Bob Hope Biography

Bob Hope was a triple-threat superstar of radio, film and television for decades, from the 1930s through the 1990s. His popularity hit its peak during World War II and the early post-war years.

A jovial and upbeat comedian, Bob Hope also acted, sang and danced a little, hosted his own radio and television shows, and carried on a famous comic feud with his friend and fellow star, crooner Bing Crosby. In his comedy act, Hope was sly and sophisticated; onscreen he played a series of comical cowards, con men and lotharios. His pointed “ski slope” nose was his physical signature and the topic of frequent jokes from collaborators.

Bob Hope spent much of World War II traveling the world to entertain Allied troops, a service he also performed with gusto during later wars in Korea, Vietnam, and the Middle East. His entertain-the-troops tours became one of his best-known career activities.

Though his superstar years ended in the 1960s, Bob Hope continued to make appearances well into the 1990s. In May of 2003 he celebrated his 100th birthday with a typical wisecrack: “I’m so old they’ve canceled my blood type.” He died a few months later, in July 2003.