Bob Hope English-Born American Comedian, Vaudevillian, Actor, Singer, Dancer, Author, And Athlete: 1, #1

By Heady Delpak

For a man who played third billing to Siamese twins and trained seals, Bob Hope became the most recognized profile and talent in the world. And, in the entire history of show business, no individual traveled so far, so often, to entertain so many.

Hope's entertainment persona was evident in every decade of the 20th century, from impersonating Charlie Chaplin in front of the firehouse in Cleveland in 1909, to celebrating an unprecedented 60 years with NBC in 1996.

For a man who played third billing to Siamese twins and trained seals, Bob Hope became the most recognized profile and talent in the world. And, in the entire history of show business, no individual traveled so far, so often, to entertain so many.

Hope's entertainment persona was evident in every decade of the 20th century, from impersonating Charlie Chaplin in front of the firehouse in Cleveland in 1909, to celebrating an unprecedented 60 years with NBC in 1996.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Heady Delpak
• Release date: Mar 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215304600

Heady Delpak

Dr. Heady Delpak has a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from University of London in the UK. He has more than 30 years teaching experiences at Universities. He has published many Books in different languages.

Book preview

Table of Contents

1: Introduction

1-1 :  The fifth of seven sons, he was born Leslie Townes Hope in Eltham, England

on May 29, 1903

1-2 :  After high school, Bob took dancing lessons from entertainer King Rastus

Brown and from vaudeville hoofer Johnny Root

1-3 :  At 18, Bob persuaded his girlfriend, Mildred Rosequist, to become his dance

partner

1-4 :  One year later, Bob teamed with George Byrne for a tour with tab shows

1-4-1 :  On the advice of their agent, Hope and Byrne headed west to change their

act and start over again  

1-5 :  In 1932 Bob appeared on Broadway again in "Ballyhoo

1-5-1 :  Bob’s first radio hit grew out of a personal appearance at New York’s

Capitol Theater

1-5-2 :  In May 1937, Bob signed a twenty-six week radio contract for the

Woodbury Soap Show which was broadcast from NBC in New York

1-6 :  Bob Hopev MOVIES

1-7 :  Bob Hopev TELEVISION

1-8 :  Bob made his formal debut on NBC television Easter Sunday, 1950

1-9 :  Bob Hope PRESIDENTIAL RELATIONSHIPS

1-9-1 :  Bob Hope’s unwavering commitment to the morale of America’s servicemen

and women is not only entertainment history, but world history  

1-9-2 :  It began in May, 1941 when Bob, with a group of performers, went to

March Field in Riverside, California, to do a radio show for the airmen

stationed there  

1-10 :  In 1983 the call came from Beirut and Hope was on the road again

1-10-1 :  In May of 1997, Bob and Dolores visited New Orleans for Dolores to

christen the USNS Bob Hope (AKR 300)

1-11 :  Five times Bob was honored by the United States Congress

1-11-1 :  Bob’s next visit to Washington, D.C. came in May 2000 when he officially

opened the Bob Hope Gallery of American Entertainment at the Library of

Congress

1-12 :  Bob Hope GOLF

1-12-1 :  Bob was one of the foremost proponents of the game and has contributed

immensely to the popularity of golf – as a participant, a spectator and as an

author  

1-13 :  He added two more holes-in-one to his record at courses in Palm Springs

1-13-1 :  Probably his greatest achievement in golf was the development and hosting

for the Bob Hope Classic

1-14 :  Bob Hope DEGREES

1-15 :  Dr. Hope did not take the task as commencement speaker lightly

1-15-1 :  For more than 50 years, Bob Hope entertained men and women of the U.S.

Air Force and the other services at home and overseas, in peace and in war

1-16 :  Hope at World War II

1-17 :  Berlin Airlift and Korean War

1-18 :  Vietnam War

1-19 :  Beyond the Cold War

1-20 :  A Grateful Nation

1-21 :  A Grateful United States Air Force

1-22 :  English Birth of Bob Hope

1-23 :  Early Career of Bob Hope

1-23-1 :  Bob Hope returned to New York City and subsequently appeared in

several Broadway musicals

1-24 :  Films of Bob Hope

1-24-1 : Paramount Pictures signed Bob Hope for the 1938 film The Big Broadcast

of 1938  

1-24-2 :  Bob Hope became one of Paramount’s biggest stars, and would remain

with the studio through the 1950s

1-24-3 :  As a movie star, he was best known for My Favorite Brunette and the

highly profitable Road  movies  

1-24-4 :  Bob Hope was host of the Academy Awards ceremony 18 times

1939 and 1977

1-25 :  Bob Hope never did win an Oscar for his performances (nor a nomination)

1-26 :  Television Career of Bob Hope

1-27 :  Bob Hope in the Theater

1-28 :  Bob Hope and the USO

1-29 :  Bob Hope’s Interest in Sports

1-29-1 :  One of the highlights of Bob Hope’s Christmas specials was his

introductions of the Associated Press All-American college football players

1-30 :  Bob Hope got hooked on golf in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

1-31 :  Marriages of Bob Hope

1-32 :  Later Years of Bob Hope

1-32-1 :  In 1985, he was presented with the Life Achievement Award at the

Kennedy Center Honors

1-33 :  Bob Hope celebrated his 100th birthday on May 29, 2003

1-33-1 : Death of Bob Hope

1-33-2 : Hope lived so long that he suffered premature obituaries on two separate

occasions

1-34 : On July 27, 2003, Bob Hope died at his home at 9:28 p.m

1-35 : That controversy was probably inevitable

1-36 : His family emigrated to Cleveland before he turned five

1-36-1 : After bouncing around from one job to another, including a stint as a

boxer, Hope went into vaudeville in the 1920s

1-36-2 : The Depression didn't slow Hope down, and he made a smooth transition to

Broadway

1-37 : His next film, Road to Singapore, released in 1940, was equally important

1-37-1 : Hope was now a star, appearing on the top 10 list of Hollywood

moneymakers for 13 consecutive years from 1941 to 1953, topping the list

in 1949

1-38 : During World War II, he also started entertaining the troops

1-38-1 : Television grew quickly, and while many in movies saw it as the enemy,

Bob became a mainstay at NBC

1-38-2 : Along the way, he got on the wrong side of a political divide, getting

attacked for what he saw as simple patriotism

1-39 : In the 1940s, entertainers had unquestioningly supported World War II

1-39-1 : Hope continued working into his 90s, reaching audiences on TV and in

person but not getting the critical approval that was once his

1-40 : How will this star of the 20th century appear to the 21st, and beyond?

1-40-1 :  Why, then, is Mr. Hope so seldom thanked for all he contributed to

American life?  

1-4 0-2: How did Hope start in vaudeville, entertain his way through the changing

show business styles of the 20th century, become all-powerful and then

ignored?  

1-41 : Hope moved from radio to movies to television

1-42 : References

2:Bob Hope English-born American Comedian, Vaudevillian, Actor, Singer, Dancer, Author, And Athlete Biography

2-1 : Bob Hope Early Career

2-2 : Bob Hope Movies

2-3 : The first films to showcase Hope’s familiar persona were The Cat and

Canary (1939) and The Ghost Breakers (1940)

2-4 : Bob Hope USO tours and assessment

2-4-1 : In 1997 the U.S. Congress recognized his efforts by naming him the first

Honorary Veteran in U.S. history

2-4-2 : By the late 1970s Hope’s status as a major comic had been restored

somewhat by prominent critics and directors (such as Woody Allen)  

2-5 : Bob Hope Early Years

2-5-1 : Hope worked as a butcher's assistant and a lineman in his teens and early

twenties

2-6 : Hope and Byrne had an act as a pair of Siamese twins as well

2-7 : Hope's Career

2-8 : Bob Hope Filmography   

2-8-1 : Hope moved to Hollywood when Paramount Pictures signed him for the

1938 film The Big Broadcast of 1938, also starring W. C. Fields

2-8-2 : After the release of Road to Singapore (1940), Hope's screen career took off,

and he had a long and successful career in the movies

2-8-3 : Hope starred in 54 theatrical features between 1938 and 1972,28 as well as

cameos and short films

2-9 : Bob Hope Television Appearances

2-9-1 : In 1992, Hope made a guest appearance as himself on The Simpsons, in the

episode Lisa the Beauty Queen (season 4, episode 4)  

2-10 : Hope entertains soldiers during World War II

2-11 : Hope recruited his own family members for USO travel

2-11-1 : For his service to his country through the USO, he was awarded

the Sylvanus Thayer Award by the United States Military Academy at

West Point

in 1968

2-12 : Hope's Theater

2-13 : Hope Critical Reception

2-14 : Working tirelessly, he performed hundreds of times per year

2-14-1 : Although he made an effort to keep his material up-to-date, he never

adapted his comic persona or his routines to any great degree

2-15 : Bob Hope Sports

2-15-1 : Bob Hope Boxing Record

2-15-2 : Hope was an avid golfer, playing in as many as 150 charity tournaments a

year

2-15-3 : A golf club became an integral prop for Hope during the standup segments

of his television specials and USO shows

2-16 : Bob Hope Personal life

2-16-1 : Marriages

2-16-2 : Bob Hope Extramarital Affairs

2-16-3 : Hope paid her off to end the affair quietly

2-17 : Bob Hope Activism

2-18 : Bob Hope Later Years

2-18-1 : At the age of 95, Hope made an appearance at the 50th anniversary of the

Primetime Emmy Awards with Milton Berle and Sid Caesar

2-19 : Bob Hope Death

2-20 : Bob Hope Awards and Honors

2-21 : Academy Awards  

2-22 : Bob Hope Estate

2-23 : References

2-24 : Leslie Townes Bob Hope KBE KC*SG (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was

a British-American comedian,² vaudevillian, actor, singer, dancer, and

author

2-24-1 : After a brief career as a boxer in the late 1910s, Hope began his career in

show business in the early 1920s

2-24-2 : Hope retired from public life in 1998 and died on July 27, 2003, at the age

of 100 in his Toluca Lake home

2-25 : Hope worked as a butcher's assistant and a lineman in his teens and early 20s

2-25-1 : In 1929, Hope informally changed his first name to Bob. In one version

of the story, he named himself after racecar driver Bob Burman

2-26 : Hope's Career

2-26-1 : Hope's Films

2-26-2 : Hope moved to Hollywood when Paramount Pictures signed him for the

1938 film The Big Broadcast of 1938, also starring W. C. Fields

2-26-3 : Lamour sometimes arrived for filming prepared with her lines, only to be

baffled by completely rewritten scripts or ad lib dialogue between Hope

and Crosby

2-26-4 : From their first meeting in 1932, Hope and Crosby teamed not only for the

Road pictures

2-26-5 : After the release of Road to Singapore (1940), Hope's screen career took

off, and he had a long and successful run

2-26-6 : Hope starred in 54 theatrical features between 1938 and 1972, as well as

cameos and short films

2-27 : Bob Hope Broadcasting

2-28 : Television Specials

2-28-1 : On April 26, 1970, CBS released the Raquel Welch television

special Raquel!, in it Hope appears as a guest

2-29 : The Adventures of Bob Hope

2-30 : USO – Honoring Bob Hope

2-30-1 : The tours were funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, Hope's

television sponsors, and by NBC

2-30-2 : For his service to his country through USO, he was awarded the 

Sylvanus Thayer Award by the United States Military Academy at West

Point in 1968

2-31 : Hope's Theater

2-32 : Hope's Sports Car Racing

2-33 : Hope's Later Appearances

2-34 : Hope's Legacy

2-34-1 : Hope had no faith in his skills as a dramatic actor, and his performances of

that type were not as well received

2-34-1-1 : Although Hope made an effort to keep his material up to date, he never

adapted his comic persona or his routines to any great degree

2-34-2 : A golf club became an integral prop for Hope during the standup segments

of his television specials and USO shows

2-34-3 : Hope had a heavy interest in sports beyond golf and his brief fling as a

professional boxer in his youth

2-34-4 :  Hope's short-lived first marriage was to vaudeville partner Grace Louise  

Troxell (1912–1992), a secretary from Chicago, Illinois

2-35 : Dolores had been one of Hope's co-stars on Broadway in Roberta 

2-36 : Hope Extramarital Affairs

2-36-1 : As just one example among many, in 1949 while Hope was in Dallas on a

publicity tour for his radio show, he met Barbara Payton

2-37 : Hope Vision Philanthropy

2-37-1 : Hope continued an active entertainment career past his 90th birthday,

concentrating on his television specials and USO tours  

2-37-2 : In July 1997 at age 94, he attended the funeral of Jimmy Stewart,

many pointed out his frail appearance

2-38 : Hope celebrated his 100th birthday on May 29, 2003

2-39 : Hope converted to Catholicism seven years before his death

2-39-1 : On the morning of July 27, 2003, Hope died of pneumonia at the age of 100

at his home in Toluca Lake, California two months after his 100th birthday

2-39-2 : Hope's Modernist 23,366-square-foot (2,171 m²) home, built to resemble a

volcano, was designed in 1973 by John Lautner

2-40 : Hope Discography  

2-41 : Bob Hope Short Subjects  

2-42 : References

3:Bob Hope Works

3-1 : One of the most recognized talents in the world, Hope performed on

Broadway, movies and went on tours with the U.S Military

3-2 : Hope Childhood & Early Life

3-3 : Hope Career

3-4 : Hope  Major Works

3-5 : Hope  Awards & Achievements

3-6 : Hope Personal Life & Legacy

3-6-1 : He was the chairman of ‘Fight For Sight’, a non-profit organization that

funds medical research in vision and ophthalmology  

3-7 : Hope Trivia

3-8 : Bob Hope Movies

3-9 : Bob Hope Awards

3-9-1 : Primetime Emmy Awards

3-9-2 : People's Choice Awards

3-10 : Richard Zoglin’s Hope: Entertainer of the Century (Simon & Schuster, 565

pp., $30) is a very well written, all-but-authorized biography

3-11 : Hope, a close friend and strong supporter of President Richard Nixon

3-11-1 : By 1970, Zoglin writes, Hope’s "jokes about the counterculture were

sounding increasingly smug and out of touch  

3-11-2 : With a career that spread approximately eight decades, Bob Hope starred

in more than seventy feature and short films

3-11-3 : Hope also starred in various critically acclaimed and financially successful

films, including ‘The Paleface,’ and ‘The Cat and the Canary ’  

3-12-1 : Bob Hope's USO Christmas in Beirut (1984)  

3-12-2 : Bobby Darin and Friends (1961)

3-12-3 : Strictly G.I. (1943)

3-12-4 : The Ghost Breakers (1940)

3-12-5 : The Bob Hope Christmas Special (1968)

3-12-6 : Bob Hope's 30th Anniversary Special (1981)  

3-12-7 : Road to Utopia (1945)

3-12-8 : The Muppet Movie (1979)

3-12-9 : Road to Morocco (1942)

3-12-10 : Road to Rio (1947)

3-12-11 : Road to Zanzibar (1941)

3-12-12 : The Cat and the Canary (1939)

3-12-13 : Road to Singapore (1940)

3-12-14 : Story of G.I. Joe (1945)

3-12-15 : The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)

3-12-16 : My Favorite Blonde (1942)

3-12-17 : The Bob Hope Vietnam Christmas Show (1972)

3-12-18 : The Princess and the Pirate (1944)

3-12-19 : Nothing But the Truth (1941)

3-12-20 : Son of Paleface (1952)

3-13 : In the episode’s tag, the actual Bob Hope found himself in a police lineup

3-14 : The family emigrated to America in 1908 and settled in Cleveland, Ohio

3-14-1 : Muses Wesley, "His journey to becoming a star was harder than most

people realize; he had to put in a lot of time

3-14-2 : In the 1930s, Bob began working in radio at NBC and signed a contract

with Educational Pictures of New York, which resulted in six short films  

3-14-3 : On screen they developed a strong rapport that way and good schtick

together

3-15 : He was not the workaholic that Bob was in later years

3-16 : There’s no question that, again, he knew how to connect with the audience

3-17 : Another thing is that Bob dealt with a lot of topical material

3-17-1 : He also was known for having a staff of writers, and this rubbed some

comedians the wrong way

3-17-2 : On top of all of this, he says, Bob’s personal life had been revealed more

and more over the years since his death

3-17-3 : There was also the matter of him presenting politically incorrect humor

that has not held up

3-17-4 : But even long before that, there was a change, suggests Wesley, when in

1963 Bob was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor

3-17-5 : Not helping his legacy is the fact that much of what he did in decades past

simply isn’t in circulation anymore

3-18 : References

3-19 : Bob Hope Filmography

3-19-1 : Film Shorts

3-20 : Theatrical features

3-21 : Voice roles and Documentaries

3-22 : Box office Ranking

3-23 : Portrayals

3-24 : References

3-25 : Bob Hope Television Specials  

3-25-1 : 1950s

3-25-2 : 1960s

3-25-3 : 1970s

3-25-4 : 1980s

3-25-5 : 1990s

3-26 : References

3-27 : Bob Hope Movies

3-28 : Bob Hope Starred in 53 Movies From 1938-1972

3-28-1 : home of the famous comedian will be going on the market soon (for the first

time ever!)  

3-29 :  Other Favorite Bob Hope Movies

3-29-1 : The Road Pictures  

3-29-2 : Never Say Die

3-29-3 : My Favorite Brunette

3-29-4 : My Favorite Blonde

3-29-5 : The Paleface

3-29-5-1 : John Greco, the classic movie blogger behind the delightful 

Twenty Four Frames, recently listed his favorite comedies of the 1940s

3-29-6 : The Ghost Breakers (1941)  

3-29-7 : Son of Paleface (1952)

3-29-8 : Road to Utopia (1945)  

3-29-9 : My Favorite Brunette (1947)  

3-29-10 : My Favorite Blonde (1942)  

3-30 : Bob Hope Bibliography

3-31 : References

4:Bob Hope Personal Life and Awards Achievements  

4-1 : His comedic style was rapid fire jokes laced with sarcasm and self-deprecating

comments

4-2 : Did you know?

4-3 : Hope Childhood

4-4 : Hope Early Career and Vaudeville

4-5 : Hope Theater

4-6 : Hope,  Radio

4-7 : Hope, Films

4-8 : Hope, Television

4-8-1 : In 1958, Hope traveled to Moscow, Russia after an endless round of

bureaucratic negotiating

4-9 : Hope Overseas with the USO

4-10 : Hope Interest In Sports

4-11 : Hope Marriages and Personal Life

4-12 : Hope End of Life

4-12-1 : In 1997, Hope was awarded the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award by Nancy

Reagan at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, in Beverly Hills, California

4-13 : Hope Quips and One-Liners

4-14 : Hope Professional Awards

4-15 : Hope Honors

4-15-1 : Medals

4-16 : Hope Titles and Designations

4-17 : Hope Legacy

4-18 : Hope Filmography

4-18-1 : Features

4-18-2 : Short Subjects

4-19 : References  

4-20 : Bob Hope’s Life and Career

4-20-1 : Bob Hope’s storied life spanned more than a century, during which he left

his mark on vaudeville, Broadway, recordings, concerts, radio, films and

TV

4-21 : Honoring Bob Hope

4-21-1 : And during his 1993 televised birthday celebration, when he turned

90, General Colin Powell saluted Hope for his tireless USO trouping

4-21-2 : During the Vietnam War years he gave a number of high-rating television

specials  

4-22 : His final Christmas show was during Operation Desert Shield in 1990

4-23 : List of awards and nominations received by Bob Hope  

4-23-1 : Academy Awards

4-24 : Bob Hope Honors  

4-25 : Bob Hope Medals

4-26 : Bob Hope Titles and Designations

4-27 : Bob Hope Memorials and Tributes

4-27-1 : Bob Hope Airport

4-27-2 : Asteroid 2829 Bob Hope

4-27-3 : Hope had a long and close association with 

Southern Methodist University in Dallas

4-28 : Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

4-29 : Golden Globe Awards

4-30 : Honorary Degrees

4-31 : Polls

4-32 : References  

4-33 : Executive Order 13306

4-34 : Executive Order 13307

4-35 : Executive Order 13306 of May 28, 2003

4-36 : Leslie Townes Bob Hope was a British-American stand-up comedian,

vaudevillian, actor, singer, dancer, athlete and author  

4-37 : Was born in the Eltham district of southeast London, arrived in the United

States