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Bob Hope's 100th Birthday in Hollywood

Aired May 29, 2003 - 14:30   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.


MILES O'BRIEN: Today, we want to say "Thanks for the memories" from a comedic icon -- an icon, just period.
America's funny man, Bob Hope, turns 100 today. Some 35 states have proclaimed it "Bob Hope Day." The city of Los Angeles also is honoring Hope this hour.

CNN's Eric Horng is live from a famous intersection in L.A. with details on why it will become even more famous.

Right, Eric?

ERIC HORNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, quite fitting. Bob Hope is synonymous with Hollywood. So quite fitting that his name now adorns the most famous intersection here in Tinseltown.

Right now we're listening to the opening remarks by Johnny Grant, the honorary mayor of Hollywood. Earlier we heard a performance from The United States Marine Band from San Diego. Pretty significant military presence as well. We've got some representatives from the USO, of course.

Mr. Hope was heavily involved with the USO for 50 years -- from World War II to Desert Storm. Traveled -- criss-crossed the globe -- to perform for U.S. servicemen and women.

At this time, as we said, this dedication going on -- they're going to be dedicating this very famous intersection, calling it "Bob Hope Square" in honor of the entertainer.

Mr. Hope not here, but family members are, as well as we saw some celebrities -- Mickey Rooney, the famous actor and a good friend of Mr. Hope, is here. And he's expected to speak.

O'BRIEN: Eric, we're hearing from the honorary mayor of Hollywood, I'm told. And it's a star-studded cavalcade, isn't it?

HORNG: We've seen a few stars. As you said -- Mickey Rooney. We were told that Dolores Hope, his wife of about 70 years, would be here as well. We actually haven't seen her yet. She's been feeling somewhat ill. She's of course, in her 90s as well.

Again, Mr. Hope not expected to be here. He's not really made a public appearance in about three years. We're told by his daughter that he is, of course, in frail health, as you might imagine someone 100 years old would be. He's losing his eyesight, his hearing. He's bound to a wheelchair. Has not left the home recently. But expected to have a private celebration at his home in Los Angeles -- complete with a cake, we're told, with a hundred candles -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Of course, Bob Hope has a tremendous number of friends in the military -- veterans in the military. I understand a fly-over is planned shortly from now. Give us a sense of how veterans are involved in all of this.

HORNG: Yes, I've actually got the rundown in my hand here. After Mr. Johnny Grant, the honorary mayor of Hollywood, is done speaking, we're expected to have a fly-over vintage World War II aircraft.

As we said, several generations of U.S. servicemen and women were able to be entertained by Bob Hope. He criss-crossed the globe from World War II all the way to Desert Storm. So several generations had the opportunity to hear from him. And World War II certainly being represented with this fly-over of vintage aircraft.

O'BRIEN: Now, Eric, of course, as you pointed out, Bob Hope is in frail health, as you might expect at the age of 100. But there's a little bit of evidence today that his humor is still intact.

HORNG: Certainly. And we are told by his daughter, Linda Hope, that he still has a sharp mind, is still delivering those zingers -- those one-liners that he's famous for. Earlier this week, we are told that he came up with one more -- saying, quote, "that he's so old that they canceled his blood type. That gives you an idea of his state of mind.

O'BRIEN: That classic Hope one-liner. We think that fly-over is coming any minute now. And we, of course, will bring that to you, live, as it happens. I want to ask you, Eric, you know Bob Hope is the kind of entertainer -- and there are few of them -- that can really transcend the generations. He has fans of all ages, doesn't he, all over the world? Why don't you talk about that while we look for the formation.

HORNG: Certainly fans all over the world. And what's interesting is he was so versatile. He could sing. He could dance. He was an actor. He performed in films, vaudeville, television, radio. What was interesting is that -- many people regarded him as a good dancer, but he wasn't the best dancer. He was a good actor, but not the best actor. He was funny, but some said considered him not the most hilarious. But the package worked. He was able to translate to audiences of several generations across the globe. Again, we are told at this point that the fly-over is about to happen. Vintage World War II -- here, we have a shot.

O'BRIEN: There we go.

HORNG: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) aircraft. Vintage World War II. As we said, 50 years in the USO. He first began during World War II with his radio show. There was one story he was actually reluctant at first to broadcast from a military installation, and soon had this affinity with the U.S. servicemen and women. And continued that for nearly six decades. And his last performance was just before Operation Desert Storm. O'BRIEN: I never had heard that part of the story that he was initially reluctant. He certainly got over his reluctance, didn't he?

HORNG: Certainly. In so many ways, he was very patriotic, even during the Vietnam War. He caught a lot of flack from anti-war activists because of his stance very much in favor of the war effort. But he was able to transcend the politics at the time. And the media itself saw the performances for what they were, so he was able to transcend the politics.

O'BRIEN: All right, Eric Horng. Thank you very much. We'll let you tune back into the rest of the ceremonies there. Thanks for getting that fly-over in for us. We never like to miss vintage aircraft flying, wherever they may be. And we appreciate you taking the time to tell us a little bit about Bob Hope at this moment when people are pausing to remember his wonderful life.

One thing we can always expect to get from Bob Hope is a smile on our faces. Hope has been doing that for a very long time. CNN's Charles Feldman takes a look at the illustrious career of the cherished comedian.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

Bob Hope, comedian: Who can blame Russia for wanting to be friends with Carter. They have all our bread, but what good is it without peanut butter?

CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bob Hope is an American icon. Not bad for a kid born in England when the 20th century was new.

Leslie Townes Hope was born in 1903. When he was 21, Hope -- changing his first name to Bob, because he figured it looked better than Leslie on the marquee -- hit the vaudeville circuit. With vaudeville on the way out, Hope made the transition to Broadway in 1932. It was in New York that he met his future bride, Dolores Reade.

HOPE: George Murphy and I -- we were (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And he said, -- after the show one night, he said -- "Do you want to hear a pretty girl sing?"

And I said "Yes."

And he took me over to the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Club. And Dolores stepped on the stage.

And I said, "Yes."

And just about four months later, we were married.

The fame Hope found on Broadway made him another medium find Hope. In 1938, NBC signed him to his very own radio series, "The Pepsodent Show," beginning a life-long relationship between Hope and the network. But Hope's persona wasn't confined to the airwaves. He became a motion picture star -- teaming up with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour for seven road pictures.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOPE: Look, we've been kicking around the world for five years now, always too jumps ahead of trouble. Now I'm home sick.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FELDMAN: World War II would take Hope's career in yet another direction.

HOPE: I'm thrilled to be here at Osan (ph) Air Base, Korea. Nice to be here. Very happy to be back here. (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Happy to be here. I don't know where the hell we are, but I'm happy.

FELDMAN: Hope began entertaining troops. His relationship with the USO would last decades.

HOPE: Entertaining our troops is an outstanding thing. I think so. You travel all over the world doing that.

FELDMAN: Any modern history of the White House is bound to include mention of Bob Hope. He was a friend of presidents -- Eisenhower, JFK, Gerald Ford. But he found his soul mate in another Hollywood personality who went on to bigger things.

HOPE: Well, I hope I look that good when I'm your age.

FELDMAN: For many fans, Hope was best known for his television work, some 300 specials over 50 years. That started with this one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOPE: This is Bob's first commercial television broadcast hope. And I want to make this emphatic. If my face isn't handsome and debonair, please blame it on the static.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FELDMAN: So what accounts for Hope's professional longevity? Phyllis Diller appeared with Hope in more than a score of TV specials and movies.

PHYLLIS DILLER, COMEDIENNE: He didn't work at anything. You know what I mean? He was enjoying. It wasn't work. He loved it. And when you do something with love, it keeps you alive forever.

(SINGING)

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 - 14:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN: Today, we want to say "Thanks for the memories" from a comedic icon -- an icon, just period.
America's funny man, Bob Hope, turns 100 today. Some 35 states have proclaimed it "Bob Hope Day." The city of Los Angeles also is honoring Hope this hour.

CNN's Eric Horng is live from a famous intersection in L.A. with details on why it will become even more famous.

Right, Eric?

ERIC HORNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, quite fitting. Bob Hope is synonymous with Hollywood. So quite fitting that his name now adorns the most famous intersection here in Tinseltown.

Right now we're listening to the opening remarks by Johnny Grant, the honorary mayor of Hollywood. Earlier we heard a performance from The United States Marine Band from San Diego. Pretty significant military presence as well. We've got some representatives from the USO, of course.

Mr. Hope was heavily involved with the USO for 50 years -- from World War II to Desert Storm. Traveled -- criss-crossed the globe -- to perform for U.S. servicemen and women.

At this time, as we said, this dedication going on -- they're going to be dedicating this very famous intersection, calling it "Bob Hope Square" in honor of the entertainer.

Mr. Hope not here, but family members are, as well as we saw some celebrities -- Mickey Rooney, the famous actor and a good friend of Mr. Hope, is here. And he's expected to speak.

O'BRIEN: Eric, we're hearing from the honorary mayor of Hollywood, I'm told. And it's a star-studded cavalcade, isn't it?

HORNG: We've seen a few stars. As you said -- Mickey Rooney. We were told that Dolores Hope, his wife of about 70 years, would be here as well. We actually haven't seen her yet. She's been feeling somewhat ill. She's of course, in her 90s as well.

Again, Mr. Hope not expected to be here. He's not really made a public appearance in about three years. We're told by his daughter that he is, of course, in frail health, as you might imagine someone 100 years old would be. He's losing his eyesight, his hearing. He's bound to a wheelchair. Has not left the home recently. But expected to have a private celebration at his home in Los Angeles -- complete with a cake, we're told, with a hundred candles -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Of course, Bob Hope has a tremendous number of friends in the military -- veterans in the military. I understand a fly-over is planned shortly from now. Give us a sense of how veterans are involved in all of this.

HORNG: Yes, I've actually got the rundown in my hand here. After Mr. Johnny Grant, the honorary mayor of Hollywood, is done speaking, we're expected to have a fly-over vintage World War II aircraft.

As we said, several generations of U.S. servicemen and women were able to be entertained by Bob Hope. He criss-crossed the globe from World War II all the way to Desert Storm. So several generations had the opportunity to hear from him. And World War II certainly being represented with this fly-over of vintage aircraft.

O'BRIEN: Now, Eric, of course, as you pointed out, Bob Hope is in frail health, as you might expect at the age of 100. But there's a little bit of evidence today that his humor is still intact.

HORNG: Certainly. And we are told by his daughter, Linda Hope, that he still has a sharp mind, is still delivering those zingers -- those one-liners that he's famous for. Earlier this week, we are told that he came up with one more -- saying, quote, "that he's so old that they canceled his blood type. That gives you an idea of his state of mind.

O'BRIEN: That classic Hope one-liner. We think that fly-over is coming any minute now. And we, of course, will bring that to you, live, as it happens. I want to ask you, Eric, you know Bob Hope is the kind of entertainer -- and there are few of them -- that can really transcend the generations. He has fans of all ages, doesn't he, all over the world? Why don't you talk about that while we look for the formation.

HORNG: Certainly fans all over the world. And what's interesting is he was so versatile. He could sing. He could dance. He was an actor. He performed in films, vaudeville, television, radio. What was interesting is that -- many people regarded him as a good dancer, but he wasn't the best dancer. He was a good actor, but not the best actor. He was funny, but some said considered him not the most hilarious. But the package worked. He was able to translate to audiences of several generations across the globe. Again, we are told at this point that the fly-over is about to happen. Vintage World War II -- here, we have a shot.

O'BRIEN: There we go.

HORNG: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) aircraft. Vintage World War II. As we said, 50 years in the USO. He first began during World War II with his radio show. There was one story he was actually reluctant at first to broadcast from a military installation, and soon had this affinity with the U.S. servicemen and women. And continued that for nearly six decades. And his last performance was just before Operation Desert Storm. O'BRIEN: I never had heard that part of the story that he was initially reluctant. He certainly got over his reluctance, didn't he?

HORNG: Certainly. In so many ways, he was very patriotic, even during the Vietnam War. He caught a lot of flack from anti-war activists because of his stance very much in favor of the war effort. But he was able to transcend the politics at the time. And the media itself saw the performances for what they were, so he was able to transcend the politics.

O'BRIEN: All right, Eric Horng. Thank you very much. We'll let you tune back into the rest of the ceremonies there. Thanks for getting that fly-over in for us. We never like to miss vintage aircraft flying, wherever they may be. And we appreciate you taking the time to tell us a little bit about Bob Hope at this moment when people are pausing to remember his wonderful life.

One thing we can always expect to get from Bob Hope is a smile on our faces. Hope has been doing that for a very long time. CNN's Charles Feldman takes a look at the illustrious career of the cherished comedian.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

Bob Hope, comedian: Who can blame Russia for wanting to be friends with Carter. They have all our bread, but what good is it without peanut butter?

CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bob Hope is an American icon. Not bad for a kid born in England when the 20th century was new.

Leslie Townes Hope was born in 1903. When he was 21, Hope -- changing his first name to Bob, because he figured it looked better than Leslie on the marquee -- hit the vaudeville circuit. With vaudeville on the way out, Hope made the transition to Broadway in 1932. It was in New York that he met his future bride, Dolores Reade.

HOPE: George Murphy and I -- we were (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And he said, -- after the show one night, he said -- "Do you want to hear a pretty girl sing?"

And I said "Yes."

And he took me over to the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Club. And Dolores stepped on the stage.

And I said, "Yes."

And just about four months later, we were married.

The fame Hope found on Broadway made him another medium find Hope. In 1938, NBC signed him to his very own radio series, "The Pepsodent Show," beginning a life-long relationship between Hope and the network. But Hope's persona wasn't confined to the airwaves. He became a motion picture star -- teaming up with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour for seven road pictures.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOPE: Look, we've been kicking around the world for five years now, always too jumps ahead of trouble. Now I'm home sick.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FELDMAN: World War II would take Hope's career in yet another direction.

HOPE: I'm thrilled to be here at Osan (ph) Air Base, Korea. Nice to be here. Very happy to be back here. (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Happy to be here. I don't know where the hell we are, but I'm happy.

FELDMAN: Hope began entertaining troops. His relationship with the USO would last decades.

HOPE: Entertaining our troops is an outstanding thing. I think so. You travel all over the world doing that.

FELDMAN: Any modern history of the White House is bound to include mention of Bob Hope. He was a friend of presidents -- Eisenhower, JFK, Gerald Ford. But he found his soul mate in another Hollywood personality who went on to bigger things.

HOPE: Well, I hope I look that good when I'm your age.

FELDMAN: For many fans, Hope was best known for his television work, some 300 specials over 50 years. That started with this one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOPE: This is Bob's first commercial television broadcast hope. And I want to make this emphatic. If my face isn't handsome and debonair, please blame it on the static.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FELDMAN: So what accounts for Hope's professional longevity? Phyllis Diller appeared with Hope in more than a score of TV specials and movies.

PHYLLIS DILLER, COMEDIENNE: He didn't work at anything. You know what I mean? He was enjoying. It wasn't work. He loved it. And when you do something with love, it keeps you alive forever.

(SINGING)

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