Bob Brought Us Lots of Hope

This is probably the most painful column to date, especially for me, as I regard it not just as the passing of a legendary performer, but the end of an era. Bob Hope, after almost a century of bringing joy to a weary world, died July 27th at his home in Toluca Lake, California from pneumonia at the age of one hundred.

Hope conquered every medium in entertainment, including stage, radio, television and motion pictures. His self-effacing one-liners and gentle political satire made him not just a great star, but an American Institution. His holiday specials were for years a vital part of America’s Christmas and Chanukah traditions, and his contributions to the armed forces have been credited for having given our troops the courage to press on through many wars.

Hope began his long run as Leslie Townes Hope, in Eltham, England on May twenty-ninth, 1903. His Parents, a stonemason and an opera singer moved the family to America in 1907 when Hope was four-years-old. In his youth, Hope worked as a golf caddy, sold newspapers and even attempted a career in boxing, using the name “Packy East”.

His entree into vaudeville began a career in comedy that would span almost eight decades. His biggest break was in Paramount Picture’s “The Big Broadcast of 1938”, where Hope took a supporting role and not only made it the best part of the film, but also established “Thanks for the Memories” as his signature song.

I had the privilege of working with Hope in 1975 at a political fund raising affair, and I can tell you that with Hope, what you saw was definitely what you got. He was a delight, and treated all of us in the show with the same good-natured friendliness and warmth he treated more than a dozen American presidents.

In the show, I sang a parody of his theme song, and nobody laughed harder at the double-edged lyrics than Hope himself. He was a star in every sense of the word, the consummate gentleman, and a great, great American. His passing has left a gaping hole in the fabric of comedy not all the current comics in the world could ever begin to fill. He has surpassed even the level of legend, and attained a well-deserved deification of sorts. Bob hope is a part of American folklore and we, as a country, are the poorer now for his loss.


Good luck Bob, and…thanks for the memories