Scope and Content Note
The Bob Hope moving image collection is comprised of material spanning Bob Hope's career as a stage, film, and television entertainer. Objects in the collection associated with Hope's professional works range from aired and unaired television specials, feature films, and short theatrical releases to camera isolations, production elements, rehearsal footage, promotional material, and outtakes. The collection also includes footage of golfing events, amateur home movies featuring Hope, his family, and friends, and recordings of a wide variety of Hope's personal appearances.
Beyond the material detailed in this finding aid, the collection also includes 13 pallets of Bob Hope television special production elements on film. This material is associated with a variety of airdates from 1967 to 1973.
Series 1, Television Specials, encompasses the vast majority of the collection. It is comprised of Bob Hope's televised works and their associated moving image materials inclusive of elements used in the production of the television specials, rehearsals, outtakes, clips, and more. In this series, works were produced by or in association with Hope Enterprises and Bob Hope usually stars as the host of the program.
The following subseries are included in Series 1, Television Specials:
Bob Hope specials. Material included in this subseries generally exhibits the qualities of a traditional comedic variety show wherein Bob Hope acts as the show host and welcomes one or more guest stars and musical acts who perform and / or take part in comedic sketches. Bob Hope televised specials aired from 1950 to 1996 under several titles including the Colgate Comedy Hour, Chesterfield Sound-Off Time, All Star Revue, Four Star Revue, the Bob Hope show, the Bob Hope special, and more. Around 1975, Bob Hope's televised specials began adopting unique titles reflecting a theme, tribute, or spectacular. In order to maximize findability, during the cataloging process, The Bob Hope special was used as the main title for these items when the content of the work primarily retained the qualities of a variety show. Unique titles were added to the record as alternate titles. In instances where the work did not closely resemble a traditional variety show, main titles were taken from the work itself unless otherwise noted. In addition to the final, 'as-aired' shows any extant identifiable segments, clips, promotional material, rehearsals, unedited footage, outtakes, and / or production elements associated with each special are included in this subseries. Titles are organized chronologically by air date.
Atypical specials. The majority of the material in this subseries are televised specials that deviate from the typical variety show format. Works generally focus on individuals and include interviews with and about a featured person. Several tributes to and retrospectives about Bob Hope himself are contained within this subseries. In addition to the aforementioned 'tribute' specials, the subseries also includes televised works the production and distribution of which was unusual. Specifically, these are Bob Hope USO tour performances that were recorded by military units and broadcast only to local bases. They reflect a single performance in its entirety as opposed to a montage of the best performances captured during a USO tour as is typically seen in the Subseries 1 Bob Hope USO specials. Titles in this subseries are organized chronologically by air date.
Unproduced specials. This material is composed of footage gathered or recorded with the intent of producing a television special that appears not to have been televised. The title What Some Americans Do In Paris was to be aired on NBC in 1972 and was associated with a series of charity events dubbed "Sports Week in Paris" which was intended to raise money to benefit the Eisenhower Wing of the American Hospital of Paris. Although the fundraising events appear to have taken place as scheduled, the special was never completed or aired. In 1995, Bob Hope and numerous other celebrities recorded Holiday greetings to troops serving in Bosnia. While some of the material suggests that it was intended to be used as a part of a 1995 Bob Hope Christmas special, no such special was produced. News articles from the time indicate that the footage may have been used as a part of a simple Holiday greeting compilation or incorporated into a Jay Leno Christmas special or entertainment package. Material in this subseries is arranged chronologically.
Material associated with two or more specials. This subseries is comprised of production elements, blooper, goof, and outtake reels, and other miscellaneous clip reels associated with more than one televised Bob Hope special. Some clip and blooper reels may have been used in the production of one or more later specials, but no specific title or production could be determined. Material in this subseries is organized into three smaller subseries: Production Elements and Duplicates (grouped by media format and then arranged chronologically), Bloopers, Goofs, Outtakes (arranged chronologically), and Miscellaneous (arranged by chronologically).
Series 2, Other Television Works, is made up of productions that can be associated with Bob Hope or Hope Enterprises but that were not produced as Bob Hope television specials and that constitute a significant departure in subject, theme, or format from the comedic, Hope-centric specials seen in Series 1. Works in this series primarily include sitcoms and televised anthologies. Of particular note are Police Hall of Fame, Chrysler Theatre, Shaughnessey, and Joe & Valerie. The Police Hall of Fame is the 1957 pilot for a proposed series hosted by Bob Hope that was to dramatize true stories of police work. In the final act of each show, Hope was to present an award to the police officer whose story had been featured. Ultimately, the series was not picked up and the pilot remained unaired. Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre constitutes an anthology series televised from 1963 to 1967 that was hosted by Hope and featured comedies, dramas, and musicals. Hope starred in some of the series' episodes including Her School for Bachelors, Have Girls Will Travel, and Russian Roulette. The episode Wind Fever is also noteworthy as it stars both William Shatner and George Takei just six months before their debut on Star Trek. Shaughnessey is the pilot for a sitcom centered around Eddie Shaughnessey, a Chicago taxi dispatcher who works alongside a quirky group of cab drivers. The pilot aired in 1976, pre-dating the popular sitcom Taxi by two full years, but was not picked up. Joe & Valerie was a comedy centered around the titular characters who meet at a New York City disco and enjoy a whirlwind romance. The series ran from 1978 to 1979 with one episode, Paulie's First Love, remaining unaired.
Works in this series are arranged roughly chronologically according to airdate or production where an airdate was unavailable.
Series 3, Motion Pictures, encompasses feature length and short subject theatrical releases starring Bob Hope. Some screen test, trailer, and promotional footage is also available. Included in the series are short films produced by the United States military that focus on Hope's involvement with the USO and his tours to entertain deployed troops as well as newsreels produced by a variety of companies including Movietone, Paramount, and Universal that spotlight Hope.
The following subseries are included in Series 3, Motion Pictures:
Feature and short films. This subseries includes short and feature length theatrical releases starring Bob Hope as well as screen tests and other associated material as applicable. Titles include the breadth of Hope's film career from his debut in 1934's Going Spanish (later re-released as Bob's Busy Day) and his first feature, The Big Broadcast of 1938 to his final feature film, Cancel My Reservation, which was released in 1972. Titles are arranged chronologically.
Military productions. Material in this subseries was produced by the U.S. military primarily for distribution among troops. Of particular note is the rarely-seen 1945 title The Road to Home. In it, Hope and Bing Crosby, dressed as sailors, discuss the imminent end of WWII, reminisce about the antics portrayed in their Road pictures series, and caution Navy men not to desert their duties and thereby forfeit all the benefits they're entitled to, but to wait until they are officially discharged. Material in this subseries is arranged chronologically.
Newsreels. This subseries features movie theater distributed newsreels with a focus on Bob Hope. Some works may include unedited / unreleased newsreel footage. Titles are arranged chronologically.
Material associated with two or more motion pictures. This subseries is comprised of excerpts and clips from Hope's feature films. The footage is generally grouped according to a theme and may have been collected as a part of producing one or more Bob Hope specials or retrospectives.
Series 4, Guest and Personal Appearances, includes both professional and amateur footage of Bob Hope and Hope family members at a wide variety of events including charity benefits, tribute dinners, college graduations, and more. Included are televised news segments as well as commercials and public service announcements featuring Hope promoting charitable causes such as the Cerebral Palsy Foundation and the March of Dimes as well as footage of some of Hope's visits to other television series while promoting his own television specials and feature films.
The following subseries are included in Series 4, Guest and Personal Appearances:
Bob Hope appearances. In this subseries Bob Hope makes appearances at a variety of events, guest stars on other celebrity's television specials, promotes his film and television works, and endorses charitable organizations and public services. Also included in this subseries are specials examining Hope's life and body of work that were not directly produced in association with Hope Enterprises. Titles are arranged chronologically.
Hope family appearances. This subseries features interviews and public appearances by Bob Hope's wife and children. Material is arranged chronologically.
Series 5, Home Movies, includes amateur footage of Bob Hope, his family, and friends. The material appears to have been filmed almost exclusively by members of the Hope family and /or their friends. Works in this series document Hope's life beginning during his days performing on the Vaudeville circuit and include footage of family vacations, the Hope children's birthday parties, and many other subjects. Footage in this series is arranged roughly chronologically.
Series 6, Golf Events, is comprised of footage documenting various golfing events hosted by Bob Hope and others between 1967 and 2012. The majority of the material relates to the Bob Hope Desert Classic which was renamed the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in 1986. Some of this material appears to have been televised while other footage may or may not have been used for a broadcast work. Golf footage recorded as a part of the Hope family's home movies may be found in Series 5, Home Movies, and is not included in this series. Titles are arranged chronologically.
Series 7, Miscellaneous, is made up of materials that did not fit any major category or theme within the collection. Some of the footage in this series appears to have a connection to unidentified works directly connected with Bob Hope and / or Hope Enterprises. Other material, though identified, has thus far proven impossible to relate to Bob Hope, Hope Enterprises, or any production thereof.
The following subseries are included in Series 7, Miscellaneous:
Hope material. This subseries includes uncategorized works that appears to be connected with Bob Hope, the Hope family, and / or Hope Enterprises for which a definitive title or an association with a known work remains unestablished.
Other works. This subseries includes works for which no definitive connection to the Hope family or Hope Enterprises could be established beyond the material's existence in the collection. Footage from some items may have been used during the production of as yet unidentified Bob Hope television specials or other works.