“Hope: Entertainer of the Century”

Eleven years after he died at age 100, comedian Bob Hope finally has a book about him.

It is titled, “Hope: Entertainer of the Century” (Simon & Schuster) by Richard Zoglin.

Japan Today (of all places) posted an article on the biography of Hope. The article states:

NEW YORK —While today he may be thought of with misgivings, if at all, Bob Hope reigned for much of the last century as America’s wisecracking avatar of comedy. 

By the time he died in 2003 at age 100, Hope had conquered vaudeville, Broadway, recordings, live concerts, radio, films and, from its infancy, TV, where he remained a welcome presence into his 90s. 

“By nearly any measure, he was the most popular entertainer of the 20th century,” writes Richard Zoglin. 

That alone should bear out Hope’s career-long theme song, “Thanks for the Memories.” Yet memories of Hope have already dimmed, and his achievements, still felt by performers and audiences alike, now are largely taken for granted.

In Zoglin's opinion, Hope invented the art form of stand-up comedy. Yet, when he asked a number of today's stand-up comics, Hope is never mentioned as an influence.

Above, one of many photos of Bob Hope displayed at the Lakeside Golf Club.

There is one place where Hope's influence is still felt: the Lakeside Golf Club in Toluca Lake (not far from Hope's home). There are many reminders of his longtime enjoyment of golf. He was a member of the golf club for years and there are many photographs of Hope throughout the clubhouse. I saw Hope in-person once. It was at the opening of the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace in Yorba Linda, California.

To read the article, go here.

For details on the book: http://www.bobhopethebook.com