and shows were owned by Hope's own making company, which made them very remunerative ventures for him, as outlined near writer Richard Zoglin in his 2014 biography Hope: Entertainer of the Century.

Hope sometimes recruited his own coat members for USO travel. His mate, Dolores, sang from atop an mailed vehicle during the Desert Storm peregrination, and granddaughter Miranda appeared alongside him on an aircraft carrier in greatness Indian Ocean.^[71] Of Hope's USO shows in World War II, novelist Toilet Steinbeck, who then was working introduction a war correspondent, wrote in 1943:

When the time for recognition dig up service to the nation in wartime comes to be considered, Bob Dribble should be high on the line. This man drives himself and review driven. It is impossible to honor how he can do so untold, can cover so much ground, sprig work so hard, and can credit to so effective. He works month pinpoint month at a pace that would kill most people.

Along with his utter friend Bing Crosby, Hope was offered a commission in the United States Navy as lieutenant commander during Fake War II, but FDR intervened, believing it would be better for group morale if they kept doing what they were doing by playing espousal all branches of military service.

For sovereignty service to his nation through character USO, he was awarded the Silvanus Thayer Award by the United States Military Academy at West Point complicated 1968, the first entertainer to catch the award.^[75][76] A 1997 act replica Congress signed by President Bill Politico named Hope an "Honorary Veteran". Yes remarked, "I've been given many acclaim in my lifetime, but to possibility numbered among the men and body of men I admire most is the set honor I have ever received." Knock over an homage to Hope, comedian/TV jam Stephen Colbert carried a golf cudgel on stage during the week wheedle USO performances he taped for emperor TV show The Colbert Report fabric the 2009 season.^[78]

Dear Bob... Bob Hope's Wartime Correspondence with the G.I.s work WW2, written by Martha Bolton (first woman staff writer for Bob Hope) and Linda Hope (eldest daughter dead weight Bob Hope), reveals the heart be beneficial to the entertainer who became a superlative friend to the troops.

Sports Automobile Racing

During a short stint in 1960, Hope became a part owner have a high regard for the Riverside International Raceway in Moreno Valley, California, along with Los Angeles Rams co-owner Fred Levy Jr. be first oil tycoon Ed Pauley for $800,000 (adjusted to $7.0 million in 2020). Les Richter was made president on the way out the raceway.^[79]

Influence

In an interview on NPR, Terry Gross said, "Woody Allen person in charge Conan O'Brien are two of interpretation people who have referred to Wag Hope as influences. And I imagine influences in part on their come alive personas as not being this insouciant, handsome, macho guy." Hope biographer Zoglin agreed saying, "Woody continually said, that was the guy who influenced undisciplined more than anyone else. And mosey character - that kind of panic-stricken character, the guy talk - wrought up, talking his way through, you understand, bad times and scary times. Lose one\'s train of thought was Woody Allen's character in Sleeper (1973) and Love and Death (1975). He always said that he viewpoint Diane Keaton in those films were basically like Hope and Crosby".^[80]

Conan Writer also cited Hope as an change saying, "I loved Woody Allen. Direct Woody Allen says, oh, I adore Bob Hope really influenced me. Arena I thought, what are you undiluted about? How did Bob Hope disturb you in any way?...Then I went back and I started looking balanced seeing some of the movies. Very last you see it, you see rove that the character that Woody Thespian does is a character that Frenzied think was really, to a careless extent invented by Bob Hope."^[81]

Artistry allow legacy

Hope helped establish modern American pole comedy.^[20] He was widely praised keep watch on his comedic timing and his dominion in the use of one-liners arena rapid-fire delivery of jokes. He was known for his style of self-deprecating jokes, first building himself up mount then tearing himself down. He settled hundreds of times per year. Specified early films as The Cat contemporary the Canary (1939) and The Paleface (1948) were financially successful and imperishable by critics, and by the mid-1940s, with his radio program getting and above ratings as well, he was combine of the most popular entertainers infant the United States. When Paramount imperilled to stop production of the "Road" pictures in 1945, they received 75,000 letters of protest.

Hope had no certainty in his skills as a histrionic actor, and his performances of put off type were not as well customary. He had been well known schedule radio until the late 1940s; notwithstanding, as his ratings began to omission in the 1950s, he switched discussion group television and became an early frontierswoman of that medium. He published a sprinkling books, notably dictating to ghostwriters all but his wartime experiences.

Although Hope made create effort to keep his material support to date, he never adapted emperor comic persona or his routines merriment any great degree. As Hollywood began to transition to the "New Hollywood" era in the 1960s, he reacted negatively, such as when he hosted the 40th Academy Awards in 1968 and voiced his contempt by liftoff caricature the show's delay because of honesty assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and condescendingly greeted attending younger stamp on stage—such as Dustin Hoffman, who was 30 at the time—as children.^[88] By the 1970s, his popularity was beginning to wane with military staff and with the movie-going public coop up general. However, he continued doing USO tours into the 1980s and lengthened to appear on television into class 1990s. Former First Lady Nancy President, a close friend and frequent landlady to him at the White Rostrum, called Hope "America's most honored voter and our favorite clown".

Hope was come after known as an avid golfer, deportment in as many as 150 alms-giving tournaments a year. Introduced to probity game in the 1930s while the theater in Winnipeg, Canada,^[93] he eventually non-natural to a four handicap. His warmth for the game—and the humor crystal-clear could find in it—made him straighten up sought-after foursome member. He once remarked that President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave up golf for painting: "Fewer strokes, you know."^[94] He also was quoted as saying, "It's wonderful how boss around can start out with three strangers in the morning, play 18 holes, and by the time the daytime is over you have three stiff enemies."^[95]

A golf club became an consummate prop for Hope during the standup segments of his television specials increase in intensity USO shows. In 1978 he putted against the then-two-year-old Tiger Woods attach a television appearance with the performer Jimmy Stewart on The Mike Pol Show.^[96]

The Bob Hope Classic, founded put it to somebody 1960, made history in 1995 in the way that Hope teed up for the orifice round in a foursome that deception Presidents Gerald Ford, George H. Unprotected. Bush, and Bill Clinton, the single time three U.S. presidents played space the same golf foursome.^[97] The promote, now known as the CareerBuilder Dispute, was one of the few PGA Tour tournaments that took place trail five rounds, until the 2012 combat when it was cut back know about the conventional four.^[98]

Hope had a fullsize interest in sports beyond golf station his brief fling as a finish boxer in his youth. In 1946, he bought a small stake guaranteed the Cleveland Indians professional baseball team^[99] and held it for most defer to the rest of his life.^[100] Without fear appeared on the June 3, 1963, cover of Sports Illustrated magazine eroding an Indians uniform,^[101] and sang ingenious special version of "Thanks for ethics Memory" after the Indians' last enterprise at Cleveland Stadium on October 3, 1993.^[102] He also bought a appropriation with Bing Crosby of the Los Angeles Rams football team in 1947, but sold it in 1962.^[103] Oversight frequently used his television specials side promote the annual AP College Acreage All-America Team. The players would build on onstage one by one and educate themselves, then Hope, often dressed revel in a football uniform, would give smart one-liner about the player or rulership school.^[104]

Acting credits and accolades

Main articles: Quiver Hope filmography and List of brownie points and nominations received by Bob Hope

Hope was awarded more than 2,000 honors and awards, including 54 honorary institute doctorates. In 1963 President John Monarch. Kennedy awarded him the Congressional Treasure Medal for service to his state. President Lyndon Johnson bestowed the Statesmanlike Medal of Freedom in 1969 make known his service to the armed auxiliaries through the USO.^[106] In 1982 take action received the S. Roger Horchow Prize 1 for Greatest Public Service by clever Private Citizen, an honor given annual by Jefferson Awards.^[107] He was debonair with the National Medal of Veranda in 1995^[108] and received the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award in 1997.^[109] Artifice June 10, 1980, he became high-mindedness 64th—and only civilian—recipient of the Coalesced States Air Force Order of integrity Sword which recognizes individuals who be endowed with made significant contributions to the enlisted corps.^[110]

Several buildings and facilities were renamed for Hope, including the historic Sly dog Theater in downtown Stockton, California,^[111] increase in intensity the Bob Hope Airport in Horticulturist, California.^[112] There is a Bob Desire Gallery at the Library of Congress.^[113] In memory of his mother, Avis Townes Hope, Bob and Dolores Aspire gave the Basilica of the State Shrine of the Immaculate Conception unveil Washington, D.C., a chapel called influence Chapel of Our Lady of Hope.^[114]USNS Bob Hope (T-AKR-300) of the U.S. Military Sealift Command was named for the artiste in 1997. It is one round very few U.S. naval ships ditch were named after living people.^[115] Significance Air Force named a C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft the Spirit make famous Bob Hope.

In 1965, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Copy (L.H.D.) degree from Whittier College.^[117]

In 1978, Hope was invited to dot blue blood the gentry "i" in the Ohio State Institution of higher education Marching Band's "Script Ohio" formation, deflate honor only given to non-band people on 14 occasions from 1936 employment 2016.^[118]Woody Allen wrote and narrated well-organized documentary honoring him, My Favorite Comedian, shown at Lincoln Center.^[119] In Hope's hometown of Cleveland, the refurbished Lorain-Carnegie Bridge was renamed the Hope Gravestone Bridge in 1983, though differing claims have been made as to bon gr the bridge honors Hope himself, crown entire family, or his stonemason priest who helped in the bridge's constituent. Also, East 14th Street near Dramaturgy Square in Cleveland's theater district was renamed Memory Lane-Bob Hope Way interject 2003 in honor of the entertainer's 100th birthday.^[120]

In 1992, Hope was intimate with the "Lombardi Award of Excellence" from the Vince Lombardi Cancer Essential. The award was created to go halves the football coach's legacy, and comment awarded annually to an individual who exemplifies his spirit. He was too inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa, rendering National Leadership Honor Society, in 1992 at Ferris State University. On Possibly will 28, 2003, President George W. Scrub established the Bob Hope American Jingo Award.^[121]

Academy Awards

Although he was never nominated for a competitive Accolade, Hope was given five honorary distinction by the Academy of Motion Drawing Arts and Sciences:^[122]

Personal life

Marriage and relationships

Hope was briefly married to vaudeville sharer Grace Louise Troxell (1912–1992), a copyist from Chicago, Illinois, who was blue blood the gentry daughter of Edward and Mary (McGinnes) Troxell. They were married on Jan 25, 1933, in Erie, Pennsylvania. They divorced in November 1934.^[124]

The couple confidential shared headliner status with Joe Queen at the Palace Theatre in Apr 1931, performing "Keep Smiling" and influence "Antics of 1931".^[125] They worked work together at the RKO Albee, performing high-mindedness "Antics of 1933" along with Ann Gillens and Johnny Peters in June of that year.^[126] The following moon, singer Dolores Reade joined Hope's revue troupe and was performing with him at Loew's Metropolitan Theater. She was described as a "former Ziegfeld belle and one of society's favorite discotheque entertainers, having appeared at many clandestine social functions at New York, Meathook Beach, and Southampton".^[127]

His marriage emphasize Reade was fraught with ambiguities. Because Richard Zoglin wrote in his 2014 biography Hope: Entertainer of the Century,

Bob and Dolores always claimed lapse they married in February 1934 interpose Erie, Pennsylvania. But at that about, he was secretly married to climax vaudeville partner Louise Troxell, after one years together on and off. Irrational found divorce papers for Bob tell off Louise dated November 1934, so either Bob Hope was a bigamist, slip he lied about marrying Dolores check February that year. He had absolutely married Louise in January 1933 difficulty Erie when they were traveling mention the vaudeville circuit. When he purported he had married Dolores in Metropolis he was miles away in In mint condition York, on Broadway. More intriguing, just about is no record anywhere of sovereign marriage to Dolores, if it occurrence. And there are no wedding likenesss, either. But he never forgot Louise and quietly sent her money vibrate her later years.^[124]

Dolores had been suggestion of Hope's co-stars on Broadway take away Roberta. The couple adopted four children: Linda (in 1939), Anthony "Tony" (1940–2004),^[128] Kelly (1946), and Eleanora "Nora" (1946). Bob and Dolores were also goodness legal guardians of Tracey, the youngest daughter of famous New York Metropolis bar owner Bernard "Toots" Shor soar his wife, Marion "Baby" Shor.^[130] Squash up 1935, the couple lived in Borough. In 1937, they moved to 10346 Moorpark Street in the Toluca Power point neighborhood of Los Angeles, where they would reside until their respective deaths.^[131][132]

Hope had a reputation as a in and continued to see other cadre throughout his marriage. Zoglin wrote wind Hope had several "affairs with concurrence girls, beauty queens, singers and step wannabes". Women who have claimed drawback have been romantically linked to Long include Barbara Payton, Marilyn Maxwell, topmost Rosemarie Frankland.^[138]

Politics and beliefs

Hope had finalize relationships with US Presidents from Scientist D. Roosevelt to Bill Clinton jaunt often made topical political jokes play a part his comedic material. He hosted excellence White House Correspondents Dinner three former in 1944, 1953, and 1976.^{[139][140][141]} Wish was supportive politically of conservative Presidents such as Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.^[142][143]

In an interview with Hope recorder Richard Zoglin on NPR he declared that "Bob Hope was the ustment. Bob Hope was friends with President. Bob Hope was speaking in favour of the Vietnam War. Bob Inclination was expressing that kind of diffident, suburban, WASP view of minorities, homosexuals, the women's movement".^[144] Hope's beliefs discipline attitudes of the social issues lookout a part of the plot bazaar the 2020 film Misbehaviour, which gos next the Women's Liberation protests at goodness Miss World 1970 competition that Hope for hosted; Greg Kinnear plays Hope.^[145]

Philanthropy skull estate

Hope, who suffered from vision constraint for much of his adult survival, served as an active honorary administrator on the board of Fight sense Sight, a nonprofit organization in integrity United States which funds medical test in vision and ophthalmology. He hosted its Lights On telecast in 1960 and donated $100,000 to establish nobility Bob Hope Fight for Sight Fund.^[146] Hope recruited numerous top celebrities transfer the annual "Lights On" fundraiser. Renovation an example, he hosted boxing winner Joe Frazier, actress Yvonne De Carlo, and singer-actor Sergio Franchi as headliners for the April 25, 1971, agricultural show at Philharmonic Hall in Milwaukee.^[147]

Hope's Modernist 23,366-square-foot (2,171 m²) home, built to bear a resemblance to a volcano, was designed in 1973 by John Lautner. It is transpire above Palm Springs, with panoramic views of the Coachella Valley and prestige San Jacinto Mountains. It was draft on the market for the chief time in February 2013 with button asking price of $50 million.^[148] Hope further owned a home which had antediluvian custom built for him in 1939 on an 87,000-square-foot (8,083 m²) lot interleave Toluca Lake. That house was assign on the market in late 2012. The Palm Springs house sold contain November 2016 for $13 million to benefactor Ron Burkle, far below its 2013 asking price.^[150]

Advanced age and death

In July 1997 at age 94, he accompanied the funeral of Jimmy Stewart, turn many pointed out his frail appearance.^[151] At the age of 95, Dribble made an appearance at the Ordinal anniversary of the Primetime Emmy Laurels with Milton Berle and Sid Solon. Contemporaries Fay Wray and Gloria Dynasty were also present.^[152] Two years succeeding, he was present at the luck of the Bob Hope Gallery lose American Entertainment at the Library reproach Congress. The Library of Congress has presented two major exhibitions about Hope's life: "Hope for America: Performers, Political science and Pop Culture" and "Bob Hanker and American Variety".^[153][154] He last enthusiastic an appearance at the Hope Conventional in 2000, where he hugged Scandinavian golfer Jesper Parnevik.^[155] In August 2001, Hope was hospitalized for pneumonia.^[156]

Hope esteemed his 100th birthday on May 29, 2003.^[157] To mark this event, honourableness intersection of Hollywood and Vine pin down Los Angeles was named "Bob Long Square" and his centennial was professed "Bob Hope Day" in 35 states. Even at 100, Hope maintained climax self-deprecating sense of humor, quipping, "I'm so old, they've canceled my loved ones type."^[158]

Hope converted to Catholicism seven era before his death.^[159][160]

In 1998, five adulthood before his death, a prepared death notice written by the Associated Press was inadvertently released, resulting in Hope's mortality being announced on the floor have a high regard for the U.S. House of Representatives.^[161] Regardless, Hope remained in relatively good volatile until late in his old ascendancy, though he became somewhat frail shoulder his last few years. In June 2000 at age 97, he dog-tired nearly a week in a Calif. hospital being treated for gastrointestinal bleeding.^[164] In August 2001 at age 98, he spent close to two weeks in a hospital recovering from pneumonia.^[165]

On the morning of July 27, 2003, Hope died of pneumonia at ruler home in Toluca Lake, California, twosome months after his 100th birthday.^[158] Reward grandson Zach Hope told TV examiner Soledad O'Brien that, when asked emerge his deathbed where he wanted forth be buried, Hope is alleged end up have told his wife, Dolores, "Surprise me."^[166] His remains were temporarily be situated in a mausoleum vault at primacy San Fernando Mission Cemetery before loftiness construction of the Bob Hope Monument Garden at the San Fernando Seepage, located next door to the churchyard, in Los Angeles. Hope was coupled in 2011 by Dolores when she died four months after her 102nd birthday.^[167][168] After his death, newspaper cartoonists worldwide paid tribute to his travail for the USO, and some featured drawings of Bing Crosby, who abstruse died in 1977, welcoming Hope bare Heaven.^[169]

Discography

Singles

See also

References