One of the best fighter planesthe YAK


Bob Hope Stories

Once when he was a little boy in England,for Hope in the ambition department. She
Leslie Hope (He later renamed himself Boblobbied the comedian to hire her little-known
after a race car driver he idolized) wantedband leader husband Desi Arnaz for his radio
to pick an apple off a tree. Symbolic of hisshow. She later regretted it when Desi slept
career, he didn't want just any apple but thewith every showgirl who applied for a job,
highest one possible. He lost his balance,with rumors flying about Hope ending up with
fell and permanently changed the shape of hishis second choices. Delores Hope was as long
nose.His big break in Hollywood was gettingsuffering as Lucy was. One time she was among
the part Jack Benny turned down in thea crowd waiting backstage for him after a
Paramount film "The Big Broadcast Of 1938".live show. A reporter asked her,"Are you
The director Mitchell Leisen could not standconnected to Bob Hope in some way Miss?" "No,
the star of the film, the ornery WC Fields,I'm just his wife."In the late 30s, Hope made
who would run off the movie set and come backfun of veterans on his radio show. Performing
too soused to do the required scenes, flubat army bases was a way to bring up ratings.
his lines and scream for his lawyer. LiesenThen came World War II with Hope and a number
found Hope much more cooperative, although heof other stars recruited by the government
was a nervous ham in front of the camera.for a war bond selling, victory caravan tour.
Desperate to be a more traditional leadingUnlike many of the pampered celebrities who
man like Fred Macmurray, Hope beggedcomplained about the cramped quarters on
Paramount to pay for a nose job but theytheir shared train, the ex-vaudevillian Hope
refused. It was in this film he got to singwas exhilarated by the travel. It was no
"Thanks For The Memories" which along withproblem for him to go overseas to entertain
his ski nose became Hope's trademarks.For histhe troops.At first Hope found America's
radio show when Hope found out that Jackhomesick young fighting men to be the easiest
Benny hired two writers for $1,000 a week, heaudience he ever faced. Jokes that would die
in turn hired ten writers for $100 a weekin the states would get uproarious laughter
each and hated paying. At times he wouldfrom the troops. In the beginning Hope stayed
gather the staff at the bottom of a stairwellout of combat areas, but then he reasoned
and toss their paychecks down as paperthat those in actual battles needed him the
airplanes. Other times Hope would interruptmost. Hope became addicted to the to the
his scribes intimacy with their wives bydanger of flying in planes that might get
calling their houses very late at night to goshot down or performing in places that had
over new material. For their part, therecently been attacked. But he was greatly
writers created the Hope movie character,moved by the injuries he saw in hospital
egomaniacal, womanizing and cowardly, all butwards, and quietly help set up several of the
the last trait were true.Hope's relationshipsoldiers he met in their own businesses after
with Bing Crosby was love-hate. In one ofthe war ended. Later he could not understand
their early road movies Paramount Studiosthe Vietnam situation, getting in trouble
filmed two endings in which each of the boyswhen he repeatedly suggested we should bomb
ended up with Dorothy Lamour, to see whichthe enemy into submission. Hope's love for
result audiences preferred. Theythe troops stayed constant, even in Nam when
overwhelmingly chose Bing which annoyed Hope,they booed him.Hope got along great with all
who got his costar back by constantlythe Presidents he met, whether he agreed with
reminding him that he wore a toupee. In onethem or not. He once said that Roosevelt
scene both had to lie on the same bedlaughed so hard at his jokes he almost voted
together (innocently, they were resting) anddemocratic. He loved telling the story about
Bing refused to take his hat off. No amounta marine in World War II who was disappointed
of coaxing from Paramount executives couldthat he had not killed a Japanese soldier. At
get Crosby to change his mind, he did notthe edge of a jungle he tried to smoke them
want to hear Bob's toupee barbs. Hope laterout, by shouting," To hell with Hirohito!" It
said the greatest acting performance he everworked, a Japanese soldier came out and
gave was smiling when Bing won his academyshouted," To hell with Roosevelt!" But the
award for Going My Way (1944).His frequentmarine lowered his weapon," Darn it, I can't
leading lady, Lucille Ball, was an even matchshoot a fellow Republican.



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