| Bob Hope Stories | | | | Hope ending up with his second choices. |
| | | | |
| | | | Delores Hope was as long suffering as Lucy |
| | | | was. One time shewas among a crowd waiting |
| Once when he was a little boy in England, | | | | backstage for him after a liveshow. A |
| Leslie Hope (Helater renamed himself Bob | | | | reporter asked her,"Are you connected to Bob |
| after a race car driver heidolized)wanted to | | | | Hope insome way Miss?" "No, I'm just his |
| pick an apple off a tree. Symbolic of his | | | | wife." |
| career,he didn't want just any apple but the | | | | |
| highest one possible. | | | | In the late 30s, Hope made fun of veterans on |
| | | | his radioshow. Performing at army bases was a |
| He lost his balance, fell and permanently | | | | way to bring upratings. Then came World War |
| changed the shapeof his nose. | | | | II with Hope and a number ofother stars |
| | | | recruited by the government for a war |
| His big break in Hollywood was getting the | | | | bondselling, victory caravan tour. Unlike |
| part Jack Bennyturned down in the Paramount | | | | many of the pamperedcelebrities who |
| film "The Big Broadcast Of | | | | complained about the cramped quarters ontheir |
| | | | shared train, the ex-vaudevillian Hope was |
| 1938". The director Mitchell Leisen could not | | | | exhilaratedby the travel. It was no problem |
| stand thestar of the movie, the ornery WC | | | | for him to go overseas toentertain the |
| Fields, who would run offthe movie set and | | | | troops. |
| come back too soused to do the | | | | |
| requiredscenes, flub his lines and scream for | | | | At first Hope found America's homesick young |
| his lawyer. Liesenfound Hope much more | | | | fighting men tobe the easiest audience he |
| cooperative, although he was a nervousham in | | | | ever faced. Jokes that would diein the states |
| front of the camera. Desperate to be a | | | | would get uproarious laughter from the |
| moretraditional leading man like Fred | | | | troops. |
| Macmurray, Hope begged | | | | |
| | | | In the beginning Hope stayed out of combat |
| Paramount to pay for a nose job but they | | | | areas, but thenhe reasoned that those in |
| refused. It wasin this film he got to sing | | | | actual battles needed him themost. Hope |
| "Thanks For The Memories" whichalong with the | | | | became addicted to the to the danger of |
| ski nose became Hope's trademarks. | | | | flying inplanes that might get shot down or |
| | | | performing in places thathad recently been |
| For his radio show when Hope found out that | | | | attacked. But he was greatly moved by |
| Jack Bennyhired two writers for $1,000 a | | | | theinjuries he saw in hospital wards, and |
| week, he in turn hired tenwriters for $100 a | | | | quietly helped set upseveral of the soldiers |
| week each and hated paying. At times hewould | | | | he met in their own businesses afterthe war |
| gather the staff at the bottom of a stairwell | | | | ended. Later he could not understand the |
| and tosstheir paychecks down as paper | | | | Vietnamsituation, getting in trouble when he |
| airplanes. Other times Hopewould interrupt | | | | repeatedly suggestedwe should bomb the enemy |
| his scribes intimacy with their wives | | | | into submission. Hope's love forthe troops |
| bycalling their houses very late at night to | | | | stayed constant, even in Nam when they booed |
| go over newmaterial. For their part, the | | | | him. |
| writers created the Hopemovie character, | | | | |
| egomaniacal, womanizing and cowardly, allbut | | | | Hope got along great with all the Presidents |
| the last trait were true. | | | | he met, whetherhe agreed with them or not. He |
| | | | once said that Rooseveltlaughed so hard at |
| Hope's relationship with Bing Crosby was | | | | his jokes he almost voted democratic. Heloved |
| love-hate. In oneof their early road movies | | | | telling the story about a marine in World War |
| Paramount Studios filmed twoendings in which | | | | II whowas disappointed that he had not killed |
| each of the boys ended up with Dorothy | | | | a Japanese soldier. |
| | | | |
| Lamour, to see which result audiences | | | | At the edge of a jungle he tried to smoke |
| preferred. Theyoverwhelmingly chose Bing | | | | them out, byshouting," To hell with |
| which annoyed Hope, who got hiscostar back by | | | | Hirohito!" It worked, a Japanesesoldier came |
| constantly reminding him that he wore | | | | out and shouted," To hell with Roosevelt!" |
| atoupee. In one scene both had to lie on the | | | | Butthe marine lowered his weapon," Darn it, I |
| same bedtogether (innocently, they were | | | | can't shoot afellow Republican." |
| resting) and Bing refused totake his hat off. | | | | |
| No amount of coaxing from Paramountexecutives | | | | Author/Narrator Stephen Schochet researched |
| could get Crosby to change his mind, he did | | | | Hollywood and |
| notwant to hear Bob's toupee barbs. Hope | | | | |
| later said thegreatest acting performance he | | | | Disney stories and lore for 10 years while |
| ever gave was smiling when | | | | giving tours of |
| | | | |
| Bing won his academy award for Going My Way | | | | Hollywood. He had the unique idea the stories |
| (1944). | | | | could be toldanywhere and that's what led him |
| | | | to create the audiobooks |
| His frequent leading lady, Lucille Ball, was | | | | |
| an even matchfor Hope in the ambition | | | | "Fascinating Walt Disney" and "Tales Of |
| department. She lobbied thecomedian to hire | | | | Hollywood". The |
| her little-known band leader husband Desi | | | | |
| | | | Saint Louis Post Dispatch says," These two |
| Arnaz for his radio show. She later regretted | | | | elaborateproductions are exceptionally |
| it when Desislept with every showgirl who | | | | entertaining. |
| applied for a job, with rumorsflying about | | | | |