Thanks For The Memories

[Pete44ru]

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Bob Hope, on "life".............................

On turning 70 : "I still chase women, but only downhill."

On turning 80 : "It's the time in your life when even your birthday suit needs pressing."

On turning 100 : "I don't feel old. In fact, I don't feel anything until noon - when it's time for my nap."

On giving up his early boxing career : "I ruined my hands in the ring - The referee kept stepping on them."

On never winning an Oscar : "Welcome to the Academy Awards, or, as it's called at my home - Passover."

On Presidents : "I've performed for 12 US Presidents, but entertained only six."

On receiving the US Congressional Gold Medal : "I feel very humble, but I think I have the strength of character to fight it."

On his six brothers : "That's how I learned to dance - Waiting for the bathroom."

On his failures: "I wouldn't have had anything to eat, if it wasn't for the stuff the audience threw at me."

On going to Heaven: "I've done benefits for ALL religions. I'd hate to blow the hereafter on a technicality."

On his death bed, at 100 tears old, he was asked where he wanted to be buried.

He said. "Surprise me."



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[gamekeeper]

[Blaine]

The Army Band I was with had the honor of being the House Jazz Band at his 75th Birthday Gala at the convention center in Indianapolis. The main event was the Dukes Of Dixieland, and of course, Bob Hope....What a gentleman; He came over and hung out with us for several minutes. Very gracious.

[Old Savage]

One of the best.

[Griff]

One of the best.

I disagree; THE Best! Even if his jokes had all been used and we knew them as well as he did; he brought THE Best lookin' women with him!

[jeepnik]

One of the best.

I disagree; THE Best! Even if his jokes had all been used and we knew them as well as he did; he brought THE Best lookin' women with him!

He didn't have to be there. Yet for three wars he was. That says it all.

[plowboy 45]

I saw a bumper sticker the otherday, with some BOB HOPE in it.
IN THE 80S WE HAD
RONALD REGAN
BOB HOPE
AND JOHNNY CASH
NOW WE HAVE
OBAMA
NO HOPE
AND NO CASH
This might not fit this thread, but I thought it true both ways

[AJMD429]

Even when he wasn't "funny" he managed to be funny, kind of like Johnny Carson.

Plus, like said above, he went above-and-beyond to entertain and support the troops. WAY more help to the U.S. military than had he just grabbed a Springfield and joined the shootin' - he had a gift/talent/calling, and he used it. More of us should emulate that.

[Centennial]

Thanks for this reminder of Thanks For The Memories. Here's to Bob Hope.

[Larkbill]

He has his own display at the Airforce Museum in Dayton. He won't be forgotten anytime soon.
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsh ... sp?id=4319

[Pete44ru]

Plus, like said above, he went above-and-beyond to entertain and support the troops. WAY more help to the U.S. military than had he just grabbed a Springfield and joined the shootin' - he had a gift/talent/calling, and he used it.

AND, Mr. Hope wasn't even an American citizen ! (He was British, AFAIK)

(IDK if he ever became an American citizen through naturalization.)

Maybe he did what he did, because he couldn't enlist in the US Armed Forces ?


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[Larkbill]

My best friend's father moved down from Newfoundland to join the Marines and said he was by no means the only Canadian in the Marines. He was an unbelievable shot with any firearm I ever saw him shoot, and he ended up a tail gunner in Dauntless divebombers. He used to say they only had two seasons up there. Duck season, and waiting for duck season.

Don't know what restrictions there were on joining the US military, but I wonder if citizens of the UK (not their territories) were restricted by their own government.

[BAGTIC]

I enjoyed Hope but I never deluded myself into believing the jokes were his. Like all other professional comedians the jokes are written by professional writers while the comedian only delivers them or are were supposed to believe that actors actually create the line they deliver on stage or on film?

What soured me on Hope was the disclosure that he was a lifelong serial adulterer. He used the starlets on tour in more ways than one, both to further his career and to sustain his debauchery.

[jruppert2]

Early in life I always held the man in high esteem but a show at the 1983 University of Florida Homecoming (Gator Growl) started to give me second thoughts. The show was held at the very full U of F stadium at night. At the beginning of the show he rode out onto the field in this beautiful old green convertible car. I'm guessing but it might have been like a 1930's Cadillac. It looked very nice with all the stadium lights on it. Very glamorous entrance. He got out of the car and took the stage to begin the show. He said that this show was going to be part of his tv special later in the year containing a number of college campus shows he had been doing. He only did a couple of lines when from off stage he received a message that somehow the camera shot of his entrance in the car had not worked correctly. He then proceeded to come off stage, get back in the car, rode back to the tunnel and asked everyone in the stadium to cheer and clap again as if he was coming out for the first time. Then he rode back onto the field and started the show again.

You might imagine how this went over with a stadium full of college students. Needless to say, the show went down hill from there. It become obvious to everyone present that night that entertaining the paying audience was second to gaining film footage for a tv show. It made me start to question his ultimate motivations for all the "Bob Hope Specials" that I watched when I was growing up. It was a saddening experience for me that night.