Bob Hope was true to his word that he would never stop trying to make people laugh.
"I'm not retiring until they carry me away,'' he once said. "And I'll have a few routines on the way to the big divot.''
Hope was a boxer, a dancer, a serious actor, an oil man and a real
estate tycoon. He earned money during his formative years selling newspapers,
and working in a shoestore, a drug store, a meat market and, naturally,
as a golf caddie.
He used to joke that he learned to do the waltz after being defeated in a novice championship boxing match when he fought under the name of "Packy East.''
But Hope will never be remembered as a boxer, a newspaper boy or even as a Leslie.
He will be remembered by millions as the comedian with a heart.
Early life: Leslie Townes Hope was born on May 29, 1903, in
Kent, England. His father was a contractor and his mother a Welsh concert
singer. The family immigrated to Cleveland, Ohio, when Bob was 4.
He learned tap dancing in high school and started his show biz career when an act was needed at a local Cleveland theater. He teamed up with a friend to work on a routine, and together they landed a two-week booking.
Bob Hope the actor was born.
After several appearances in vaudeville and musical comedies, Hope emerged as a man with a monologue. A solo performer who could more than hold his own, Hope perfected his routines and headed for the Windy City -- Chicago -- for fame, fortune and frolic.
What he received was a taste of the biting Illinois cold.
Unemployed, Hope found himself at the end of the line.
"Before long, I was in debt. I had holes in my shoes, and I was eating doughnuts and coffee,'' Hope said. "And when I met a friend who bought me a meal, I had forgotten whether to cut a steak with a knife or drink it out of a spoon.''
Hope survived that long drought, and with a friend's help was soon engaged for an appearance at a small Chicago theater. His next stop was originally a three-day vaudeville deal -- but that turned into a six-month booking once the owners realized they had a star in the making.
It didn't take long for this shooting star to make his mark.
Following several successful tours, Hope was signed to a three-year contract with the RKO circuit as a headliner.
The man who couldn't remember how to eat a steak could afford to have someone cut it for him.
The big time: Hope hit the Big Apple in 1927 with his debut in the musical "Sidewalks of New York.'' Other shows followed, including "Ballyhoo,'' "Roberta,'' "Red, Hot and Blue'' and the "Ziegfeld Follies.''
Hope soon turned his attention to airwaves and made his radio premiere on the "Rudy Vallee Show'' in 1934. He followed with the "Atlantic Family'' in 1935, "The Tippling Rhythm Review'' in 1937 and his own shows: "The Bob Hope Show'' on NBC in 1938 and "Bob Hope Reports'' on Cavalcade of America in 1943.
Always moving forward, Hope ventured next into the television world
with his appearances on such NBC shows as "The Star-Spangled Revue''
in 1950, "Sound Off'' in 1951 and the "Bob Hope Show'' 1955-64. Vaudeville,
radio and television helped Hope perfect his routines, but the silver
screen made him a golden star.
Hope's first movie, "The Big Broadcast of 1938'' produced his legendary theme song, "Thanks for the Memory,'' which he sang with co-star Shirley Ross. Five films later, Hope was a bonafide comic star and matinee idol combined.
It was the beginning of a resume of almost 60 films for Hope, the most notable being his combination with a certain crooner whom he met playing golf -- Bing Crosby.
The pair made a series of successful "Road'' pictures, the first of which was "Road to Singapore.'' Hope's other motion pictures included "They Got Me Covered,'' "My Favorite Blonde,'' "My Favorite Brunette,''
"Paleface,'' "Sorrowful Jones,'' "Fancy Pants,'' "The Lemon Drop Kid,'' "My Favorite Spy,'' and "Beau James''
Hope started his illustrious wartime entertainment career during World War II after he tried to enlist but was advised he could serve the war better as a morale booster. He covered most of the overseas bases with his traveling show, playing his first camp show on May 6, 1941 at March Field in Riverside.
He began his traditional Christmas visits, always a GI favorite, in
1948 when he went to Berlin to put on several shows for soldiers involved
in the airlift.
Hope also wrote several books, including "They Got Me Covered'' in 1941, "I Never Left Home'' in 1944, "So This Is Peace'' in 1946, co-authored with Pete Martin in "Have Tux, Will Travel'' in 1954 and "I Owe Russia $1,200'' in 1963.
Hope took pen in hand to author books, but he also used it to sign checks -- lots of them -- to charities.
Always a giver, Hope raised millions of dollars for charities by sponsoring or lending his name to help a worthy cause. Probably the most famous of these is the annual "Bob Hope Desert Classic,'' changed in 1985 to add "Chrysler'' to the title after the corporation joined sponsorship.
The prestigious golf tournament is favored by professionals and celebrities alike, pulling in such big names as Arnold Palmer, Lanny Wadkins, former President Gerald Ford, House Speaker Thomas "Tip'' O'Neill, Mickey Rooney, Andy Williams and Fred MacMurray.
The tournament, begun in 1960, has raised over $37 million for over
90 charities. From a modest $15,000 raised in the beginning, the tournament
has swelled to annually bring in more than a million dollars.
In 1966, Hope also donated 80 acres of land, estimated at the time to be worth $500,000, for the development of the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. During vaudeville appearances in England, proceeds were donated to the London Youth Center, and he also gave $300,000 for a new Bob Hope Theater at Southern Methodist University.
