July 27, 2003
Bob Hope dies at age 100 in Toluca Lake, California.
Known for entertaining American servicemen and women for more than five
decades, Hope had a career that spanned the whole range of 20th century
entertainment, from vaudeville to Broadway musicals to radio, television and
movies.
He was born Leslie Townes
Hope, the fifth of seven sons, on May 29, 1903, in Eltham, England. In 1907,
Hope’s family moved to Cleveland, Ohio. As a young man, he began his
entertainment career as a dancer and vaudeville performer. During the 1930s, he
appeared in Broadway musicals, along with such performers as Fanny Brice and
Ethel Merman. In 1934, Hope wed the nightclub singer Dolores Reade; the
marriage would endure until his death. In 1938, Hope, who became known for his
snappy one-liners, rose to national fame with his own radio show on NBC and his
first feature film, The Big Broadcast of 1938.In 1940, Hope co-starred in the box-office hit Road to Singapore with
Bing Crosby. The film, about a pair of singing, wisecracking con men, was the
first of seven “Road” movies the pair would make. Hope appeared in more than 50
feature films during his career. He hosted the Academy Awards 18 times,
although he never won an Oscar himself, an occurrence he turned into a
long-running joke. However, he did receive five special awards from the
Academy, including two honorary Oscars. Hope was also a top entertainer on TV
and from 1959 to 1996 he made 284 “Bob Hope specials” for NBC.
Starting with World War II, Hope began entertaining American troops at
military bases around the world. His USO tours traveled to military bases
during times of war (Vietnam, the Persian Gulf), as well as times of peace. He
was so beloved for his work with the military for more than half a century that
Congress passed a resolution in 1997 making Hope an honorary veteran. It was
one of the countless honors that Hope received throughout his career. In 1998,
he was granted honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth.
In solidarity
Tony Figueroa
July 27, 2003
Bob Hope dies at age 100 in Toluca Lake, California.
Known for entertaining American servicemen and women for more than five
decades, Hope had a career that spanned the whole range of 20th century
entertainment, from vaudeville to Broadway musicals to radio, television and
movies.
In 1940, Hope co-starred in the box-office hit Road to Singapore with
Bing Crosby. The film, about a pair of singing, wisecracking con men, was the
first of seven “Road” movies the pair would make. Hope appeared in more than 50
feature films during his career. He hosted the Academy Awards 18 times,
although he never won an Oscar himself, an occurrence he turned into a
long-running joke. However, he did receive five special awards from the
Academy, including two honorary Oscars. Hope was also a top entertainer on TV
and from 1959 to 1996 he made 284 “Bob Hope specials” for NBC.
Starting with World War II, Hope began entertaining American troops at military bases around the world. His USO tours traveled to military bases during times of war (Vietnam, the Persian Gulf), as well as times of peace. He was so beloved for his work with the military for more than half a century that Congress passed a resolution in 1997 making Hope an honorary veteran. It was one of the countless honors that Hope received throughout his career. In 1998, he was granted honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth.
In solidarity
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