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Interview With Art Buchwald
Aired July 28, 2003 - 14:34 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, political humorist Art Buchwald was a young World War II Marine the first time he saw Bob Hope perform in person. The Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist is on the phone with us with Martha's Vineyard. Art, it's a pleasure to have you with us.
ART BUCHWALD, POLITICAL HUMORIST: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Well, take me back, Art, to when you were a Marine, 20-years-old, what do you remember about...
BUCHWALD: I was -- well, first of all, all of us that were in the service, no matter what war, Bob Hope was part of our history and always will be.
I was at a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) calls Eniwek, E-N-I-W-E-K. At that time we hadn't seen a girl for a year, any kind of a girl. So when he came on the island it was really a big event. So what happened was, our tent, with eight guys in it, stole lumber from the Seabees, and we were using that to put the floor on our tent. And we had to use the lumber fast because the Seabees would fine out where it was.
So I said that we had to do it and the guys said, no way, we're going to see Bob Hope. So we left -- we left the tent and the lumber, and I, of course, went off, too. That was the first time I met Bob Hope.
The second time that I had anything to do with him I was (UNINTELLIGIBLE) columnist and he invited me to go with him on his show in Morocco. At that time I think I was being printed in "The Stars and Stripes." I went down with him, and what happened? I don't think the troops knew who I was. But Bob Hope built me up very big and so after they laughed at him he started -- they started laughing at me and I don't know why.
And those were the two cases. The third time was at Moscow. I was there at the same time as Bob and it was really fun write to see the reaction of the Russians to him and his show. They had no idea what the heck he was talking about.
PHILLIPS: Well, Art, what made Bob Hope so funny?
BUCHWALD: First of all, he had -- his quips were obviously very funny and he always fit them into the situation that he was in. He took several things from Beirut, he took a thing from Morocco. Wherever he was, he used it for the show. And that's what made him very funny. And then, also, the troops could identify with him. And I'm watching your pictures on television, you can't believe how the troops were so excited about him.
PHILLIPS: Art, why did the troops need humor during the war? Why was humor so important? And what did it do for you as a Marine and other soldiers and sailors?
BUCHWALD: Well, I guess it gave us "hope." You could use that word twice.
PHILLIPS: Of course.
BUCHWALD: It gave us hope that everything was all right. We were there. We were there, we were in lousy conditions most of us. And he came along and the reason we laughed was because we wanted to laugh. We needed to laugh. And this is where he was fantastic. I also saw Jack Benny on my island and he was funny, too.
But the thing about this is that Bob Hope will be remembered by all of us and he -- he had to go out there. That was the interesting thing I saw in Morocco, he had to be on stage. It was very important to him. And even when he was offstage, like we'd eat together and be on the airplanes, he still was Bob Hope, what you saw on the stage.
PHILLIPS: Art Buchwald, sharing his shots on Bob Hope. Thank you so much. All the clips that we see from Bob Hope will continue to make us laugh as do you continue to make us laugh, too. Art Buchwald, thank you so much for your time.
BUCHWALD: Thank you.
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 July 28, 2003 - 14:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, political humorist Art Buchwald was a young World War II Marine the first time he saw Bob Hope perform in person. The Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist is on the phone with us with Martha's Vineyard. Art, it's a pleasure to have you with us.
ART BUCHWALD, POLITICAL HUMORIST: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Well, take me back, Art, to when you were a Marine, 20-years-old, what do you remember about...
BUCHWALD: I was -- well, first of all, all of us that were in the service, no matter what war, Bob Hope was part of our history and always will be.
I was at a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) calls Eniwek, E-N-I-W-E-K. At that time we hadn't seen a girl for a year, any kind of a girl. So when he came on the island it was really a big event. So what happened was, our tent, with eight guys in it, stole lumber from the Seabees, and we were using that to put the floor on our tent. And we had to use the lumber fast because the Seabees would fine out where it was.
So I said that we had to do it and the guys said, no way, we're going to see Bob Hope. So we left -- we left the tent and the lumber, and I, of course, went off, too. That was the first time I met Bob Hope.
The second time that I had anything to do with him I was (UNINTELLIGIBLE) columnist and he invited me to go with him on his show in Morocco. At that time I think I was being printed in "The Stars and Stripes." I went down with him, and what happened? I don't think the troops knew who I was. But Bob Hope built me up very big and so after they laughed at him he started -- they started laughing at me and I don't know why.
And those were the two cases. The third time was at Moscow. I was there at the same time as Bob and it was really fun write to see the reaction of the Russians to him and his show. They had no idea what the heck he was talking about.
PHILLIPS: Well, Art, what made Bob Hope so funny?
BUCHWALD: First of all, he had -- his quips were obviously very funny and he always fit them into the situation that he was in. He took several things from Beirut, he took a thing from Morocco. Wherever he was, he used it for the show. And that's what made him very funny. And then, also, the troops could identify with him. And I'm watching your pictures on television, you can't believe how the troops were so excited about him.
PHILLIPS: Art, why did the troops need humor during the war? Why was humor so important? And what did it do for you as a Marine and other soldiers and sailors?
BUCHWALD: Well, I guess it gave us "hope." You could use that word twice.
PHILLIPS: Of course.
BUCHWALD: It gave us hope that everything was all right. We were there. We were there, we were in lousy conditions most of us. And he came along and the reason we laughed was because we wanted to laugh. We needed to laugh. And this is where he was fantastic. I also saw Jack Benny on my island and he was funny, too.
But the thing about this is that Bob Hope will be remembered by all of us and he -- he had to go out there. That was the interesting thing I saw in Morocco, he had to be on stage. It was very important to him. And even when he was offstage, like we'd eat together and be on the airplanes, he still was Bob Hope, what you saw on the stage.
PHILLIPS: Art Buchwald, sharing his shots on Bob Hope. Thank you so much. All the clips that we see from Bob Hope will continue to make us laugh as do you continue to make us laugh, too. Art Buchwald, thank you so much for your time.
BUCHWALD: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
