Bob Hope

Bob Hope

1903-05-29

Biography

Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope KBE, KC*SG, KSS (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was an American comedian, actor, and entertainer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films—54 in which he starred. These included a series of seven Road to... musical comedy films with Bing Crosby as Hope's top-billed partner. In addition to hosting the Academy Awards show 19 times, more than any other host, Hope appeared in many stage productions and television roles and wrote 14 books. The song "Thanks for the Memory" was his signature tune. Hope was born in the Eltham district of southeast London. He arrived in the United States with his family at the age of four, and grew up near Cleveland, Ohio. After a brief stint in the late 1910s as a boxer, Hope began his career in show business in the early 1920s, initially as a comedian and dancer on the vaudeville circuit, before acting on Broadway. Hope began appearing on radio and in films starting in 1934. He was praised for his comedic timing, specializing in one-liners and rapid-fire delivery of jokes that were often self-deprecating. He helped establish modern American stand-up comedy. Between 1941 and 1991, Hope made 57 tours for the United Service Organizations (USO), entertaining active duty U.S. military personnel around the world. In 1997, the United States Congress passed a bill that made Hope an honorary veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces. Hope appeared in numerous television specials for NBC during his career and was one of the first users of cue cards. Hope retired from public life in 1998 and died on July 27, 2003, at the age of 100. Description above from the Wikipedia article Bob Hope, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Also appears in

Casanova’s Big Night

Casanova’s Big Night

6.1

Caught in the Draft

Caught in the Draft

5.8

The Dean Martin Christmas Show

The Dean Martin Christmas Show

7.6

Louisiana Purchase

Louisiana Purchase

6.6

Critic’s Choice

Critic’s Choice

5.5

Cancel My Reservation

Cancel My Reservation

5.3

That’s Entertainment! III

That’s Entertainment! III

6.9

Kids’ TV: The Surprising Story

Kids’ TV: The Surprising Story

Not yet rated

Rat Pack

Rat Pack

9.0

Nothing But the Truth

Nothing But the Truth

7.1

Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!

Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!

5.1

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

5.7

I’ll Take Sweden

I’ll Take Sweden

5.0

Monsieur Beaucaire

Monsieur Beaucaire

5.6

CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years

CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years

7.0

The Seven Little Foys

The Seven Little Foys

6.0

My Favorite Blonde

My Favorite Blonde

6.4

The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender

The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender

5.3

Where There’s Life

Where There’s Life

5.6

The Lemon Drop Kid

The Lemon Drop Kid

6.6