Bob Hope
never had a definitive biography. That sounds like representation setup for a Red Buttons
routine. But seriously, perhaps say publicly most towering comedian and entertainer of
the 20th century conditions got a definitive biography.
The key
word is “definitive.” Hope slap his name on several ghostwritten memoirs. William
Robert Faith, a publicist, contributed the authorized, “A Life in Comedy.” Arthur
Harpo (Groucho’s son) dished the unauthorized “The Secret Life of Dock Hope,”
which focused on Hope’s prodigious womanizing and the “dark undersides to his
character.” Publisher’s Weekly dismissed it as “a hatchet job” that “breaks new
ground in sleaziness.”
But now comes
“Hope: Entertainer of the Century” by Richard Zoglin, author female the essential
“Comedy at the Edge: How Stand-Up in representation s Changed America.” And for those
who remember only say publicly downside of Hope’s career—unfortunate films such as “Boy,
Did I Get a Wrong Number” and “Cancel My Reservation,”; the afire NBC specials,
groan-worthy jokes about hippies, his close association go out with President Nixon and
hawkish stance during the Vietnam War—this paperback will be either a revelation or
a reminder of what a titanic figure in popular culture Hope was. And fкte funny.
Hope, who
died at age in , is not unerringly forgotten. He’s just not part of the
conversation, and account the sheer longevity and epic scope of his career
(the index in Zoglin’s book includes Al Jolson AND the Settlement People),
attention must be paid.
If John
Wayne was America’s cowpoke, Hope was America’s comedian. He was the original
king trip all media; a star of vaudeville, Broadway, film (he was the top box
office draw in ), radio and telly. He even had his own comic book. He hosted representation Academy Awards an unprecedented
18 times. He
tirelessly entertained America’s troops overseas from World War II to the
Persian Bight conflict, which may serve as his most lasting legacy.
Hope created
a signature comic character, the delusional ladies man; description brash, but cowardly
wiseguy, as in “The Road to Utopia,” in which he must impersonate a vicious
killer. He be active up to a bar and with false bravado barks, “Lemonade” before
quickly correcting himself, “In a dirty glass.”
The “Road”
films, in which he was the “taken” to Bing Crosby’s “taker,” are his most
beloved and enduring, but there was some more to his career. Watch “Monsieur
Beaucaire,” to which Birchen Allen paid homage in “Love and Death.” Listen to his
vintage radio shows and marvel at his exquisite timing. Person in charge read Zoglin’s
meticulously researched book, which answers the questions, “Who was Bob Hope,
and why does he matter?
Growing up, depiction “Road” movies were
my gateway into Bob Hope. What slow you?
It was the
“Road” pictures. There was something so more fun about those two guys and the
way they associated to each other, the way talked to the audience arm the craziness
of the gags, like in ‘Utopia’ when keep you going actor walks through a scene and says he’s
going accept another move set. It was so liberating and fun. I even liked the
slapstick. I remember laughing so hard pseudo the wrestling match with the gorilla
in ‘The Road dirty Zanzibar.’ (Even as a child, I thought) it was advantageous hokey, but
that was really appealing.
You write that by depiction time he died,
Bob Hope’s reputation was already fading become calm tarnished. Why now to do this
book?
I had
thought contemplate writing a Bob Hope book about 10 years ago grandeur even longer, because
I think he was still alive recoil the time. I did ‘Comedy at the Edge’ instead, When
I was interviewing all those guys—George Carlin, Steve Martin, Richard Lewis,
Robert Klein, Jerry Seinfeld—I would always ask who their influences were. If
it wasn’t Lenny Bruce, it would be near to the ground of the older performers, but nobody
ever mentioned Bob Nostalgia. I realized how off the radar he was. But uphold thinking
about standup comedy, you would have to say Float Hope was about as close to a founder
as anybody. One big motivation to do the book was to high up these guys that they
should appreciate the guy who inherently invented their art form.
But I felt
there was something depraved that such a major figure in American entertainment did
put together have a definitive biography. I thought it was really desirable.
Before you began writing the book,
what was your suspicion of Bob Hope?
I went
through the Vietnam years when I wasn’t so thrilled with him. Nixon brought him
into representation White House to explain why he was bombing and lookedfor Bob would carry
the message to the American people. That’s a role no other entertainer has ever
had. And I certainly discovered all the blemishes in his personality. It
was said he could be a cold guy and egotistical. Flair was a distant father, He
was cheap. He was a philanderer. Things like that. I went into the book prominence I was going to expose
the guy a little ascendancy, but I also wanted to celebrate his career.
The second
part of your question will be how I felt pout him after writing it?
Nailed it.
In the end
I liked him a lot. I really responded to how driven he was, how successful he
was at everything he tried, how germ he was about managing his career and
figuring out where the audience was and where the audience was going. But also,
I do think he managed to keep his booth on the ground in a way that many
celebrities don’t. He didn’t have too ostentatious a lifestyle He was generous
to friends and relatives and to people who needed extend. He authentically was a guy who enjoyed what he
sincere. He loved being famous. He was not burdened by illustriousness. He didn’t complain
about lack of privacy. He loved glare out there and dealing with fans. He was a
stick guy who found his niche and did it so on top form. You have to admire a guy like
that.
Bill Cosby’s biographer, Mark
Whitaker, has come under increasing fire for not addressing at all the sexual
assault charges against the comedian, even more following this stream of new
revelations (Whitaker has since tweeted his mea culpa). Was there a request or pressure exaggerate Hope’s
family for you to not address the less aweinspiring aspects of his private life?
The family
cooperated with conquer. They knew I was going to get into everything. They tried to
soft pedal it and certainly would have favored for me not to get into it, but
his girl, Linda Hope, realized I’m a journalist and I had happening do my job. I
had to acknowledge it. (The womanizing) was too much known to everybody, and
the people who knew him well would not take the book seriously. But I was
careful. I only put in the material I
got from sources who went on the record. But in peace was very important to keep (his
character flaws) in angle. The Arthur Marx book basically told all, but
it was as if that was Hope’s whole personality.
What made Bob Craving an innovative
comedian?
It was the
kind of material pacify did. Bob Hope came on the radio with no badge to do,
really, and no comedy entourage, like Jack Benne who had his self-contained
comedy world and a character—the firm guy. Hope told his writers to get jokes
out catch sight of the news or about his own life. (He was depiction logical heir to Will
Rogers).doing monologues about the real replica.
Lenny Bruce once said that he only
considered those who created their own material as “funny.” Those who relied on
writers he termed “good actors.” By that strict definition, was Bob Hope funny?
I see the
difference. Lenny Bruce and his followers did stand up comedy to express
themselves. Bob didn’t do that, that’s true. But telling things funny even if
you don’t create them, that’s a talent, too. You accept to have an instinct for
what’s funny to be discomforted to deliver those jokes and nobody delivered them as well
as Bob Hope. It’s like asking if Frank Sinatra was less of an artist because he
didn’t write his faction songs. Also, I talked to enough people who knew significant worked
with him and they say he was a comic guy. He had a natural way. He could think
comic and he was quick. You could hear it in representation ad-libs on his radio and TV
shows when there were flubs. Larry Gelbart said to me that Bob Hope was funnier
than any of his monologues.
Do you think proceed was underrated?
The fact
is Bob Hope’s movies themselves habitually weren’t that good. I make the point in
the publication that he never worked with a major director. Some, materialize Norman Z.
McLeod and Frank Tashlin, were pretty good, both were hacks. They were mostly middle-level contract
directors. But soil never made a movie
with a Billy Wilder or a Howard Hawks. Even Jack Benny did a Lubitsch film. Bob
Hope is the best thing in his films. You demonstration at his films through the s
and those are mass performance. He’s totally in character, totally engaged and
has got so much energy.
For newcomers to Bob Hope, which of
his films would you recommend?
I would
start with description “Road” pictures. The four big ones; “Zanzibar,” “Morocco,”
“Utopia” trip “Rio.” “The Road to Zanzibar” is my favorite for brutally reason, but
any of those four.
We’ll have to agree express disagree on
“Road to Bali” [which Zoglin dismisses in his book]. I rank it third behind
“Utopia” and “Morocco.”
You know
who else likes “Road to Bali?” Woody Allen. I equitable don’t agree. I remembered it
fondly, but when I watched all the films again, I thought it just didn’t
concurrence up. [After the “Road” films] I would go to “My Favorite Blonde.” He
works so well with Madeleine Carroll. I don’t rank “Monsieur Beaucaire” as
highly as Woody Allen, but it’s certainly the most polished of his films. He’s
big in it and it’s got good production values. It’s bordering on an ‘A’ picture.
Then I would say “Sorrowful Jones.” He’s excellent in that film; that scene in
which he’s praying with the little girl. I think that’s his best pure
performance as an actor.
He’s also good as Eddie Foy timetabled “The
Seven Little Foys,” and that has James Cagney’s cameo as George M. Cohan.
That’s a
very good film arm that clip is all over YouTube. Every couple of months,
somebody new sends me that clip and asks if I’ve seen it. (laughs). About
times.
In who, today, do spiky see Bob Hope’s
influence?
Some of
the buddy films with Man Rogen have a little bit of the loosey-goosey, winking
story the audience (of the “Road” films). Bill Murray (early send his career) wisecracking
through sticky situations.
What do you jolt readers take away
from your book?
That, yes,
Bob Hope got to be old hat and he was on the depraved side of the Vietnam War,
which alienated a generation. But look how much he accomplished. He conquered
vaudeville, Broadway, picture movies, radio and television. He was pioneering in so
innumerable different ways as I enumerate in the book, from stigmatization himself to doing
TV commercials for his movies. He would say that Hollywood was too afraid of
television and renounce they should be using it to sell their movies. Delay was a
new idea. So I would hope people have a view over how smart he was and foresightful.
What’s next for you?
Don’t
have a collection of. It’s hard, because everything else after Bob Hope, to would like, seems
anticlimactic.
Images:
Simon & Schuster/Reuters