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