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The Hollywood Museum Pays Homage To Bob Hope
And The US Veterans That We Were Unable to Salute
During The 75th Anniversary of WWII, Due To The Pandemic.
“Anywhere we went, whenever we landed … we would always do an impromptu show. We'd go into one of our little bits. Then we'd go to the next place. The troupe was constantly on, constantly entertaining-whether it was three people in the commissary, or the entire unit.” - Bob Hope
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| L-R Donnelle Dadigan & Linda Hope arrive on red carpet |
The Hollywood Museum hosted their first Lobby Tribute in 20 months, due to the pandemic, during which, they used that time constructively, by installing the museum's new ventilation & filtration system has been upgraded and is now outfitted with hospital & school Quality filters, including UV-blue light - filtration systems. Each of the ventilation units is designed to neutralize allergens & pollen in the air, AND kill up to 99.9% mold, germs, and viruses that can cause COVID-19, so that when the museum reopened, the public and regular patrons as well as our staff can feel comfortable and thoroughly enjoy the exhibits without trepidation. President and Founder of The Hollywood Museum, Donelle Dadigan explained. "Our priority is the safety of the public and to ensure everyone the best experience as they return to the museum.”
The late Bob Hope Exhibit Display Area
The Hollywood Museum is in the historic Max Factor Building and proudly showcases more than 10,000 Authentic Show Business Treasures, spotlighting 100 years of Hollywood history - from the Silents to Talkies, to Hollywood's Golden Era, Film Noir, Television and its Pioneer Years to the technological 2000s.
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| Bob Hope outfit he wore on Vaudville |
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| Costume From Hope's Famous "Road" Movies Trillogy |
In advance of Veterans Day, the museum has done something very special with their latest lobby exhibit, "And who better to kick off the series that the iconic and legendary actor, from Vaudeville to screen ... both large and small. A man who hosted the Academy Awards a record breaking 19 times and performed for 12 Presidents ... entertained 8, as he once said ... He traveled over ten million miles, that's the equivalent of 400 times around the world, during which he made 700 trips to entertain ten million GIs," remarked Ms Dadigan.
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| Letters from GIs etc. |
Bob Hope entertained our service men and women at bases and hospitals in the United States, North Atlantic, Caribbean, Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Pacific and Southeast Asia. Christmas shows became a tradition which lasted for twenty-two years. He made a tradition of playing “Santa Claus” for the GIs with annual shows at military and veterans hospitals throughout the United States. On Easter Sunday 1991 Bob and Dolores entertained 350 Marines and their families from Twentynine Palms at their house in Palm Springs. That same year Bob Hope joined Jimmy Stewart as co-host of the largest parade in Hollywood to welcome home the servicemen and women of “Desert Storm.”
Bob Hope Special Oscar
The Jean Hershoff Award
Hope was cited by Guinness Book of Records as the “most honored entertainer,” having more than fifteen hundred awards and citations for humanitarian and professional efforts. Including the Medal of Freedom from President Johnson; Congressional Gold Medal from President Kennedy; People to People Award from President Eisenhower; Medal of Merit from U.S. Government; Peabody Award; a Special Oscar; the Jean Hersholt Award, and three additional honors from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Bob Hope was also initiated into the Entertainment Hall of Fame and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II extended The Honor of Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) and earned 56 Honorary Degrees. And somewhere along the way, he found time to make 45 feature films, some 60 Christmas specials, made five royal Command Performances and wrote 13 books.
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| Bob Hope Honorary USO Jacket & Memeralbilia |
After all this, Bob Hope was quoted as saying that the greatest honor he ever received was to be made an honorary veteran. It was that unique relationship between Bob Hope and “The Greatest Generation,” by way of the USO, that the museum is currently highlighting in their Lobby.
Martha Bolton and Linda Hope (Bob's daughter) signs a book for actress Donna Mills
2020 was the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII. "Although, the pandemic kept many from celebrating the anniversary, it is too important to go unrecognized, so this evening we remember and pay homage to our veterans and today's members of the armed services, Said Ms Dadigan. Adding. "And how better, than to hear directly from our veterans through the tens of thousands of letters sent to Bob Hope, some of which are featured here this evening." Over eighty thousand letters alone are now in the Library of Congress for the public and, hopefully, family members to read. Many of which are represented in the book that Bob's daughter, Linda Hope, and Bob's writer for more that 15 years, Martha Bolton, signed for guests this evening, entitled "DEAR BOB ... Bob Hope's Wartime Correspondence with the G.I.s of World War II."
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| U. of Nebraska Heisman Winner Johnny Rodgers with Hope |
In addition to heroes in the military Bob Hope also paid tribute annually to the year's Heisman Trophy Winner. The sports fans loved it!
Click on the see highlight video (give the sound 20 seconds to come on at the beginning).
https://vimeo.com/642588040/e41fb8f73c
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| Linda Hope (Bob's Daughter) address guests |
Kicking things off was a video from a man who as a child appear with Bob Hope in two of his own early films, "Son of Paleface" (his first film) and "The Seven Little Foys." Someone better know as The Beaver, Jerry Mathers. Mathers explained how Bob Hope saved his life by running into a fire on the set, wrapping his coat around the then young boy and running out of the burning building. Other speakers included Anson Williams, who spoke of meeting Hope at the opening of the USO center; Jan Daley, who spoke of touring with Bob in Vietnam; Loni Anderson, who spoke of visiting veterans in the hospital and being warned not to cry, because they were there to make them forget and laugh. Wrapping the evenings festivities was a woman, who not only co-wrote the book "Dear Bob ...", but was the first female staff writer for Bob Hope and continued for 15 years Ms Martha Bolton and a woman, who knew Bob Hope better and longer than anyone alive today. She has lovingly dedicated herself to maintain both her parents legacy ... and very successfully at that. The daughter of Bob & Dolores Hope, Ms Linda Hope. Ms Hope remarked, always told us and everyone on his tours, that it isnt about you. It is about them.
L-R The evening's speakers: Martha Bolton, Loni Anderson, Donelle Dadigan, Linda Hope, Jan Daley and Anson Williams.
Others joining the tribute in person that evening were Donna Mills, Barry Livingston, Dee Wallace, Petri Hawkins-Byrd, Makita Bond-Byrd, Erin Murphy, Ruta Lee, Rico Anderson, Katherine Cannon, Dean Butler, Alison Arngrim, Rex Smith, Diana Lansleen, Carolyn Hennesy, Geoffrey Mark, Kate Linder, Kassandra Carroll, Jax Malcolm, Conner Dean, Elaine Ballace, Charles Fox, Alice Amter, Tyrone DuBose, Thomas J Churchill, George Paige, Bob Flick, Hank Garrett, as well as Bianca and Chiara D'Ambrosio.
Special notes of love, admiration and support were supplied and read from the podium by Ann-Margret, Raquel Welch, Loretta Swit, Stephanie Zimbalist, Pat Boone and Joan Van Ark (Submitted letters attached)
PHOTO CREDIT: Photos by Nina Prommer/Milestone Photos, courtesy of The Hollywood Museum
