During his century-long life, Bob Hope (1903-2003) conquered vaudeville, radio, TV, and movies. Hope kept people laughing through the depths of the Depression, and brought mirth, hope, and a feeling of home to American troops from World War II through Desert Storm. Filmmaker John Scheinfeld’s PBS-aired American Masters tribute examines Hope’s long and sometimes contradictory career. Although Hope seemed the most American of entertainers, he was actually born in England (and his real first name was Leslie). As a young man, Hope decided the stage was his "dish," and early on he perfected a persona as a braggart and woman chaser who ultimately was revealed as a coward (and he rarely strayed far from that formula). Hope’s act had an improvisational feel, and though he was not a comedy writer, he was an expert at selecting and refining gags (some of his best bits came when he reacted to a joke that fell flat). Hope showed an easy rapport with Bing Crosby, parlaying this into a series of long running Road movies. After WWII broke out, he entertained troops by spoofing his hammy image, but while his energy was endless, the danger he was in was sometimes real. The famed comedian was also an expert businessman and self-marketer, spurning a TV series in favor of "specials." The documentary describes his long marriage, offscreen womanizing, charity work, controversies over his support for President Nixon and the Vietnam War, and his corny jokes about "Passover" (i.e., his failure to win an Oscar). Billy Crystal provides the voice of Hope in this portrait that features numerous archival clips, along with comments from Woody Allen, Conan O’Brien, Brooke Shields, Tom Selleck, and many others. Extras include bonus footage and interviews. The definitive video biography of Bob Hope, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)
This is Bob Hope...
(2017) 120 min. DVD: $24.99 ($54.99 w/PPR). PBS Video. ISBN: 978-1-5317-0320-2. Volume 33, Issue 3
This is Bob Hope...
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