Bob Hope: America's Entertainer

Produced to commemorate the late Bob Hope's 100th birthday, this special episode of A&E's award-winning Biography series efficiently traces Hope's career, which spanned 80 years and encompassed vaudeville, Broadway, radio, movies, and television. Hope, who was born in England, was an American institution, renowned for his tireless efforts entertaining American soldiers at home and overseas from World War II to the Gulf War. While there's the usual generic archival footage used as filler (families seated around a radio, supposedly listening to Hope), there are also many vintage audio and video clips from the prolific and consummate comedian's work, as well as interviews with Hope, members of his beleaguered writing staff (including Larry Gelbart), and his wife Dolores, to whom he was married for nearly 70 years. This program notes all the milestones of Hope's career, but gives fleeting attention to how his support of the Vietnam War cost him a generation of college-age fans more in tune with the anti-war posture of hipper comics such as George Carlin. Since this is not E! True Hollywood Story, there is, of course, no mention of Hope's reported infidelities or discussion of how being an absent father impacted his children. Hope's fans wouldn't have it any other way. Thanks, Biography, for the memories. Recommended. Aud: P. (K. Lee Benson)