Posted on 07/28/2003 11:27:07 AM PDT by carlo3b
THANK YOU BOB HOPE for all of our memories. Especially mine.Bob Hope, I will never forget you, because you touched my life at times that turned out to be some of my most important memories I have.
As a young boy while growing up in Chicago's Little Italy, we had a city wide art contest, that offered the finalists a chance to be awarded our prize on stage at the downtown, Chicago Theater. It wasn't an everyday opportunity to get a chance to go to the grand old palace, where you got to watch the biggest movies of the day, but also some of the greatest entertainers perform their crafts, live. That day, I won my scholarship and changed my life. I was awarded my ribbon during the intermission of, you guessed it, The BOB HOPE SHOW, and his ALL STAR cast.
When I went on stage to get my award I was escorted off through the back stage area, when I was greeted by the Man himself, a smiling gentleman, in what he made me believe, he was proud, so very proud, to shake my little hand. I'm not sure what had the biggest impact on me, that I won, or that it was possible to be thought of as important enough to honored by a genuine MOVIE STAR.
Fast forward %$^ years, and say hi to a shave tail, 2nd Lieutenant at Bunker Hill Air Force Base, a SAC base in Peru Indiana, when a plane landed with a gaggle of big deal Movie Stars, with the USO tour, that made an unscheduled stop on their way overseas. I was on duty, and was standing there when the doors opened and BINGO, there was BOB HOPE, smiling and cracking jokes as the beautiful girls walked down the latter. I can still hear the hoops and hollers as they walked around greeting those love starved red blooded American boys working the line miles for home. What a treat, I waited my turn to shake his hand as he made the rounds. With all the noise and laughter, it didn't seem like a place to remind him of our prior encounter, but it didn't matter, he was already my/our HERO.
That art scholarship enabled me to advance to a level that I could hone my skills as a costume designer, and get to the big show, Hollywood. There, I worked first as a wardrobe assistant, on some of the greatest variety shows of the golden age of TV. On one such show, The Red Skeleton Show, the guest star was none other than, BOB HOPE. What a moment, I was already in awe over meeting Mr. Red Skeleton, but when Mr. Hope walked in, bigger than life, I was almost paralyzed. I shook his hand and showed him to my little corner of the backstage area. As we walked, I mentioned that I had the pleasure of meeting him before.. he stopped and said, "don't tell me, you were the young boy that won the art contest in Chicago". Wellllllll, that did it! He made a big deal of this with the entire cast, and for that moment, I was instantly important, and however fleeting, he once again made an impression on me that was and is forever indelible... sigh.
Years later, and in a new and improved life outside of the Lights and Glitzy of Wonderland, I was the General Manager of a grand new hotel in downtown Chicago, when someone called my office, excited to say we had the pleasure of having BOB HOPE as a guest in one of our suites. I placed a call to the front desk and said if that suite requested anything that was out of the ordinary, I was to be alerted. I had a strict rule, that no one was to bother any dignitary, with request for autographs or anything, however tempting, without my prearranging an approval with someone in their entourage. So when the call came in to my room that Mr. Hopes suite was asking for a case of our finest Champagne, and hors d'oeuvers, to be immediately brought to his suite, it was about at about 9:30 PM at night, not a usual occurrence, I saw my chance drop in and say Hi, to an old friend... LOL.
I accompanied the order to his room, and I was shocked when he answered the door, and before I could catch my breath, and while I held out my hand to shake his, he grabbed it and pulled me inside and escorted me to the sofa in front of the TV. It was the moment that Astronaut Neil Armstrong, was about to take his historic step onto the surface of the moon. It turned out to be more that one small step for man it was a giant leap for my scrapebook.
Soooooo, can you believe it, I sat there in a suite with BOB HOPE, and watched the world change forever. That entire evening, I had the distinct pleasure of enjoying what turned out to be much more than an historic event, it turned out to be a wonderful memory in more than one way. It was indeed funny how he had a way of making you feel so special.
To you Mr. BOB HOPE, you gave us servicemen and servicewomen, a continued reason to believe that our country still loved us, even if it wasn't always clear, and you gave this lowly American a reason to think that even a devoted and still a star struck fan could fantasize enough to call you a dear friend. Thank you my dear friend, for all the memories.. May God Bless you.
The so-called 'stars' now, have a lot to learn. Here was a man, a giant of a man, who "walked with kings, but never lost the common touch" (courtesy of Shakespeare).
No one will reach his height. I'm glad you were a witness to it!
So true! His comments titillated the troops at a time when they needed the humor. Were it done now, it would be denounced.
Imagine -- a Hollywood marriage that long!! The man had values and many in that venue could learn from him.
God bless Bob Hope. He will live forever!
No doubt a barrel of laughs!! Those one liners were a riot ..LOL
There are thousands of folks just like me, that had wonderful stories as well, I am lucky enough to get to share my story with great folks like you. Thanks
SIT DOWN, that plane load of Hollywood beauties were on there way to entertain the troops in Italy, next stop.. I know because we joked that we were willing to go along and teach the girls how to speak some Italian... LOLOL Rolling eyes...
You don't think? I'd love to believe it is that small a world.. Thank you for the memory, as well as your service.
..and I'll bet He is in stitches... ;)
What a great tribute that thread is.. thanks Linda for reminding me and for the link.
Bob Hope was a friend of the troops, and of this country. God bless him and speed him to his place in heaven.
BTW, "or walk with kings, nor lose the common touch" is Kipling, not Shakespeare. But Kipling would be flattered.
"IF"
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master;
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!
- from "Brother Squaretoes", Rewards and Fairies
Amazing!
Four great stories. Thanks for sharing them, Carlo.
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