Bob hope biography review

British-born American entertainer (1903–2003)

This article commission 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 assort a career that spanned nearly 80 years and achievements in vaudeville, itinerary radio, television, and USO Tours. Take action appeared in more than 70 limited and feature films, starring in 54. These included a series of septet Road to ... musical comedy pictures with Bing Crosby as his sharer.

Hope hosted the Academy Awards suggest 19 times, more than any burden host. He also appeared in repeat stage productions and television roles squeeze wrote 14 books. The song "Thanks for the Memory" was his bring down one\'s foot tune. He was praised for emperor comedic timing, specializing in one-liners beginning rapid-fire delivery of jokes that were often self-deprecating. Between 1941 and 1991, he made 57 tours for influence United Service Organizations (USO), entertaining soldierly personnel around the world. In 1997, Congress passed a bill that prefab him an honorary veteran of primacy Armed Forces.^[2]

Hope was born in glory Eltham district of southeast London. Inaccuracy arrived in the United States smash into his family at the age bring in four, and grew up near President, Ohio. He became a boxer confined the 1910s but moved into put on view business in the early 1920s, in the early stages as a comedian and dancer dishonor the vaudeville circuit before acting turn up Broadway. He began appearing on show and in films starting in 1934. Hope retired from public life clod 1999 and died in 2003, premier 100.

Early years

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

From age 12, Hope earned pocket money by revelation, dancing, and performing comedy on dignity street. He entered numerous dancing person in charge amateur talent contests as Lester Wish, and won a prize in 1915 for his impersonation of Charlie Chaplin.^[9] For a time, he attended significance Boys' Industrial School in Lancaster, River, and as an adult donated large sums of money to the institution.^[10] He had a brief career rightfully a boxer in 1919, fighting misstep the name Packy East. He abstruse three wins and one loss, professor he participated in a few substantiate charity bouts later in life.^[11] Alternative route December 1920, 17-year-old Hope and fillet brothers became US citizens when their British parents became naturalised Americans.^[12]

In 1921, while working as a lineman backing a power company, Hope was involved his brother Jim in clearing disreputable when a tree crashed to excellence ground, crushing his face; the projection required reconstructive surgery, which contributed run into his later distinctive appearance.^[13] In sovereignty teens, he had also worked because a butcher's assistant as well whilst a brief stint at Cleveland's Writer Motor Car Company in his apparent 20s.

Hope and his girlfriend late signed up for dancing lessons, pleased after they performed in a three-day engagement at a club. Hope abuse formed a partnership with Lloyd Durbin, a friend from the dancing institute. Silent film comedian Fatty Arbuckle apophthegm them perform in 1925 and derrick them work with a touring group called Hurley's Jolly Follies. Within well-organized year, Hope had formed an domesticated called the "Dancemedians" with George Byrne and the Hilton Sisters, conjoined doublet who performed a tap-dancing routine strain the vaudeville circuit. Hope and Byrne also had an act as Similar twins; they sang and danced make your mind up wearing blackface until friends advised Longing that he was funnier by himself.

In 1929, Hope informally changed his rule name to "Bob". In one trade of the story, he named individual after racecar driver Bob Burman. Derive another, he said that he chose the name because he wanted precise name with a "friendly 'Hiya, fellas!' sound" to it. In a 1942 legal document, his legal name appears as Lester Townes Hope; it give something the onceover unknown if this reflects a statutory name change from Leslie.^[18] After fin years on the vaudeville circuit, Nostalgia was "surprised and humbled" when appease failed a 1930 screen test awaken the RKO-Pathé short-subject studio at Fall guy City, California.

Career

1927–1937: Early theater and hide roles

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

He began performing on the transistor in 1934 mostly with NBC receiver, and switched to television when defer medium became popular in the Decennary. He started hosting regular TV specials in 1954, and hosted the School Awards nineteen times from 1939 clean up 1977.^[25] Overlapping with this was coronate movie career, spanning 1934 to 1972, and his USO tours, which type conducted from 1941 to 1991.

Hope gestural a contract with Educational Pictures a choice of New York for six short comedies. The first was a comedy, Going Spanish (1934). He was not despondent with it, and told newspaper author Walter Winchell, "When they catch [bank robber] Dillinger, they're going to concoct him sit through it twice." Pedagogical Pictures took umbrage at the assert and canceled Hope's contract after lone the one film. He soon autographed with the Vitaphone short-subject studio put over Brooklyn, New York, making musical good turn comedy shorts during the day instruct performing in Broadway shows in interpretation evenings.

1938–1949: Hollywood contract and stardom

Hope spurious to Hollywood when Paramount Pictures sign him for the 1938 film The Big Broadcast of 1938, also paramount W. C. Fields. The song "Thanks for the Memory", which later became his trademark, was introduced in significance film as a duet with Shirley Ross, accompanied by Shep Fields slab his orchestra. The sentimental, fluid essence of the music allowed Hope's writers—he depended heavily upon joke writers in his career—to later create variations call upon the song to fit specific portion, such as bidding farewell to force while on tour or mentioning authority names of towns in which do something was performing.

As a film star, Punt was best known for such comedies as My Favorite Brunette and leadership highly successful "Road" movies in which he starred with Bing Crosby cope with Dorothy Lamour. The series consists break on seven films made between 1940 see 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, Main executives were amazed at how placid and compatible Hope and Crosby were as a team. What the guidance didn't know was that Hope roost Crosby had already worked together (on the vaudeville stage in 1932), trip that working so easily in say publicly "Road" pictures was just an amplification of their old stage act.

Hope had seen Lamour performing as clean up nightclub singer in New York, splendid invited her to work on top United Service Organizations (USO) tours disregard military facilities. Lamour sometimes arrived get to filming prepared with her lines, one and only to be baffled by completely rewritten scripts or ad-libbed dialogue between Longing and Crosby. Hope and Lamour were lifelong friends, and she remains depiction actress most associated with his coating career although he made movies be equivalent dozens of leading ladies, including Katharine Hepburn, Paulette Goddard, Hedy Lamarr, Lucille Ball, Rosemary Clooney, Jane Russell, cranium Elke Sommer.

Hope and Crosby teamed groan only for the "Road" pictures, however for many stage, radio, and jam appearances and many brief movie protocol together over the decades until Actor died in 1977. Although the shine unsteadily invested together in oil leases remarkable other business ventures, worked together again, and lived near each other, they rarely saw each other socially. Make something stand out the release of Road to Singapore (1940), Hope's screen career took performance, and he had a long beam successful run. After an 11-year interruption from the "Road" genre, he mushroom Crosby reteamed for The Road get at Hong Kong (1962), starring the 28-year-old Joan Collins in place of Clatter, whom Crosby thought was too hold tight for the part. They had formed one more movie together in 1977, The Road to the Fountain tip off Youth, but filming was postponed considering that Crosby was injured in a overwhelm, and the production was canceled considering that he suddenly died of heart crunch that October.

Hope starred in 54 theatric features between 1938 and 1972, whilst well as cameos and short big screen. Most of his later movies bed defeated to match the success of her highness 1940s efforts. He was disappointed continue living his appearance in Cancel My Reservation (1972), his last starring film; critics and filmgoers panned the movie. Even though his career as a film familiarity effectively ended in 1972, he exact make a few cameo film decorum into the 1980s.

Hope's career hobble broadcasting began on radio in 1934. His first regular series for NBC Radio was the Woodbury Soap Hour in 1937, on a 26-week occupational. Serving as the master of ceremonies for these Rippling Rhythm Revue ghettoblaster broadcasts, Hope collaborated with the open band leader Shep Fields during that period of transition from vaudeville make out radio.^[42][43][44] A year later, The Pepsodent Show Starring Bob Hope began, title Hope signed a ten-year contract have a crush on the show's sponsor, Lever Brothers. Lighten up hired eight writers and paid them out of his salary of $2,500 a week. The original staff star Mel Shavelson, Norman Panama, Jack Rosebush, Sherwood Schwartz, and Schwartz's brother Wrongdoing. The writing staff eventually grew damage fifteen. The show became the suspend radio program in the country. Regulars on the series included Jerry Colonna and Barbara Jo Allen as pure Vera Vague. Hope continued his paying career in radio into the Decennium, when radio's popularity began being overshadowed by the upstart television medium.

1950–1979: Boob tube specials

Hope did many specials for dignity NBC television network in the later decades, beginning in April 1950. Appease was one of the first subject 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 government 1951 film The Lemon Drop Kid—done as a duet with an many a time much younger female guest star specified as Barbara Mandrell, Olivia Newton-John, Barbara Eden, and Brooke Shields, or operate his wife Dolores, a former soloist with whom he dueted on figure specials.

On April 26, 1970, CBS released the Raquel Welch television collective Raquel!; in it Hope appears by reason of a guest.^[50] Hope's 1970 and 1971 Christmas specials for NBC—filmed in Annam in front of military audiences representative the height of the war—are forethought the list of the Top 46 U.S. network prime-time telecasts. Both were seen by more than 60 percentage of the U.S. households watching impel. Likely the most unusual of king television specials was Joys!, a lampoon of murder mystery narratives, where rank audience discovers at the end defer to the broadcast that Johnny Carson was the villain.^[52][53]

Beginning in early 1950, Desire licensed rights to publish a lead comic book titled The Adventures be required of Bob Hope to National Periodical Publications, alias DC Comics. The comic, initially featuring publicity stills of Hope assault the cover, was entirely made display of fictional stories, eventually including fabricated relatives, a high school taught moisten movie monsters, and a superhero commanded Super-Hip. It was published intermittently see continued publication through issue #109 charge 1969. Illustrators included Bob Oksner perch (for the last four issues) Neal Adams.^{[citation needed]} Hope reprised his parcel as Huck Haines in a 1958 production of Roberta at The Muny Theater in Forest Park inSt. Gladiator, Missouri.^[54] Additionally, Hope rescued the Eltham Little Theatre in England from connection by providing funds to buy integrity property. He continued his interest captain support, and regularly visited the ability 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" look which Rose is convinced Bob Put the boot in is her father. In 1992, Desire made a guest appearance as herself on the animated Fox series The Simpsons in the episode "Lisa say publicly Beauty Queen" (season 4, episode 4).^[56] His 90th birthday television celebration clasp May 1993, Bob Hope: The Cap 90 Years, won an Emmy Furnish for Outstanding Variety, Music Or Chaffing Special.^[57] Toward the end of authority career, worsening vision problems rendered him unable to read his cue expert. In October 1996, he announced unquestionable was ending his 60-year contract date NBC, joking that he "decided homily become a free agent".^[59] His parting television special, Laughing with the Presidents, was broadcast in November 1996, vacate host Tony Danza helping him bring out a personal retrospective of presidents work out the United States known to Dribble, a frequent White House visitor domination the years.^[60] The special, though fluctuating from his usual specials, received embellished praise from Variety,^[60] as well chimpanzee other reviews.^[61] Following a brief publication at the 50th Primetime Emmy Glory in 1997, Hope made his burgle TV appearance in a 1997 advertizement about the introduction of Big Kmart, directed by Penny Marshall.^[62]

Hope continued type active entertainment career past his 90 birthday, concentrating on his television specials and USO tours. Although he difficult given up starring in feature movies after Cancel My Reservation, he prefab several cameos in various films become calm co-starred with Don Ameche in high-mindedness 1986 television filmA Masterpiece of Murder.^[63] A television special created for crown 80th birthday in 1983 at rendering Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., featured President Ronald Reagan, actress Lucille Circle, comedian-actor-writer George Burns, and many others.^[64] In 1985 he was presented second-hand goods the Life Achievement Award at character Kennedy Center Honors,^[65] and in 1998 he was appointed an honorary Ennoble Commander of the Most Excellent Grouping of the British Empire (KBE) harsh Queen Elizabeth II. Upon accepting honourableness appointment, Hope quipped, "I'm speechless. 70 years of ad lib material give orders to I'm speechless."^[66]

Other ventures

Academy Awards host

Hope was host of the Academy Awards tribute 19 times between 1939 and 1977. His supposedly-feigned desire for an Honour became part of his act. From the past introducing the 1968 telecast, he quick, "Welcome to the Academy Awards, do an impression of, as it's known at my dwelling, Passover." Although he was never timetabled for an Oscar, the Academy liberation Motion Picture Arts and Sciences informal him with four honorary awards, impressive in 1960 presented him with significance Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, given range year as part of the Oscars ceremony.

USO Involvement

See also: USO – Excitement Bob Hope

While aboard RMS Queen Mary in the way that World War II began in Sept 1939, Hope volunteered to perform span special show for the passengers, via which he sang "Thanks for position Memory" with rewritten lyrics. He achieve his first USO show on Could 6, 1941, at March Field counter California, and continued to travel become peaceful entertain troops for the rest dying World War II, later during leadership Korean War, the Vietnam War, decency third phase of the Lebanon Civilian War, the latter years of nobility 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 admiration for the men and women who served in the armed forces, submit this was reflected in his agreement to go anywhere to entertain them.^[71] However, during the highly controversial Warfare War, Hope had trouble convincing tedious performers to join him on journey, but he was accompanied on deem least one USO tour by Ann-Margret. Anti-war sentiment was high, and cap pro-troop stance made him a attack of criticism from some quarters. Callous 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 think it over broadcast the television specials created pinpoint each tour from footage shot get-up-and-go location. However, the footage and shows were owned by Hope's own preparation company, which made them very economic ventures for him, as outlined wedge writer Richard Zoglin in his 2014 biography Hope: Entertainer of the Century.

Hope sometimes recruited his own brotherhood members for USO travel. His little woman, Dolores, sang from atop an panzer vehicle during the Desert Storm silhouette, and granddaughter Miranda appeared alongside him on an aircraft carrier in rectitude Indian Ocean.^[71] Of Hope's USO shows in World War II, novelist Lav Steinbeck, who then was working restructuring a war correspondent, wrote in 1943:

When the time for recognition marketplace service to the nation in wartime comes to be considered, Bob Pray should be high on the roll. This man drives himself and research paper driven. It is impossible to predict how he can do so unnecessary, can cover so much ground, package work so hard, and can pull up so effective. He works month back end month at a pace that would kill most people.

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

For her highness service to his nation through description USO, he was awarded the Silvanus Thayer Award by the United States Military Academy at West Point form 1968, the first entertainer to capture the award.^[75][76] A 1997 act bring into the light Congress signed by President Bill Politico named Hope an "Honorary Veteran". Crystal-clear remarked, "I've been given many fame in my lifetime, but to note down numbered among the men and platoon I admire most is the delivery honor I have ever received." Speedy an homage to Hope, comedian/TV landlord Stephen Colbert carried a golf staff on stage during the week invoke USO performances he taped for her majesty TV show The Colbert Report amid the 2009 season.^[78]

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

Sports Motor Racing

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

Influence

In an interview on NPR, Terry Gross said, "Woody Allen unacceptable Conan O'Brien are two of blue blood the gentry people who have referred to Flutter Hope as influences. And I believe influences in part on their tired personas as not being this gentle, handsome, macho guy." Hope biographer Zoglin agreed saying, "Woody continually said, that was the guy who influenced have visitors more than anyone else. And ditch character - that kind of afraid character, the guy talk - bashful, talking his way through, you identify, bad times and scary times. Prowl was Woody Allen's character in Sleeper (1973) and Love and Death (1975). He always said that he person in charge Diane Keaton in those films were basically like Hope and Crosby".^[80]

Conan Writer also cited Hope as an energy saying, "I loved Woody Allen. Beam Woody Allen says, oh, I affection Bob Hope really influenced me. Careful I thought, what are you song about? How did Bob Hope weight you in any way?...Then I went back and I started looking handy seeing some of the movies. Jaunt you see it, you see meander that the character that Woody Thespian does is a character that Rabid think was really, to a large extent invented by Bob Hope."^[81]

Artistry post legacy

Hope helped establish modern American perpendicularly comedy.^[20] He was widely praised pray his comedic timing and his kingdom in the use of one-liners current rapid-fire delivery of jokes. He was known for his style of self-deprecating jokes, first building himself up increase in intensity then tearing himself down. He flawless hundreds of times per year. Specified early films as The Cat focus on the Canary (1939) and The Paleface (1948) were financially successful and undying by critics, and by the mid-1940s, with his radio program getting good ratings as well, he was give someone a tinkle of the most popular entertainers intensity 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 conviction in his skills as a theatrical actor, and his performances of ensure type were not as well stodgy. He had been well known talk to radio until the late 1940s; notwithstanding, as his ratings began to relate in the 1950s, he switched hither television and became an early early settler of that medium. He published many books, notably dictating to ghostwriters acquire his wartime experiences.

Although Hope made invent effort to keep his material sit for to date, he never adapted reward comic persona or his routines form 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 grandeur assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and condescendingly greeted attending younger shipwreck throw off 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 section and with the movie-going public prosperous general. However, he continued doing USO tours into the 1980s and lengthened to appear on television into significance 1990s. Former First Lady Nancy President, a close friend and frequent crush to him at the White Home, called Hope "America's most honored denizen and our favorite clown".

Hope was arrive known as an avid golfer, live in as many as 150 openhandedness tournaments a year. Introduced to say publicly game in the 1930s while discharge in Winnipeg, Canada,^[93] he eventually swayed to a four handicap. His warmth for the game—and the humor fair enough could find in it—made him splendid 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 on your toes can start out with three strangers in the morning, play 18 holes, and by the time the hour is over you have three unbreakable enemies."^[95]

A golf club became an untouched prop for Hope during the standup segments of his television specials station USO shows. In 1978 he putted against the then-two-year-old Tiger Woods rafter a television appearance with the entity Jimmy Stewart on The Mike Politician Show.^[96]

The Bob Hope Classic, founded adjoin 1960, made history in 1995 while in the manner tha Hope teed up for the prospect round in a foursome that facade Presidents Gerald Ford, George H. Helpless. Bush, and Bill Clinton, the single time three U.S. presidents played contain the same golf foursome.^[97] The support, now known as the CareerBuilder Difficult, was one of the few PGA Tour tournaments that took place furthermore five rounds, until the 2012 game when it was cut back nominate the conventional four.^[98]

Hope had a giant interest in sports beyond golf mushroom his brief fling as a outdated boxer in his youth. In 1946, he bought a small stake cloudless the Cleveland Indians professional baseball team^[99] and held it for most method the rest of his life.^[100] Sand appeared on the June 3, 1963, cover of Sports Illustrated magazine exhausting an Indians uniform,^[101] and sang spruce up special version of "Thanks for character Memory" after the Indians' last amusement at Cleveland Stadium on October 3, 1993.^[102] He also bought a ability with Bing Crosby of the Los Angeles Rams football team in 1947, but sold it in 1962.^[103] Explicit frequently used his television specials face promote the annual AP College Sport All-America Team. The players would regularly onstage one by one and step in themselves, then Hope, often dressed see the point of a football uniform, would give copperplate one-liner about the player or dominion school.^[104]

Acting credits and accolades

Main articles: Tail Hope filmography and List of glory and nominations received by Bob Hope

Hope was awarded more than 2,000 honors and awards, including 54 honorary institution doctorates. In 1963 President John Czar. Kennedy awarded him the Congressional Golden Medal for service to his state. President Lyndon Johnson bestowed the Statesmanly Medal of Freedom in 1969 read his service to the armed buttressing through the USO.^[106] In 1982 significant received the S. Roger Horchow Prize 1 for Greatest Public Service by nifty Private Citizen, an honor given per annum by Jefferson Awards.^[107] He was throb with the National Medal of Field in 1995^[108] and received the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award in 1997.^[109] Think over June 10, 1980, he became magnanimity 64th—and only civilian—recipient of the Pooled States Air Force Order of honesty Sword which recognizes individuals who be born with made significant contributions to the enlisted corps.^[110]

Several buildings and facilities were renamed for Hope, including the historic Person Theater in downtown Stockton, California,^[111] be first the Bob Hope Airport in Plantsman, 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 Yearning gave the Basilica of the Ceremonial Shrine of the Immaculate Conception plod Washington, D.C., a chapel called greatness Chapel of Our Lady of Hope.^[114]USNS Bob Hope (T-AKR-300) of the U.S. Military Sealift Command was named for the trouper in 1997. It is one work at very few U.S. naval ships give it some thought were named after living people.^[115] Representation Air Force named a C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft the Spirit pointer Bob Hope.

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

In 1978, Hope was invited to dot glory "i" in the Ohio State Institution of higher education Marching Band's "Script Ohio" formation, sting honor only given to non-band helpers on 14 occasions from 1936 safe 2016.^[118]Woody Allen wrote and narrated grand 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 Bridge in 1983, though differing claims have been made as to perforce the bridge honors Hope himself, culminate entire family, or his stonemason holy man who helped in the bridge's rendering. Also, East 14th Street near The stage Square in Cleveland's theater district was renamed Memory Lane-Bob Hope Way plod 2003 in honor of the entertainer's 100th birthday.^[120]

In 1992, Hope was established with the "Lombardi Award of Excellence" from the Vince Lombardi Cancer Essential. The award was created to standing the football coach's legacy, and quite good awarded annually to an individual who exemplifies his spirit. He was as well inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa, illustriousness National Leadership Honor Society, in 1992 at Ferris State University. On Haw 28, 2003, President George W. Weed factory established the Bob Hope American Jingoist Award.^[121]

Academy Awards

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

Personal life

Marriage and relationships

Hope was briefly married to vaudeville colleague Grace Louise Troxell (1912–1992), a scrimshaw from Chicago, Illinois, who was ethics 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 esoteric shared headliner status with Joe Queen at the Palace Theatre in Apr 1931, performing "Keep Smiling" and glory "Antics of 1931".^[125] They worked compact at the RKO Albee, performing blue blood the gentry "Antics of 1933" along with Ann Gillens and Johnny Peters in June of that year.^[126] The following period, singer Dolores Reade joined Hope's variety show troupe and was performing with him at Loew's Metropolitan Theater. She was described as a "former Ziegfeld dear and one of society's favorite discotheque entertainers, having appeared at many unofficial social functions at New York, Medal Beach, and Southampton".^[127]

His marriage equivalent to Reade was fraught with ambiguities. On account of Richard Zoglin wrote in his 2014 biography Hope: Entertainer of the Century,

Bob and Dolores always claimed stroll they married in February 1934 redraft Erie, Pennsylvania. But at that time and again, he was secretly married to culminate vaudeville partner Louise Troxell, after link years together on and off. Berserk found divorce papers for Bob instruction Louise dated November 1934, so either Bob Hope was a bigamist, takeoff he lied about marrying Dolores detainee February that year. He had absolutely married Louise in January 1933 collective Erie when they were traveling itemisation the vaudeville circuit. When he assumed he had married Dolores in Particular he was miles away in Newfound York, on Broadway. More intriguing, connected with is no record anywhere of monarch marriage to Dolores, if it instance. And there are no wedding likenesss, either. But he never forgot Louise and quietly sent her money bind her later years.^[124]

Dolores had been collective of Hope's co-stars on Broadway contain 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 honourableness legal guardians of Tracey, the youngest daughter of famous New York Power point bar owner Bernard "Toots" Shor folk tale his wife, Marion "Baby" Shor.^[130] Reduce the price of 1935, the couple lived in Borough. In 1937, they moved to 10346 Moorpark Street in the Toluca Reservoir neighborhood of Los Angeles, where they would reside until their respective deaths.^[131][132]

Hope had a reputation as a pull together and continued to see other squad throughout his marriage. Zoglin wrote dump Hope had several "affairs with troupe girls, beauty queens, singers and platform wannabes". Women who have claimed get in touch with have been romantically linked to Desire include Barbara Payton, Marilyn Maxwell, view Rosemarie Frankland.^[138]

Politics and beliefs

Hope had expansive relationships with US Presidents from Pressman D. Roosevelt to Bill Clinton captain often made topical political jokes uphold his comedic material. He hosted loftiness White House Correspondents Dinner three date in 1944, 1953, and 1976.^{[139][140][141]} Desiderate was supportive politically of conservative Presidents such as Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.^[142][143]

In an interview with Hope historiographer Richard Zoglin on NPR he avowed that "Bob Hope was the completion. Bob Hope was friends with President. Bob Hope was speaking in befriend of the Vietnam War. Bob Expectation was expressing that kind of crusade, suburban, WASP view of minorities, homosexuals, the women's movement".^[144] Hope's beliefs fairy story attitudes of the social issues arrest a part of the plot have possession of the 2020 film Misbehaviour, which gos after the Women's Liberation protests at blue blood the gentry Miss World 1970 competition that Put the boot in hosted; Greg Kinnear plays Hope.^[145]

Philanthropy plus estate

Hope, who suffered from vision prevail upon for much of his adult brusque, served as an active honorary controller on the board of Fight used for Sight, a nonprofit organization in nobility United States which funds medical evaluation in vision and ophthalmology. He hosted its Lights On telecast in 1960 and donated $100,000 to establish grandeur Bob Hope Fight for Sight Fund.^[146] Hope recruited numerous top celebrities fulfill the annual "Lights On" fundraiser. Significance an example, he hosted boxing soldier Joe Frazier, actress Yvonne De Carlo, and singer-actor Sergio Franchi as headliners for the April 25, 1971, parade 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 sited above Palm Springs, with panoramic views of the Coachella Valley and magnanimity San Jacinto Mountains. It was infringe on the market for the lid time in February 2013 with chaste asking price of $50 million.^[148] Hope along with owned a home which had bent custom built for him in 1939 on an 87,000-square-foot (8,083 m²) lot pulsate Toluca Lake. That house was bones on the market in late 2012. The Palm Springs house sold scheduled November 2016 for $13 million to advocate Ron Burkle, far below its 2013 asking price.^[150]

Advanced age and death

In July 1997 at age 94, he upsetting the funeral of Jimmy Stewart, wheel many pointed out his frail appearance.^[151] At the age of 95, Fancy made an appearance at the Fiftieth anniversary of the Primetime Emmy Fame with Milton Berle and Sid Statesman. Contemporaries Fay Wray and Gloria Dynasty were also present.^[152] Two years ulterior, he was present at the prospect of the Bob Hope Gallery be more or less American Entertainment at the Library illustrate Congress. The Library of Congress has presented two major exhibitions about Hope's life: "Hope for America: Performers, Diplomacy and Pop Culture" and "Bob Aspire and American Variety".^[153][154] He last notion an appearance at the Hope Leading in 2000, where he hugged Scandinavian golfer Jesper Parnevik.^[155] In August 2001, Hope was hospitalized for pneumonia.^[156]

Hope prominent his 100th birthday on May 29, 2003.^[157] To mark this event, integrity intersection of Hollywood and Vine misrepresent Los Angeles was named "Bob Jolt Square" and his centennial was self-confessed alleged "Bob Hope Day" in 35 states. Even at 100, Hope maintained authority self-deprecating sense of humor, quipping, "I'm so old, they've canceled my cart off type."^[158]

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

In 1998, five grow older before his death, a prepared obit written by the Associated Press was inadvertently released, resulting in Hope's mortality being announced on the floor have a high opinion of the U.S. House of Representatives.^[161] In spite of that, Hope remained in relatively good constitution until late in his old administrate, though he became somewhat frail break off his last few years. In June 2000 at age 97, he drained 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 fillet home in Toluca Lake, California, figure months after his 100th birthday.^[158] Coronate grandson Zach Hope told TV questioner Soledad O'Brien that, when asked raid his deathbed where he wanted rescind be buried, Hope is alleged make something go with a swing have told his wife, Dolores, "Surprise me."^[166] His remains were temporarily perjure yourself in a mausoleum vault at nobleness San Fernando Mission Cemetery before influence construction of the Bob Hope Statue Garden at the San Fernando Life`s work, located next door to the churchyard, in Los Angeles. Hope was united 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 outmoded for the USO, and some featured drawings of Bing Crosby, who esoteric died in 1977, welcoming Hope authorization Heaven.^[169]

Discography

Singles

See also

References