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Bob Hope


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When I was growing up, Hope was definitely past his prime.  His specials  (at least from the mid-60s on, when I would have been watching)  were excruciating.  And his movies, ....he seemed to be practically sleep-walking through them.  (For as much as Lucy and Bob knocked it, "Critics Choice" was his last watchable movie.)  BUT he was biggest star in Hollywood then, if not for his current work, and  its elder, wisecracking stateman.  There was only one host of the Oscars and that was Bob Hope.  There are youngER people I run into today (and I'm not talking about "kids".  People in their 20s and 30s) who really have no idea who Bob Hope is.   Which is initially shocking, but then I consider, why would they?   He didn't have a series that was rerun.  Nor are any of his movies "A" productions or all that memorable on their own.   But every once in a while, I get a glimpse of a Bob Hope movie of the 40s or one of his 50s appearances on TV and I remember what made him great.    Even on the Merv DVD, here he is at 70, still as sharp as a tack, able to answer back with an ad lib ---and yes, many of those are just variation of old jokes written for him.....but still:    to pull one out of his hat to fit the occasion instantaneously is pretty amazing.   And just a for instance, on Merv referencing how much Lucy's on TV  "You can flip the dial and watch her raise her kids"a not-quite-as deft variation of "So many of my old movies are on TV, I flip the dial and watch my hairline recede".

 

But Hope is just one of many forgotten super-stars of their day.  I had to argue with someone in Palm Springs that Dinah Shore's claim to fame was NOT as a tennis pro.   The streets in Palm Springs are named for various celebrities are actually pretty funny in their relative obscurity.  If there's a Lucy or Desi Drive in PS, I don't know of it.   I'm one of the few who know who Charles Farrel is, let alone Gene Autry, Buddy Rogers and Mary Pickford.  I go back to  Pamelyn Ferdin and NO farther!

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When I was growing up, Hope was definitely past his prime.  His specials  (at least from the mid-60s on, when I would have been watching)  were excruciating.  And his movies, ....he seemed to be practically sleep-walking through them.  (For as much as Lucy and Bob knocked it, "Critics Choice" was his last watchable movie.)  BUT he was biggest star in Hollywood then, if not for his current work, and  its elder, wisecracking stateman.  There was only one host of the Oscars and that was Bob Hope.  There are youngER people I run into today (and I'm not talking about "kids".  People in their 20s and 30s) who really have no idea who Bob Hope is.   Which is initially shocking, but then I consider, why would they?   He didn't have a series that was rerun.  Nor are any of his movies "A" productions or all that memorable on their own.   But every once in a while, I get a glimpse of a Bob Hope movie of the 40s or one of his 50s appearances on TV and I remember what made him great.    Even on the Merv DVD, here he is at 70, still as sharp as a tack, able to answer back with an ad lib ---and yes, many of those are just variation of old jokes written for him.....but still:    to pull one out of his hat to fit the occasion instantaneously is pretty amazing.   And just a for instance, on Merv referencing how much Lucy's on TV  "You can flip the dial and watch her raise her kids"a not-quite-as deft variation of "So many of my old movies are on TV, I flip the dial and watch my hairline recede".

 

But Hope is just one of many forgotten super-stars of their day.  I had to argue with someone in Palm Springs that Dinah Shore's claim to fame was NOT as a tennis pro.   The streets in Palm Springs are named for various celebrities are actually pretty funny in their relative obscurity.  If there's a Lucy or Desi Drive in PS, I don't know of it.   I'm one of the few who know who Charles Farrel is, let alone Gene Autry, Buddy Rogers and Mary Pickford.  I go back to  Pamelyn Ferdin and NO farther!

You're right, it is quite sad how old superstars are now forgotten by most people.

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