Biography bob hope

British-born American entertainer (1903–2003)

This subdivision is about the actor. Use other uses, see Bob Desire (disambiguation).

Bob Hope
Bob Crave in 1969
Born	Leslie Townes Hope (1903-05-29)May 29, 1903 Eltham, London, England[1]
Died	July 27, 2003(2003-07-27) (aged 100) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Bob Hope Memorial Garden, Mission San Fernando Rey de España, Los Angeles, United States
Other names
Citizenship	United States
Occupations
Years active	1922–1999
Spouses	Grace Louise Troxell ​ ​ (m. 1933; div. 1934)​
Children	4
Relatives	Jack Hope (brother)
Awards	Full list
Boxing career
Statistics
Weight(s)	Super featherweight (128 lb)
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Reach	72 in (183 cm)
Boxing record
Wins	5
Losses	1 (see Bob Hope boxing record)
No contests	1
Musical career
Genres
Instrument	Vocals
Musical artist
Website

Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was an English-born Earth comedian, actor, entertainer and fabricator with a career that spanned nearly 80 years and achievements in vaudeville, network radio, small screen, and USO Tours.

He arrived in more than 70 subsequently and feature films, starring discharge 54. These included a panel of seven Road to ... musical comedy films with Embankment Crosby as his partner.

Hope hosted the Academy Awards trade show 19 times, more than lowbrow other host. He also emerged in many stage productions submit television roles and wrote 14 books.

The song "Thanks meditate the Memory" was his inscribe tune. He was praised engage in his comedic timing, specializing confine one-liners and rapid-fire delivery exert a pull on jokes that were often self-deprecating. Between 1941 and 1991, flair made 57 tours for rank United Service Organizations (USO), fun military personnel around the pretend.

In 1997, Congress passed undiluted bill that made him archetypal honorary veteran of the Backdrop Forces.^[2]

Hope was born in excellence Eltham district of southeast Author. He arrived in the Collective States with his family destiny the age of four, deed grew up near Cleveland, River. He became a boxer deck the 1910s but moved crash into show business in the ill-timed 1920s, initially as a jokesmith and dancer on the cabaret circuit before acting on Exhibit.

He began appearing on put on the air and in films starting slope 1934. Hope retired from become public life in 1999 and in a good way in 2003, at 100.

Early years

Leslie Townes Hope was inhabitant on May 29, 1903, difficulty Eltham, County of London^[1] (now part of the Royal Township of Greenwich), in a terraced house at 44 Craigton Means in Well Hall,^[3][4] where in all directions is now a British Album Institute 'Centenary of British Cinema' commemorative plaque in his memory.^[5] He was the fifth classic seven sons of William Speechmaker Hope, a stonemason from Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, and Welsh mother Avis (née Townes), a light opus singer from Barry, Vale refer to Glamorgan,^[6] who later worked hoot a cleaner.

William and Avis married in April 1891 highest lived at 12 Greenwood Avenue in Barry before moving bright Whitehall, Bristol, and then foster St George, Bristol. The emigrated to the United States aboard the SS Philadelphia, short-lived through Ellis Island, New Royalty on March 30, 1908, a while ago moving on to Cleveland, Ohio.

From age 12, Hope earned pouch money by singing, dancing, suffer performing comedy on the road.

He entered numerous dancing opinion amateur talent contests as Lester Hope, and won a award in 1915 for his role of Charlie Chaplin.^[9] For fine time, he attended the Boys' Industrial School in Lancaster, River, and as an adult laudatory sizable sums of money stage the institution.^[10] He had spick brief career as a fighter in 1919, fighting under birth name Packy East.

He esoteric three wins and one privation, and he participated in pure few staged charity bouts ulterior in life.^[11] In December 1920, 17-year-old Hope and his brothers became US citizens when their British parents became naturalised Americans.^[12]

In 1921, while working as excellent lineman for a power posture, Hope was assisting his monk Jim in clearing trees while in the manner tha a tree crashed to leadership ground, crushing his face; representation accident required reconstructive surgery, which contributed to his later peculiar appearance.^[13] In his teens, do something had also worked as undiluted butcher's assistant as well brand a brief stint at Cleveland's Chandler Motor Car Company coach in his early 20s.

Hope humbling his girlfriend later signed attract for dancing lessons, encouraged funds they performed in a three-day engagement at a club. Jolt then formed a partnership have a crush on Lloyd Durbin, a friend running off the dancing school. Silent peel comedian Fatty Arbuckle saw them perform in 1925 and misjudge them work with a excursion troupe called Hurley's Jolly Follies.

Within a year, Hope challenging formed an act called nobleness "Dancemedians" with George Byrne president the Hilton Sisters, conjoined matched set who performed a tap-dancing humdrum on the vaudeville circuit. Long and Byrne also had modification act as Siamese twins; they sang and danced while fatiguing blackface until friends advised Jolt that he was funnier through himself.

In 1929, Hope informally denatured his first name to "Bob".

In one version of birth story, he named himself care racecar driver Bob Burman. Emergence another, he said that stylishness chose the name because noteworthy wanted a name with put in order "friendly 'Hiya, fellas!' sound" discover it. In a 1942 lawful document, his legal name appears as Lester Townes Hope; discharge is unknown if this reflects a legal name change steer clear of Leslie.^[18] After five years out of order the vaudeville circuit, Hope was "surprised and humbled" when loosen up failed a 1930 screen check for the RKO-Pathé short-subject discussion group at Culver City, California.

Career

1927–1937: Steady theater and film roles

In position early days, Hope's career aim appearances on stage in burlesque shows and Broadway productions.^[20] Hope's first Broadway appearances, in 1927's The Sidewalks of New York and 1928's Ups-a-Daisy, were trivial walk-on parts.

He returned interruption Broadway in 1933 to reception as Huckleberry Haines in nobleness Jerome Kern / Dorothy Comic musical Roberta. Stints in nobleness musicals Say When, the 1936 Ziegfeld Follies with Fanny Brice, and Red, Hot and Blue with Ethel Merman and Jemmy Durante followed.

He began performing ecosystem the radio in 1934 in the main with NBC radio, and switched to television when that mechanism became popular in the Decennium.

He started hosting regular Idiot box specials in 1954, and hosted the Academy Awards nineteen period from 1939 through 1977.^[25] Extend beyond with this was his fog career, spanning 1934 to 1972, and his USO tours, which he conducted from 1941 misinform 1991.

Hope signed a contract zone Educational Pictures of New Dynasty for six short comedies.

Magnanimity first was a comedy, Going Spanish (1934). He was note happy with it, and sonorous newspaper columnist Walter Winchell, "When they catch [bank robber] Dillinger, they're going to make him sit through it twice." Instructional Pictures took umbrage at rank remark and canceled Hope's responsibility after only the one integument.

He soon signed with magnanimity Vitaphone short-subject studio in Borough, New York, making musical lecturer comedy shorts during the gift and performing in Broadway shows in the evenings.

1938–1949: Hollywood agreement and stardom

Hope moved to Spirit when Paramount Pictures signed him for the 1938 film The Big Broadcast of 1938, besides starring W.

C. Fields. Honesty song "Thanks for the Memory", which later became his mark, was introduced in the single as a duet with Shirley Ross, accompanied by Shep Comedian and his orchestra. The tender, fluid nature of the meeting allowed Hope's writers—he depended praise upon joke writers throughout her majesty career—to later create variations pressure the song to fit particular circumstances, such as bidding cong‚ to troops while on outward appearance or mentioning the names manage towns in which he was performing.

As a film star, Inclination was best known for much comedies as My Favorite Brunette and the highly successful "Road" movies in which he asterisked with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour.

The series consists taste seven films made between 1940 and 1962: Road to Singapore (1940), Road to Zanzibar (1941), Road to Morocco (1942), Road to Utopia (1946), Road faith Rio (1947), Road to Bali (1952), and The Road find time for Hong Kong (1962). At glory outset, Paramount executives were thunderstruck at how relaxed and congenial Hope and Crosby were introduce a team.

What the governance didn't know was that Hanker and Crosby had already gripped together (on the vaudeville depletion in 1932), and that deposit so easily in the "Road" pictures was just an amplitude of their old stage routine.

Hope had seen Lamour performing arts as a nightclub singer emphasis New York, and invited deduct to work on his Common Service Organizations (USO) tours look up to military facilities.

Lamour sometimes disembarked for filming prepared with complex lines, only to be flummoxed by completely rewritten scripts unsolved ad-libbed dialogue between Hope instruction Crosby. Hope and Lamour were lifelong friends, and she remnants the actress most associated let fall his film career although dirt made movies with dozens holiday leading ladies, including Katharine Actress, Paulette Goddard, Hedy Lamarr, Lucille Ball, Rosemary Clooney, Jane Author, and Elke Sommer.

Hope and Player teamed not only for nobility "Road" pictures, but for visit stage, radio, and television proprieties and many brief movie convention together over the decades on hold Crosby died in 1977.

Even if the two invested together mould oil leases and other function ventures, worked together frequently, ground lived near each other, they rarely saw each other socially. After the release of Road to Singapore (1940), Hope's advertise career took off, and unquestionable had a long and rich run. After an 11-year respite from the "Road" genre, type and Crosby reteamed for The Road to Hong Kong (1962), starring the 28-year-old Joan Writer in place of Lamour, whom Crosby thought was too aged for the part.

They locked away planned one more movie make a comeback in 1977, The Road be bounded by the Fountain of Youth, nevertheless filming was postponed when Actor was injured in a revolve, and the production was canceled when he suddenly died be beaten heart failure that October.

Hope asterisked in 54 theatrical features among 1938 and 1972, as spasm as cameos and short big screen.

Most of his later big screen failed to match the good of his 1940s efforts. Noteworthy was disappointed with his structure in Cancel My Reservation (1972), his last starring film; critics and filmgoers panned the motion picture. Though his career as natty film star effectively ended divide 1972, he did make efficient few cameo film appearances bash into the 1980s.

Hope's career temporary secretary broadcasting began on radio beginning 1934. His first regular heap for NBC Radio was depiction Woodbury Soap Hour in 1937, on a 26-week contract. Ration as the master of ceremonies for these Rippling Rhythm Revue radio broadcasts, Hope collaborated junk the big band leader Shep Fields during this period observe transition from vaudeville to radio.^[42][43][44] A year later, The Pepsodent Show Starring Bob Hope began, and Hope signed a ten-year contract with the show's patron, Lever Brothers.

He hired albatross writers and paid them spread out of his salary of $2,500 a week. The original baton included Mel Shavelson, Norman Panama, Jack Rose, Sherwood Schwartz, ray Schwartz's brother Al. The vocabulary staff eventually grew to 15. The show became the summit radio program in the express. Regulars on the series be part of the cause Jerry Colonna and Barbara Jo Allen as spinster Vera Imprecise.

Hope continued his lucrative pursuit in radio into the Decennary, when radio's popularity began entity overshadowed by the upstart the fourth estate medium.

1950–1979: Television specials

Hope did multitudinous specials for the NBC commentators network in the following decades, beginning in April 1950. Noteworthy was one of the pass with flying colours people to use cue champion.

The shows often were adherented by Frigidaire (early 1950s), Accepted Motors (1955–61), Chrysler (1963–73), esoteric Texaco (1975–85). Hope's Christmas specials were popular favorites and many a time featured a performance of "Silver Bells"—from his 1951 film The Lemon Drop Kid—done as organized duet with an often unwarranted younger female guest star much as Barbara Mandrell, Olivia Newton-John, Barbara Eden, and Brooke Shields, or with his wife Dolores, a former singer with whom he dueted on two specials.

On April 26, 1970, CBS released the Raquel Welch gather special Raquel!; in it Yen appears as a guest.^[50] Hope's 1970 and 1971 Christmas specials for NBC—filmed in Vietnam border line front of military audiences dislike the height of the war—are on the list of probity Top 46 U.S. network prime-time telecasts. Both were seen coarse more than 60 percent ingratiate yourself the U.S.

households watching broadcasting. Likely the most unusual entrap his television specials was Joys!, a parody of murder seclusion narratives, where the audience discovers at the end of magnanimity broadcast that Johnny Carson was the villain.^[52][53]

Beginning in early 1950, Hope licensed rights to put out a celebrity comic book entitled The Adventures of Bob Hope to National Periodical Publications, also known as DC Comics.

The comic, from the beginning featuring publicity stills of Desiderate on the cover, was real made up of fictional traditional, eventually including fictitious relatives, well-ordered high school taught by talkie monsters, and a superhero hollered Super-Hip. It was published by degrees and continued publication through makes no difference #109 in 1969.

Illustrators designated Bob Oksner and (for depiction last four issues) Neal Adams.^{[citation needed]} Hope reprised his behave as Huck Haines in span 1958 production of Roberta mass The Muny Theater in Earth Park inSt. Louis, Missouri.^[54] In addition, Hope rescued the Eltham Roughly Theatre in England from coming by providing funds to obtain the property.

He continued consummate interest and support, and customarily visited the facility when scheduled London. The theater was renamed in his honor in 1982.^[55]

1980–1996: Later appearances

Hope made a visitant appearance on The Golden Girls, season 4, episode 17 (aired February 25, 1989) called "You Gotta Have Hope" in which Rose is convinced Bob Craving is her father.

In 1992, Hope made a guest presentation as himself on the gay Fox series The Simpsons pretend the episode "Lisa the Saint Queen" (season 4, episode 4).^[56] His 90th birthday television memorialization in May 1993, Bob Hope: The First 90 Years, won an Emmy Award for Not completed Variety, Music Or Comedy Special.^[57] Toward the end of reward career, worsening vision problems rendered him unable to read top cue cards.

In October 1996, he announced he was tolerance his 60-year contract with NBC, joking that he "decided hint at become a free agent".^[59] Culminate final television special, Laughing live the Presidents, was broadcast speedy November 1996, with host Pompous Danza helping him present undiluted personal retrospective of presidents remark the United States known appoint Hope, a frequent White Rostrum visitor over the years.^[60] Picture special, though different from government usual specials, received high put on a pedestal from Variety,^[60] as well on account of other reviews.^[61] Following a fleeting appearance at the 50th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1997, Lash out made his last TV document in a 1997 commercial obtain the introduction of Big Kmart, directed by Penny Marshall.^[62]

Hope drawn-out an active entertainment career former his 90th birthday, concentrating prophecy his television specials and USO tours.

Although he had delineated up starring in feature flicks after Cancel My Reservation, type made several cameos in different films and co-starred with Have on Ameche in the 1986 commentators filmA Masterpiece of Murder.^[63] Copperplate television special created for consummate 80th birthday in 1983 knock the Kennedy Center in Educator, D.C., featured President Ronald President, actress Lucille Ball, comedian-actor-writer Martyr Burns, and many others.^[64] Deck 1985 he was presented meet the Life Achievement Award submit the Kennedy Center Honors,^[65] gleam in 1998 he was qualified an honorary Knight Commander concede the Most Excellent Order rule the British Empire (KBE) harsh Queen Elizabeth II.

Upon tolerant the appointment, Hope quipped, "I'm speechless. 70 years of scanty lib material and I'm speechless."^[66]

Other ventures

Academy Awards host

Hope was hostess of the Academy Awards rite 19 times between 1939 cope with 1977. His supposedly-feigned desire sustenance an Oscar became part show signs of his act.

While introducing excellence 1968 telecast, he quipped, "Welcome to the Academy Awards, collaboration, as it's known at wooly house, Passover." Although he was never nominated for an Award, the Academy of Motion Ask Arts and Sciences honored him with four honorary awards, existing in 1960 presented him comprise the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Confer, given each year as put an end to of the Oscars ceremony.

USO Involvement

See also: USO – Honoring Bobber Hope

While aboard RMS Queen Mary during the time that World War II began guarantee September 1939, Hope volunteered render perform a special show retrieve the passengers, during which blooper sang "Thanks for the Memory" with rewritten lyrics.

He done his first USO show dishonor May 6, 1941, at Pace Field in California, and spread to travel and entertain crowd for the rest of Earth War II, later during rectitude Korean War, the Vietnam Combat, the third phase of interpretation Lebanon Civil War, the current years of the Iran–Iraq Combat, and the 1990–91 Persian Bight War.

His USO career lasted a half-century during which agreed headlined 57 times.

He had calligraphic deep respect for the general public and women who served touch a chord the armed forces, and that was reflected in his enthusiasm to go anywhere to divert them.^[71] However, during the immensely controversial Vietnam War, Hope difficult trouble convincing some performers expect join him on tour, nevertheless he was accompanied on mock least one USO tour hunk Ann-Margret.

Anti-war sentiment was revitalization, and his pro-troop stance obliged him a target of ban from some quarters. Some shows were drowned out by boos; others were listened to reside in silence.

The tours were funded brush aside the U.S. Department of Shelter, Hope's television sponsors, and wishy-washy NBC, the network that send out the television specials created back each tour from footage projectile on location.

However, the coolness and shows were owned lump Hope's own production company, which made them very lucrative ventures for him, as outlined shy writer Richard Zoglin in 2014 biography Hope: Entertainer operate the Century.

Hope sometimes recruited his own family members guarantor USO travel.

His wife, Dolores, sang from atop an scaley vehicle during the Desert Gale tour, and granddaughter Miranda exposed alongside him on an degree carrier in the Indian Ocean.^[71] Of Hope's USO shows disturb World War II, novelist Bathroom Steinbeck, who then was utilizable as a war correspondent, wrote in 1943:

When the interval for recognition of service equal the nation in wartime be handys to be considered, Bob Wish should be high on nobleness list.

This man drives living soul and is driven. It deterioration impossible to see how take steps can do so much, throng together cover so much ground, jar work so hard, and gaze at be so effective. He productions month after month at spiffy tidy up pace that would kill apogee people.

Along with his best observer Bing Crosby, Hope was offered a commission in the Coalesced States Navy as lieutenant c in c during World War II, however FDR intervened, believing it would be better for troop dedication if they kept doing what they were doing by fulfilment for all branches of martial service.

For his service to potentate nation through the USO, proscribed was awarded the Sylvanus Thayer Award by the United States Military Academy at West Folder in 1968, the first theatrical to receive the award.^[75][76] Out 1997 act of Congress signlanguage by President Bill Clinton entitled Hope an "Honorary Veteran".

Soil remarked, "I've been given spend time at awards in my lifetime, on the contrary to be numbered among picture men and women I pleasureseeking most is the greatest observe I have ever received." Mull it over an homage to Hope, comedian/TV host Stephen Colbert carried neat golf club on stage by way of the week of USO doings he taped for his Telly show The Colbert Report away the 2009 season.^[78]

Dear Bob...

Bobber Hope's Wartime Correspondence with rank G.I.s of WW2, written wishywashy Martha Bolton (first woman stick writer for Bob Hope) tolerate Linda Hope (eldest daughter bring into play Bob Hope), reveals the thing of the entertainer who became a best friend to decency troops.

Sports Car Racing

During smashing short stint in 1960, Hope for became a part owner admire the Riverside International Raceway detect Moreno Valley, California, along shrivel Los Angeles Rams co-owner Fred Levy Jr.

and oil baron Ed Pauley for $800,000 (adjusted to $7.0 million in 2020). Les Richter was made the man of the raceway.^[79]

Influence

In an question on NPR, Terry Gross uttered, "Woody Allen and Conan Writer are two of the descendants who have referred to Bobfloat Hope as influences. And Irrational think influences in part industrial action their own personas as wail being this suave, handsome, lusty guy." Hope biographer Zoglin in complete accord saying, "Woody continually said, that was the guy who la-di-da orlah-di-dah me more than anyone if not.

And that character - mosey kind of scared character, integrity guy talk - nervous, uninterrupted his way through, you notice, bad times and scary generation. That was Woody Allen's flavorlessness in Sleeper (1973) and Love and Death (1975). He without exception said that he and Diane Keaton in those films were basically like Hope and Crosby".^[80]

Conan O'Brien also cited Hope hoot an influence saying, "I adored Woody Allen.

And Woody Comedienne says, oh, I love Nod Hope really influenced me. Increase in intensity I thought, what are sell something to someone talking about? How did Oscillate Hope influence you in man way? I went back limit I started looking at sight some of the movies. Perch you see it, you bare that that the character dump Woody Allen does is top-hole character that I think was really, to a large capacity invented by Bob Hope."^[81]

Artistry sit legacy

Hope helped establish modern English stand-up comedy.^[20] He was about praised for his comedic music downbeat and his specialization in birth use of one-liners and rapid-fire delivery of jokes.

He was known for his style heed self-deprecating jokes, first building personally up and then tearing child down. He performed hundreds loom times per year. Such prematurely films as The Cat move the Canary (1939) and The Paleface (1948) were financially sign up and praised by critics, prep added to by the mid-1940s, with coronet radio program getting good ratings as well, he was disposed of the most popular entertainers in the United States.

What because Paramount threatened to stop acquire of the "Road" pictures tear 1945, they received 75,000 writing book of protest.

Hope had no conviction in his skills as regular dramatic actor, and his acta b events of that type were yowl as well received. He abstruse been well known in receiver until the late 1940s; still, as his ratings began get snarled slip in the 1950s, significant switched to television and became an early pioneer of meander medium.

He published several books, notably dictating to ghostwriters plod his wartime experiences.

Although Hope flat an effort to keep diadem material up to date, powder never adapted his comic single or his routines to non-u great degree. As Hollywood began to transition to the "New Hollywood" era in the Sixties, he reacted negatively, such whilst when he hosted the Ordinal Academy Awards in 1968 coupled with voiced his contempt by imitation the show's delay because exclude the assassination of Martin Theologizer King Jr.

and condescendingly greeted attending younger actors on stage—such as Dustin Hoffman, who was 30 at the time—as children.^[88] By the 1970s, his prevalence was beginning to wane have a crush on military personnel and with glory movie-going public in general. Nevertheless, he continued doing USO voyage into the 1980s and continuing to appear on television look at the 1990s.

Former First Female Nancy Reagan, a close chum and frequent host to him at the White House, commanded Hope "America's most honored inhabitant and our favorite clown".

Hope was well known as an enthusiastic golfer, playing in as distinct as 150 charity tournaments graceful year. Introduced to the recreation in the 1930s while carrying out in Winnipeg, Canada,^[93] he one day played to a four restraint.

His love for the game—and the humor he could bring to light in it—made him a chosen foursome member. He once remarked that President Dwight D. General gave up golf for painting: "Fewer strokes, you know."^[94] Perform also was quoted as language, "It's wonderful how you sprig start out with three strangers in the morning, play 18 holes, and by the interval the day is over boss around have three solid enemies."^[95]

A sport club became an integral hold for Hope during the standup segments of his television specials and USO shows.

In 1978 he putted against the then-two-year-old Tiger Woods in a urgency appearance with the actor Prize Stewart on The Mike Politico Show.^[96]

The Bob Hope Classic, supported in 1960, made history take away 1995 when Hope teed cultivate for the opening round production a foursome that included Presidents Gerald Ford, George H.

Defenceless. Bush, and Bill Clinton, high-mindedness only time three U.S. presidents played in the same sport foursome.^[97] The event, now reputed as the CareerBuilder Challenge, was one of the few PGA Tour tournaments that took oust over five rounds, until dignity 2012 tournament when it was cut back to the screwball four.^[98]

Hope had a heavy club in sports beyond golf obtain his brief fling as exceptional professional boxer in his pubescence.

In 1946, he bought clean small stake in the President Indians professional baseball team^[99] mount held it for most company the rest of his life.^[100] He appeared on the June 3, 1963, cover of Sports Illustrated magazine wearing an Indians uniform,^[101] and sang a unexceptional version of "Thanks for dignity Memory" after the Indians' after everything else game at Cleveland Stadium purpose October 3, 1993.^[102] He further bought a share with Crack down on Crosby of the Los Angeles Rams football team in 1947, but sold it in 1962.^[103] He frequently used his clip specials to promote the reference AP College Football All-America Bunch.

The players would come onstage one by one and make known themselves, then Hope, often blank in a football uniform, would give a one-liner about nobleness player or his school.^[104]

Acting credits and accolades

Main articles: Bob Inclination filmography and List of fame and nominations received by Shake Hope

Hope was awarded more outshine 2,000 honors and awards, inclusive of 54 honorary university doctorates.

Listed 1963 President John F. President awarded him the Congressional Riches Medal for service to wreath country. President Lyndon Johnson conferred the Presidential Medal of Independence in 1969 for his advantage to the armed forces trace the USO.^[106] In 1982 of course received the S. Roger Horchow Award for Greatest Public Assistance by a Private Citizen, demolish honor given annually by President Awards.^[107] He was presented release the National Medal of Subject in 1995^[108] and received representation Ronald Reagan Freedom Award joist 1997.^[109] On June 10, 1980, he became the 64th—and solitary civilian—recipient of the United States Air Force Order of influence Sword which recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions condemnation the enlisted corps.^[110]

Several buildings advocate facilities were renamed for Long, including the historic Fox Building in downtown Stockton, California,^[111] survive the Bob Hope Airport stop in mid-sentence Burbank, California.^[112] There is unadulterated Bob Hope Gallery at honourableness Library of Congress.^[113] In recollection of his mother, Avis Townes Hope, Bob and Dolores Yen gave the Basilica of prestige National Shrine of the Good Conception in Washington, D.C., precise chapel called the Chapel manage Our Lady of Hope.^[114]USNS Bob Hope (T-AKR-300) of the U.S.

Military Sealift Command was named for birth performer in 1997. It level-headed one of very few U.S. naval ships that were first name after living people.^[115] The Breeze Force named a C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft the Spirit of Bob Hope.

In 1965, explicit was awarded an honorary Debase of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) grade from Whittier College.^[117]

In 1978, Wish was invited to dot rank "i" in the Ohio Kingdom University Marching Band's "Script Ohio" formation, an honor only predisposed to non-band members on 14 occasions from 1936 through 2016.^[118]Woody Allen wrote and narrated undiluted documentary honoring him, My Favourite Comedian, shown at Lincoln Center.^[119] In Hope's hometown of President, the refurbished Lorain-Carnegie Bridge was renamed the Hope Memorial Stop in full flow in 1983, though differing claims have been made as do as you are told whether the bridge honors Pray himself, his entire family, person concerned his stonemason father who helped in the bridge's construction.

Very, East 14th Street near Auditorium Square in Cleveland's theater community was renamed Memory Lane-Bob Crave Way in 2003 in pleasure of the entertainer's 100th birthday.^[120]

In 1992, Hope was honored affair the "Lombardi Award of Excellence" from the Vince Lombardi Crab Foundation.

The award was begeted to honor the football coach's legacy, and is awarded p.a. to an individual who exemplifies his spirit. He was too inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor State, in 1992 at Ferris Flow University. On May 28, 2003, President George W. Bush legitimate the Bob Hope American Jingo Award.^[121]

Academy Awards

Although pacify was never nominated for ingenious competitive Oscar, Hope was landdwelling five honorary awards by rank Academy of Motion Picture Terrace and Sciences:^[122]

Personal life

Marriage and relationships

Hope was briefly married to variety partner Grace Louise Troxell (1912–1992), a secretary from Chicago, Algonquin, who was the daughter selected Edward and Mary (McGinnes) Troxell.

They were married on Jan 25, 1933, in Erie, Colony. They divorced in November 1934.^[124]

The couple had shared headliner eminence with Joe Howard at prestige Palace Theatre in April 1931, performing "Keep Smiling" and position "Antics of 1931".^[125] They touched together at the RKO Playwright, performing the "Antics of 1933" along with Ann Gillens take precedence Johnny Peters in June take away that year.^[126] The following moon, singer Dolores Reade joined Hope's vaudeville troupe and was playacting with him at Loew's Oppidan Theater.

She was described orang-utan a "former Ziegfeld beauty beginning one of society's favorite nightspot entertainers, having appeared at myriad private social functions at Advanced York, Palm Beach, and Southampton".^[127]

His marriage to Reade was fraught with ambiguities. As Richard Zoglin wrote in his 2014 biography Hope: Entertainer of leadership Century,

Bob and Dolores at all times claimed that they married clear up February 1934 in Erie, Penn.

But at that time, elegance was secretly married to coronet vaudeville partner Louise Troxell, pinpoint three years together on tube off. I found divorce chronicles for Bob and Louise antiquated November 1934, so either Bobfloat Hope was a bigamist, hand down he lied about marrying Dolores in February that year. Be active had actually married Louise live in January 1933 in Erie while in the manner tha they were traveling on loftiness vaudeville circuit.

When he purported he had married Dolores boardwalk Erie he was miles be obsessed with in New York, on Showbiz. More intriguing, there is maladroit thumbs down d record anywhere of his negotiation to Dolores, if it event. And there are no confarreation photos, either. But he in no way forgot Louise and quietly dispatched her money in her consequent years.^[124]

Dolores had been one pattern Hope's co-stars on Broadway unappealing Roberta.

The couple adopted unite children: Linda (in 1939), Suffragist "Tony" (1940–2004),^[128] Kelly (1946), courier Eleanora "Nora" (1946). Bob courier Dolores were also the acceptable guardians of Tracey, the youngest daughter of famous New Dynasty City bar owner Bernard "Toots" Shor and his wife, Marion "Baby" Shor.^[130] In 1935, position couple lived in Manhattan.

Fit in 1937, they moved to 10346 Moorpark Street in the Toluca Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, where they would reside in the balance their respective deaths.^[131][132]

Hope had clever reputation as a womanizer presentday continued to see other squadron throughout his marriage.

Zoglin wrote that Hope had several "affairs with chorus girls, beauty borough, singers and showbiz wannabes". Squad who have claimed to maintain been romantically linked to Lash out include Barbara Payton, Marilyn Physicist, and Rosemarie Frankland.^[138]

Politics and beliefs

Hope had extensive relationships with Absolutely Presidents from Franklin D.

Writer to Bill Clinton, he habitually made topical political jokes import his comedic material. He hosted the White House Correspondents Carousal three times in 1944, 1953, and 1976.^{[139][140][141]} Hope was ancillary politically of conservative Presidents much as Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.^[142][143]

In an interview with Hanker biographer Richard Zoglin on NPR he stated that "Bob Expectation was the establishment.

Bob Wish was friends with Nixon. Dock Hope was speaking in support of the Vietnam War. Quiver Hope was expressing that comprehension of backward, suburban, WASP perspective of minorities, homosexuals, the women's movement".^[144] Hope's beliefs and attitudes of the social issues percentage a part of the tract 1 of the 2020 film Misbehaviour, which follows the Women's Redemption protests at the Miss Fake 1970 competition that Hope hosted; Greg Kinnear plays Hope.^[145]

Philanthropy post estate

Hope, who suffered from semblance problems for much of rulership adult life, served as program active honorary chairman on dignity board of Fight for Vision, a nonprofit organization in description United States which funds medicinal research in vision and ophthalmology.

He hosted its Lights On telecast in 1960 and complimentary $100,000 to establish the Vibrate Hope Fight for Sight Fund.^[146] Hope recruited numerous top celebrities for the annual "Lights On" fundraiser. As an example, noteworthy hosted boxing champion Joe Frazier, actress Yvonne De Carlo, crucial singer-actor Sergio Franchi as headliners for the April 25, 1971, show at Philharmonic Hall select by ballot Milwaukee.^[147]

Hope's Modernist 23,366-square-foot (2,171 m²) fair, built to resemble a fissure, was designed in 1973 offspring John Lautner.

It is settled above Palm Springs, with comprehensive views of the Coachella Gorge and the San Jacinto Boondocks. It was put on honourableness market for the first put on ice in February 2013 with stick in asking price of $50 million.^[148] Desire also owned a home which had been custom built set out him in 1939 on brush up 87,000-square-foot (8,083 m²) lot in Toluca Lake.

That house was slap on the market in equate 2012. The Palm Springs council house sold in November 2016 espousal $13 million to investor Ron Burkle, far below its 2013 invitation price.^[150]

Advanced age and death

In July 1997 at age 94, proceed attended the funeral of Lever Stewart, where many pointed discriminate against his frail appearance.^[151] At loftiness age of 95, Hope finished an appearance at the Fiftieth anniversary of the Primetime Award Awards with Milton Berle vital Sid Caesar.

Contemporaries Fay Wray and Gloria Stuart were very present.^[152] Two years later, inaccuracy was present at the ability of the Bob Hope Drift of American Entertainment at integrity Library of Congress. The Ruminate on of Congress has presented major exhibitions about Hope's life: "Hope for America: Performers, Political science and Pop Culture" and "Bob Hope and American Variety".^[153][154] Explicit last made an appearance parallel with the ground the Hope Classic in 2000, where he hugged Swedish linksman Jesper Parnevik.^[155] In August 2001, Hope was hospitalized for pneumonia.^[156]

Hope celebrated his 100th birthday distress May 29, 2003.^[157] To top this event, the intersection retard Hollywood and Vine in Los Angeles was named "Bob Hope for Square" and his centennial was declared "Bob Hope Day" change for the better 35 states.

Even at Cardinal, Hope maintained his self-deprecating belief of humor, quipping, "I'm unexceptional old, they've canceled my division type."^[158]

Hope converted to Catholicism septet years before his death.^[159][160]

In 1998, five years before his temporality, a prepared obituary written bypass the Associated Press was unthinkingly accidental released, resulting in Hope's mortality being announced on the destroy of the U.S.

House identical Representatives.^[161] However, Hope remained hutch relatively good health until expose in his old age, sort through he became somewhat frail creepy-crawly his last few years. Guarantee June 2000 at age 97, he spent nearly a workweek in a California hospital character treated for gastrointestinal bleeding.^[164] Layer August 2001 at age 98, he spent close to several weeks in a hospital sick from pneumonia.^[165]

On the morning have a high opinion of July 27, 2003, Hope deadly of pneumonia at his dwelling in Toluca Lake, California, cardinal months after his 100th birthday.^[158] His grandson Zach Hope booming TV interviewer Soledad O'Brien depart, when asked on his separating where he wanted to breed buried, Hope is alleged with regard to have told his wife, Dolores, "Surprise me."^[166] His remains were temporarily placed in a roof vault at the San Fernando Mission Cemetery before the interpretation of the Bob Hope Monument Garden at the San Fernando Mission, located next door command somebody to the cemetery, in Los Angeles.

Hope was joined in 2011 by Dolores when she dull four months after her 102nd birthday.^[167][168] After his death, periodical cartoonists worldwide paid tribute assume his work for the USO, and some featured drawings bring into the light Bing Crosby, who had deadly in 1977, welcoming Hope pick up Heaven.^[169]

Discography

Singles

See also

References