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CNN Live Today

Interview With Entertainer Connie Stevens

Aired May 29, 2003 - 11:46   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Entertainment icon Bob Hope is turning 100 years young today. Vaudeville, movies, radio, television, you name it and Bob Hope did it all, and he did it well. One of his most valuable contributions to Americans, though, was his six decades of entertaining the troops overseas.
Actress and entertainer Connie Stevens was along on the USO tours and she joins us this morning from Los Angeles to talk about her friend. Good to see you. How are you doing, Connie?

CONNIE STEVENS, ENTERTAINER: Oh, I am fine, thanks. What a pleasure to be here for Bob, really.

HARRIS: What would you say to him if he were watching right now?

STEVENS: I would say, open your eyes, look around, hear your name all over the streets. I think that we should have a Bob Hope stamp, a day forever. He is certainly a treasure to us.

HARRIS: Well, he has been called the citizen of the century there in Hollywood, and nobody would dispute that, I'm sure.

But what do you think he would make of all of this fuss. I know he hasn't been able to make a lot of the celebrations that have been staged in his honor for the past couple of months.

STEVENS: I think he would probably have a laugh and make a joke, you know? He was always looking for the joke. He would chase a joke. If it didn't work, he would go after it until he got the laugh. So I'm sure he'd be very, very happy.

HARRIS: Now you -- you spent a lot of time with him on the USO tours. Tell us about that.

STEVENS: Yes.

HARRIS: Can you share anything with us, maybe something that folks watching this morning might not have heard before or might not know about Bob?

STEVENS: Well, one of my favorite stories is about 2:00 in the morning, they came and woke me up on the big "Super Connie" (ph), it was called, and said Bob wants to see you in the cockpit.

And I looked and I went, Whoa, what's he doing in the cockpit at 2:00 in the morning? So I went in there and he was talking to one of our larger ships that had been out to sea for a long time, probably about eight, nine months.

And he said, they know you're on the plane, would you talk to all the guys, and I thought who else would have given me that pleasure in life to talk to those 2,700 men on board, and it was Christmas Eve, and I got to just talk on the phone in the middle of the air, in the middle of the night, to 2,700 young men, and they piped it into all their rooms and I sang. It's a great memory. It really is.

HARRIS: That is actually -- that is so great. Because nowadays, and a lot of the folks there are so jaded these days. A lot of stars are marketing themselves, and with Bob, though, it all seems so genuine, and for a person to do something like that at 2:00 in the morning, that's proof of that, isn't it?

STEVENS: Absolutely. He was the real deal, and he loved the veterans, as I do. He gave me a chance to really understand that you can serve your country in many ways...

HARRIS: How is he doing these days? I am sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off there.

STEVENS: How is he doing?

HARRIS: Yes.

STEVENS: I guess he's going to enjoy the day. I think he enjoys the days. I think he hits the golf ball a few times. I don't know how cognizant he is of everything in the world, but he can certainly feel the love today, don't you think?

HARRIS: Oh, I'm sure. Hey listen, he has got all my love and respect if he's still hitting the golf ball. He's got a few decades on me and I still can't do that. That is great. That is good to hear.

STEVENS: That is great.

HARRIS: I'm sure hoping that he gets the chance to get out and enjoy that, and hope he gets to hear words like the kind words you came out and offered for him today in honor of him on this, his 100th birthday.

STEVENS: Thank you. It's my pleasure.

HARRIS: You are...

(CROSSTALK)

STEVENS: Happy birthday, Bob. We love you so much. What a day!

HARRIS: There you go. There you go. Connie Stevens, it is such a pleasure to talk with you this morning. All the best to you.

STEVENS: Thank you.

HARRIS: Hey, and listen also, nice going with that Windfeather project. I have read quite a bit about that, all the Native American children...

STEVENS: Oh, thank you very much.

HARRIS: ... you have been sending to school with scholarships. Fantastic work.

STEVENS: Ninety-three kids. And thank you guys. I am up every night, and I went through the whole war with you guys, and you did a great job.

HARRIS: There you go. This woman, not only is she beautiful, but she's got great viewing taste as well.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired May 29, 2003 - 11:46   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Entertainment icon Bob Hope is turning 100 years young today. Vaudeville, movies, radio, television, you name it and Bob Hope did it all, and he did it well. One of his most valuable contributions to Americans, though, was his six decades of entertaining the troops overseas.
Actress and entertainer Connie Stevens was along on the USO tours and she joins us this morning from Los Angeles to talk about her friend. Good to see you. How are you doing, Connie?

CONNIE STEVENS, ENTERTAINER: Oh, I am fine, thanks. What a pleasure to be here for Bob, really.

HARRIS: What would you say to him if he were watching right now?

STEVENS: I would say, open your eyes, look around, hear your name all over the streets. I think that we should have a Bob Hope stamp, a day forever. He is certainly a treasure to us.

HARRIS: Well, he has been called the citizen of the century there in Hollywood, and nobody would dispute that, I'm sure.

But what do you think he would make of all of this fuss. I know he hasn't been able to make a lot of the celebrations that have been staged in his honor for the past couple of months.

STEVENS: I think he would probably have a laugh and make a joke, you know? He was always looking for the joke. He would chase a joke. If it didn't work, he would go after it until he got the laugh. So I'm sure he'd be very, very happy.

HARRIS: Now you -- you spent a lot of time with him on the USO tours. Tell us about that.

STEVENS: Yes.

HARRIS: Can you share anything with us, maybe something that folks watching this morning might not have heard before or might not know about Bob?

STEVENS: Well, one of my favorite stories is about 2:00 in the morning, they came and woke me up on the big "Super Connie" (ph), it was called, and said Bob wants to see you in the cockpit.

And I looked and I went, Whoa, what's he doing in the cockpit at 2:00 in the morning? So I went in there and he was talking to one of our larger ships that had been out to sea for a long time, probably about eight, nine months.

And he said, they know you're on the plane, would you talk to all the guys, and I thought who else would have given me that pleasure in life to talk to those 2,700 men on board, and it was Christmas Eve, and I got to just talk on the phone in the middle of the air, in the middle of the night, to 2,700 young men, and they piped it into all their rooms and I sang. It's a great memory. It really is.

HARRIS: That is actually -- that is so great. Because nowadays, and a lot of the folks there are so jaded these days. A lot of stars are marketing themselves, and with Bob, though, it all seems so genuine, and for a person to do something like that at 2:00 in the morning, that's proof of that, isn't it?

STEVENS: Absolutely. He was the real deal, and he loved the veterans, as I do. He gave me a chance to really understand that you can serve your country in many ways...

HARRIS: How is he doing these days? I am sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off there.

STEVENS: How is he doing?

HARRIS: Yes.

STEVENS: I guess he's going to enjoy the day. I think he enjoys the days. I think he hits the golf ball a few times. I don't know how cognizant he is of everything in the world, but he can certainly feel the love today, don't you think?

HARRIS: Oh, I'm sure. Hey listen, he has got all my love and respect if he's still hitting the golf ball. He's got a few decades on me and I still can't do that. That is great. That is good to hear.

STEVENS: That is great.

HARRIS: I'm sure hoping that he gets the chance to get out and enjoy that, and hope he gets to hear words like the kind words you came out and offered for him today in honor of him on this, his 100th birthday.

STEVENS: Thank you. It's my pleasure.

HARRIS: You are...

(CROSSTALK)

STEVENS: Happy birthday, Bob. We love you so much. What a day!

HARRIS: There you go. There you go. Connie Stevens, it is such a pleasure to talk with you this morning. All the best to you.

STEVENS: Thank you.

HARRIS: Hey, and listen also, nice going with that Windfeather project. I have read quite a bit about that, all the Native American children...

STEVENS: Oh, thank you very much.

HARRIS: ... you have been sending to school with scholarships. Fantastic work.

STEVENS: Ninety-three kids. And thank you guys. I am up every night, and I went through the whole war with you guys, and you did a great job.

HARRIS: There you go. This woman, not only is she beautiful, but she's got great viewing taste as well.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com