Bob Hope
Born: 1903-05-29 in Eltham, London, England, UK
Died: 2003-07-27
Known For: Acting
Biography
Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was an American comedian, actor, and entertainer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films — 54 in which he starred. These included a series of seven Road to... musical comedy films with Bing Crosby as Hope's top-billed partner. In addition to hosting the Academy Awards show 19 times, more than any other host, Hope appeared in many stage productions and television roles and wrote 14 books. The song "Thanks for the Memory" was his signature tune. Hope was born in the Eltham district of southeast London. He arrived in the United States with his family at the age of four, and grew up near Cleveland, Ohio. After a brief stint in the late 1910s as a boxer, Hope began his career in show business in the early 1920s, initially as a comedian and dancer on the vaudeville circuit, before acting on Broadway. Hope began appearing on radio and in films starting in 1934. He was praised for his comedic timing, specializing in one-liners and rapid-fire delivery of jokes that were often self-deprecating. He helped establish modern American stand-up comedy. Between 1941 and 1991, Hope made 57 tours for the United Service Organizations (USO), entertaining active duty U.S. military personnel around the world. In 1997, the United States Congress passed a bill that made Hope an honorary veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces. Hope appeared in numerous television specials for NBC during his career and was one of the first users of cue cards. Hope retired from public life in 1998 and died on July 27, 2003, at the age of 100.
Filmography
2025
- Sally as Self (archive footage)
2022
- Rat Pack as Self (archive footage)
- Kids' TV: The Surprising Story as Self (archive footage)
2021
- Boulevard! A Hollywood Story as Self (archive footage)
2018
- Howard as Orville 'Turkey' Jackson (archive footage)
2017
- This Is Bob Hope... as Self (archive footage)
2016
- Bob Hope: Entertaining the Troops as Self
- O.J.: Made in America as Self (archive footage)
2014
- Bing Crosby: Rediscovered as Self (archive footage)
2010
- Dalí & Disney: A Date with Destino as Himself (archive footage)
- The Best of Johnny Carson as Self (archive footage)
- Bing Crosby: The Television Specials Volume 2 – The Christmas Specials as Self
2009
- 1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year as Self (archive footage)
2008
2006
- The Best of Carson, Volume 1
- Frankie Laine: An American Dreamer as Self (archive footage)
2005
2004
- Los Angeles Plays Itself as Adam J. Niles in Bachelor in Paradise (archive footage)
- Judy Garland: By Myself as Self (archive footage)
2003
- Biography: Bob Hope: America's Entertainer as Self
- Bob Hope: The Road to Laughter as Self (archive footage)
- Christmas in Hollywood as Self (archive footage)
2002
- Entertaining the Troops: Bob Hope & the USO as Self (archive footage)
- Bob Hope and the Road to Success as Self (archive footage)
- Edith Head: The Paramount Years as (archive footage)
2001
- The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 1 as Self (archive footage)
- The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 2 as Self (archive footage)
2000
- Buñuel in Hollywood as Self (archive footage)
- Hollywood Musicals of the 40's as Self (archive footage)
1999
- Hidden Hollywood II: More Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Vaults as (archive footage)
- Television: The First Fifty Years as Self (archive footage)
- Behind The Music: The Day The Music Died as Self (archive footage)
1998
- The Best of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts as Self - Roastee (archive footage)
1997
- The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender as Self (archive footage)
1996
- Bob Hope: Laughing With the Presidents as Self - Co-Host
- Bob Hope's Bicentennial Star Spangled Spectacular as Self
1995
- Radio Star - Die AFN-Story as Self
1994
- Forrest Gump as Self - in Vietnam (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Shanks for the Memory
- Liberation as Self (archive footage)
- A Century of Cinema as Self
- That's Entertainment! III as (archive footage)
- That Little Monster as Bob Hope / Bob (uncredited)
1993
1991
- Pebble Mill as Self
- Stars and Stripes: Hollywood and World War II as Self
- Bob Hope's Christmas Cheer from Saudi Arabia as Self
1990
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic as Self (archive footage)
- Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration as Self
- You're the Top: The Cole Porter Story as Self
- Dors: The Other Diana
1989
- The Simpsons as Bob Hope (voice)
- Miss Piggy's Hollywood as Self
- The Jim Henson Hour as Himself
- Bob Hope's Love Affair with Lucy as Self - Host
- Bob Hope's Super Bowl Party! as Self
1988
- Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC as Self
- Irving Berlin's 100th Birthday Celebration as Self
- The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind as Self (archive footage)
- Bob Hope's Jolly Christmas Show as Self
1987
1986
- All Star Party for Clint Eastwood as Self
- TV's Funniest Comedians - 14 Stars Do Classic Routines as Self
- Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special as Self
- A Masterpiece of Murder as Dan Dolan
- Classic Comedy Teams as Self (archive footage)
1985
- The Golden Girls as Bob Hope
- Spies Like Us as Self
- Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers as Self (archive footage)
1984
- Highway to Heaven as Sycopomp
- The Stars Salute the U.S. Olympic Team
- Bob Hope's USO Christmas in Beirut as Self
- It's Ho-Ho Hope's Jolly Christmas Hour as Self - Host
1983
- George Burns Celebrates 80 Years in Show Business as Self
- James Bond: The First 21 Years as Self
- Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Happy Birthday, Bob! as Self
1982
- Late Night with David Letterman as Self
- Showbiz Goes to War as (archive footage)
- Let Poland Be Poland as Self
- Women I Love: Beautiful But Funny as Self
1981
- The George Burns (Early) Early, Early Christmas Special as Himself
- A Love Letter to Jack Benny as Himself
1980
- Lucy Moves to NBC as Self
- Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters as Self
- A Tribute to Dr. Shock as Self (archive footage)
1979
- The Muppet Movie as Ice Cream Vendor
- Derby Fever USA as Self
- The Hollywood Clowns as Self (archive footage)
- Leif as Self
- Bob Hope on the Road to China as Self - Host
1978
1977
- The Bob Hope All Star Christmas Comedy Special as Host / Barf Vader
- The Shirley MacLaine Special: Where Do We Go from Here? as Self
- Ann-Margret: Rhinestone Cowgirl as Self
1976
- The Muppet Show as Self - Special Guest Star
- Donny & Marie as Self
- The Captain and Tennille as Self
- Joys as Self
- CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years as Self
- Bob Hope's Comedy Christmas Special
1975
- Mitzi & 100 Guys as Self
- Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? as Self (archive footage)
- Texaco Presents: A Quarter Century of Bob Hope on Television as Self
1974
- Dinah! as Self
- Hearts and Minds as Self (archive footage)
- The 1974 Annual Las Vegas Entertainment Awards as Self - Host
1973
- The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts as Self
- Today: While You Were Away (1964-1973 Retrospective) as Commentator
- Ann-Margret: When You're Smiling as Self
- The Bob Hope Mardi Gras Special as Self - Host
1972
- Midi trente as Self
- Hollywood: The Dream Factory as Self (archive footage)
- Cancel My Reservation as Dan Bartlett
1971
- Great Performances as Self
- The Grand Opening of Walt Disney World as Self
- V.I.P. Schaukel as Self
- The Great Radio Comedians as Self (archive footage)
- Festival at Ford's as Self
- The Bob Hope Christmas Special as Self
1970
- Swing Out, Sweet Land as Self
- Treffpunkte as Self
- Raquel! as Self
- Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special as Self
- Honor America Day as Self
1969
- How to Commit Marriage as Frank Benson
- The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour as Self
- The Johnny Cash Show as Self
- Roberta as Huck Haines
- The Barbara McNair Show as Self
1968
- The Dick Cavett Show as Self - Guest
- Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In as Self (uncredited)
- The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell as Sgt. Dan O'Farrell
- The Bob Hope Christmas Special: Around the World with the USO as Self
- The Dean Martin Christmas Show as Self
- Rowan & Martin at the Movies as Self
- Carnival Nights as Self
1967
- The Carol Burnett Show as Self (uncredited)
- Eight on the Lam as Henry Dimsdale
- Bob Hope Comedy Special
1966
- Murder at N.B.C.
- The Oscar as Bob Hope
- The Pruitts of Southampton as Library Patron
- Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number! as Thomas J. 'Tom' Meade
- Not With My Wife, You Don't! as Self - USO Christmas Show (archive footage) (uncredited)
1965
- Get Smart as Room Service Attendant (uncredited)
- Bob Hope Christmas Show as Self
- The Jack Benny Hour as Bob Hope / Marcello
- I'll Take Sweden as Bob Holcomb
1964
- The Hollywood Palace as Self
- A Global Affair as Frank Larrimore
- The Lucille Ball Comedy Hour as Bill Blakely
1963
- Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre as Self - Host
- The Sound of Laughter as Bing Fawcett - Plumber
- Call Me Bwana as Matt
- Critic's Choice as Parker Ballantine
- A Bob Hope Comedy Special as Self
1962
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
- The Merv Griffin Show as Self
- The Lucy Show as Plumber's Assistant
- The Road to Hong Kong as Chester Babcock
1961
- The Mike Douglas Show as Self - Co-Host
- Bachelor in Paradise as Adam J. Niles
- The DuPont Show of the Week as Self
- The Bing Crosby Show as Self
- Project XX: The Story of Will Rogers as Self - Narrator
1960
- The Facts of Life as Larry Gilbert
- Hedda Hopper's Hollywood as Self
1959
- Startime
- Alias Jesse James as Milford Farnsworth
- Some of Manie's Friends
1958
- Kraft Music Hall as Self
- The Dick Clark Show as Self
- Paris Holiday as Robert Leslie Hunter
- The All-Star Christmas Show as Self
1957
- Tonight Starring Jack Paar as Self
- The Thin Man as Self (uncredited)
- Beau James as Mayor James J. 'Jimmy' Walker
- Frank Sinatra Show as Self
1956
- Tony Awards as Self
- The Steve Allen Show as Self - Guest
- Cinépanorama as Self
- The Bob Hope Chevy Show as Himself/Ricky Ricardo
- Showdown at Ulcer Gulch as Influential Man
- The Iron Petticoat as Captain Chuck Lockwood
- That Certain Feeling as Francis X. Dignan
- Lucy's Really Lost Moments as Self
1955
- Screen Director's Playhouse as Bob Hope (uncredited)
- Playing Fields Association: Cricket as Self
- The Seven Little Foys as Eddie Foy
- The Chevy Show as Self
1954
- The Wonderful World of Disney as Self
- Project XX as Narrator
- Casanova's Big Night as Pippo Popolino
1953
- The Oscars as Self
- Scared Stiff as Skeleton (uncredited)
- Here Come the Girls as Stanley Snodgrass
1952
- The Greatest Show on Earth as Spectator (uncredited)
- Off Limits as Wally Hogan
- Road to Bali as Harold Gridley
- Son of Paleface as Peter Potter Jr.
1951
- I Love Lucy as Bob Hope
- The Red Skelton Show as Self - Cameo
- The Lemon Drop Kid as Sidney Melbourne (The Lemon Drop Kid)
- My Favorite Spy as Peanuts White / Eric Augustine
1950
- What's My Line? as Self
- The Bob Hope Show as Self - Host
- The Colgate Comedy Hour as Self
- The Jack Benny Program as Bob Hope
- Lux Video Theatre as Self - Lux Video Theatre Guest
- Screen Actors as Self (uncredited)
- Fancy Pants as Humphrey / Arthur Tyler
- You Can Change The World as Self
1949
- The Great Lover as Freddie Hunter
- Sorrowful Jones as Humphrey "Sorrowful" Jones
1948
- The Ed Sullivan Show as Self
- The Paleface as 'Painless' Peter Potter
1947
- Variety Girl as Bob Hope
- Road to Rio as Hot Lips Barton
- Is Everybody Listening? as Bob Hope - Bob Hope Radio Program
- Where There's Life as Michael Joseph Valentine
- My Favorite Brunette as Ronnie Jackson
1946
- Monsieur Beaucaire as Monsieur Beaucaire
- Road to Utopia as Chester Hooton
1945
- Story of G.I. Joe as Bob Hope (Voice on Radio Program) (voice) (uncredited)
- The All-Star Bond Rally as Self - Host
- Road to Home as Self
- Hollywood Victory Caravan as Bob Hope
1944
- Golden Globe Awards as Self - Presenter
- The Princess and the Pirate as Sylvester the Great
- Memo for Joe as Self
1943
- Let's Face It as Jerry Walker
- They Got Me Covered as Robert Kittredge
- A Welcome to Britain as Self (uncredited)
- Show-Business at War as Self
- Combat America as Self
- Strictly G.I. as Self - Master of Ceremonies
- Don't Hook Now as Self
1942
- Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 4 as Self
- Road to Morocco as Orville Jackson
- Star Spangled Rhythm as Bob Hope
- My Favorite Blonde as Larry Haines
- Bob's Busy Day as Bob
1941
- Louisiana Purchase as Jim Taylor
- Road to Zanzibar as Hubert 'Fearless' Frazier
- Nothing But the Truth as Steve Bennett
- Caught in the Draft as Don Bolton
1940
- Road to Singapore as Ace Lannigan
- The Ghost Breakers as Larry Lawrence
- Cavalcade of the Academy Awards as Self - Master of Ceremonies
1939
- The Cat and the Canary as Wally Campbell
- Never Say Die as John Kidley
- Some Like It Hot as Nicky Nelson
1938
- The Big Broadcast of 1938 as Buzz Fielding
- Thanks for the Memory as Steve Merrick
- College Swing as Bud Brady
- Give Me a Sailor as Jim Brewster
1936
- Shop Talk as Robert Hope Jr.
- Calling All Tars as Bobby
1935
- The Old Grey Mayor as Bob
- Watch the Birdie as Bob
- Double Exposure as Photographer / Robert
1934
- Going Spanish as Bob
- Paree, Paree as Peter