Thanks for the Memories: The Bob Hope Specials

Bob Hope's TV specials were always a hit-or-miss affair: grueling when the material and guest lineup was weak, but priceless when Hope's joke writers hit the bulls-eye and his guests rose to the occasion. This collection of 13 specials are mostly spot-on with the master funnyman backed by a stellar lineup of A-listers in sketches and musical numbers. Among the highlights here are a delightfully silly 1956 offering with the I Love Lucy cast (Hope takes on the Ricky Ricardo role while Desi Arnaz subs as Fred Mertz), a 1963 spoof of the burgeoning folk music scene with Dean Martin (in a long blonde wig) and a young Barbra Streisand playing two washboards (she deadpans: “I'm in stereo!”), a zany 1966 spoof of mad scientist flicks featuring comic headliners including Jimmy Durante and Milton Berle (both ignoring the cue cards to add their own jokes, to Hope's amusement), and a wonderfully bizarre 1976 murder mystery special called Joys (A Comedy Whodunit) featuring an all-star cast ranging from comedy legends (Groucho Marx, Harry Ritz, George Burns) to then-current young stars (Jimmie Walker and Freddie Prinze). And while a 1967 USO tour to 22 bases around Southeast Asia may seem warmly familiar to Hope fans, the star's mid-1960s monologues taking aim at President Johnson are startling in their frank diagnosis of the failure in the war's leadership. Extras include a bonus segment about the world of golf according to Hope. A fine collection capturing a comedy legend at his peak, this is highly recommended. (P. Hall)