Mayor of Hollywood, The: Johnny Grant's 50th Anniversary in Show Business (1990) TV Special

Equal parts documentary, biography, anniversary show and tome this two hour title is beyond rare, it's non-existent. No information of any kind can be found regarding this title and that is unfortunate since it is far and away the most important offering in this archive. A tale of a simple man who went far using his gracious smile and winning personality, nobody didn't love Johnny Grant. For five decades Johnny Grant was almost everywhere, openings, red carpets, anything Hollywood. One thing made apparent here is the behind the scenes work of Mr. Grant. One example, The Hollywood Christmas Parade. That was Johnny's idea and it's a tradition that lives on today. Thank you Johnny.

On a personal note, when I lived in Hollywood (just north of the boulevard) Johnny Grant was very visible. You could see him toddling around all the time and if you hollered to him, "Hey Johnny" he would always turn and greet you with a "Hi there... " or a "How are you today?" always graciously. When he passed in 2008 a BIG part of Hollywood went with him, this production does well to show his humanity in a packed 90+ minutes. Look for anyone who was alive at this time to make an appearance in this five decade tour of Hollywood with all the trappings.

The Mayor of Hollywood: Johnny Grant's 50th Anniversary in Show Business (1990) TV Special
Cast: Bob Hope, Johnny Grant, Assorted

Bob Hope's Funniest Out-Takes (TV) (2002)

NBC reminisces about Bob Hope's long history with network

By FRED SHUSTER Los Angeles Daily News
POSTED: April 29, 2002
BOB HOPE'S FUNNIEST OUTTAKES


He broke ratings records in radio and revolutionized television by perfecting the opening monologue.

Bob Hope's 60-year broadcast career at NBC was marked by more high points and memorable moments than anybody's. From his early years in vaudeville and radio to movies and television, Hope was an unparalleled success due to a carefully honed persona that included a sly, speedy delivery, relaxed personality and topical gags that let audiences feel they were in on the joke.

"He was a natural because he'd done vaudeville, Broadway, radio and movies, and by the time he got to TV, he was an expert," veteran comedian Phyllis Diller observes. "He was such a brilliant, brilliant showman. And he worked so easily. It was never work for him. Wanda Landowska, the great harpsichordist, once said, 'I never practice. I only play.' And with Bob, it was all play."

Hope, who turns 99 on May 29, still lives at his sprawling compound in his beloved Toluca Lake with wife, Dolores. Among the wealthiest and best-known entertainers and most savvy of property owners, the British-born, Ohio-raised Hope - initially billed as master of "song, patter and eccentric dancing" - conquered every show-biz arena.

Practically everyone agrees Hope was a scream, but just how funny was he when he departed from the script? You can find out tomorrow when Kelsey Grammer hosts "Bob Hope's Funniest Outtakes," an hour-long look at some of the best ad-libbed moments from the 284 variety programs the legendary comic taped for NBC. Along with never-before-seen footage, famous faces including Lucille Ball, Sammy Davis Jr., Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton discuss the impact of Hope's long and influential career.

"When NBC approached me to host the program, I simply said, 'Yeah, I'm in,' " Grammer said from the "Frasier" set. "I've been a lifelong fan of Bob along with all my family members when I was growing up. Not only is he a great comedian, he's also a great American. His contribution to the war effort is something to be honored and respected. So, to tip my hat to one of history's greatest comics and patriots was a real joy."

The Hope outtakes reveal the spontaneous and unrehearsed Bob, said Linda Hope, the entertainer's daughter and executive producer of the program.

"You get a good sense of the man behind the show," she says. "One of my favorite segments is a sketch Bob does with Jack Benny and Rosemary Clooney where they just break each other up."

The program is part of NBC's 75th-anniversary celebration in which a series of shows and reunion programs honor the country's first commercial broadcasting network. Hope's last special for NBC was in 1997.

"He's been with NBC almost as long as NBC has been around," says Ron Simon, a television curator at the Museum of Television & Radio in New York. "He started in radio there in the '30s and moved into TV when [NBC] did. His opening monologue where he kidded politicians and had fun with the news everyone was talking about was a direct influence on people like Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, David Letterman and Jon Stewart. He had a major, major impact on the medium and, of course, comedy."

With the age of 99 just weeks away, how is Hope doing?

"Like any of us, he has good days and bad days," Linda Hope says. "Some days we see a lot of the old Bob Hope, but otherwise he does a lot of sleeping."

She said the idea of Hope living to 100 "is something that really appeals to him," adding that he wants to beat longtime pal George Burns, who lived to be 100 years and 49 days.

Bob Hope's Funniest Out-Takes (TV) (2002)
Host: Kelsey Grammer

Bob Hope's Christmas Cheer from Saudi Arabia (1991) (TV)

The Road to Arabia : Bob Hope's Mideast Show Will Air Tonight
January 12, 1991|DIANE HAITHMAN | TIMES STAFF WRITER

During a whirlwind Christmas visit to Saudi Arabia, Bob Hope did 10 different shows in almost as many locations--but never knew where he was.

"I don't know where anything was--they won't tell you, they won't give you the location," Hope, 87, said over lunch at his expansive Toluca Lake home earlier this week.

Hope spent several days, including Christmas, entertaining American troops in the Middle East, where he and his entourage were mysteriously whisked from location to location by two military helicopters.

"I'm not sure who knew where we were going. You just go ," he said. "But when you see the film, you'll see the tanks and the guns, and you'll realize how close we were to Kuwait, you know? They didn't have to tell me where we were--we had to be pretty damn close."

Plenty of tanks, guns and endless miles of sand make up the backdrop for "Bob Hope's Christmas Cheer From Saudi Arabia," a USO show that will be telecast at 9:30 tonight on NBC. Despite battering winds and blowing sand, Hope said that Saudi Arabia was a little bit like home: "The first troop I met was from Twentynine Palms--that's right next to Palm Springs," he said. "And I went halfway around the world to see them."

A few other entertainers--including Steve Martin, Jay Leno, Delta Burke and Gerald McRaney--have visited the troops to shake hands and tell a few jokes; cable TV's Financial News Network recently filmed a special on boxer Thomas Hearns' visit. But Hope's tour marks the first big entertainment show staged for the troops since they landed in Saudi Arabia.

It also marks the last--at least for a while. The USO confirmed this week that the Department of Defense has placed a ban on all USO shows following Wednesday's failed peace talks in Geneva.

"We're still getting calls from celebrities who want to go over, and we're told to hold off for now," said Iona Sherman, producer and tours manager for USO Celebrity Entertainment. "We're not told whether or not it's permanent.

"We are not stopping tours to other areas of the world. Billy Joel is going to the Philippines next week."

The USO ban will close a door to the Middle East that had barely cracked open. Sherman confirmed Hope's report that the Department of Defense was extremely skittish about sending large numbers of performers into Saudi Arabia, preferring to start small with handshake visits by individual performers.

Hope's visit sparked a controversy Dec. 25, when the Pentagon announced it would restrict media coverage of Hope's Christmas Eve show at a site near a military installation.

Hope's daughter, Linda, who produced the special, said that the Department of Defense did not ask for control over the final product, but requested cooperation in obscuring identifying landmarks. The Hopes complied.

"Obviously, there were panoramic shots we would like to have gotten, but we just determined we were not going to do that," Linda Hope said.

Hope said that when the group arrived at a hotel in Dhahran--one of its stops--guards checked under the beds for terrorists before the Hope entourage could enter their rooms. And "when we left, a security dog checked our luggage, looking for bombs," Hope cracked. "I'm glad he didn't find our cue cards."

Hope's act also received substantial editing from a cultural adviser to avoid offending the Saudis. "I took things out about the women, about their clothes--you know, 'They wear so many clothes that by the time you you get through them, it's not worth it,' " Hope said.

Linda Hope said that viewers will see ragged edges rather than a slick production; often the "shows" Hope and his wife Dolores put on for the troops took place on a flatbed truck with one hand-held mike or a lowly megaphone for amplification. She added that they were often required to set up in less than 10 minutes.

The biggest inconvenience was the Saudis' refusal to allow single American women into Saudi Arabia, forcing the group to film performances by guest stars Ann Jillian, the Pointer Sisters and Khrystyne Haje only during the shows staged in Bahrain, a country adjacent to Saudi Arabia.

The special is due to be broadcast in its entirety Monday on the Armed Forces Radio and Television Network, Hope said.

Hope said that his own political beliefs have not--and will not--keep him from visiting the troops anywhere in the world.

"All of (the wars) were the same," he said. "You were there to entertain the kids, you know--no difference if you were in Sicily or Vietnam.

"Vietnam--it was such a sad affair, that war," Hope said. "About the fifth year (of the conflict), one of the biggest laughs I got was when I told them: 'Guys, 50% of America is behind you.' Because I remember the papers kept saying, 'Get out of Vietnam, what the hell are we doing in Vietnam?' There were people who said I shouldn't go, which is ridiculous."

Hope said that the atmosphere is completely different in Saudi Arabia. "There is no war--they're camping out now," he said. "They're up, and they're high."

Upon his return, Hope began relaying messages to the families of the troops--including making a call to one young soldier's father, who is dying of cancer.

"I stand up there and I look at those faces, and I don't want them to go to war," Hope mused. "I want them to have a good life. I wish they (the other Arab countries) could just converge on (Iraqi President Saddam Hussein), where he is, where he lives, and just knock him out. That would be the thrill of my life."

Bob Hope's Christmas Cheer from Saudi Arabia (1991) (TV)
Cast: Anita Pointer, Ann Jillian, Bob Hope, Dolores Hope, Johnny Bench, June Pointer, Khrystyne Haje, Marie Osmond, Ruth Pointer

50 Years of Television: A Golden Celebration (1989) (TV)

A 2-hour CBS special hosted by the legend Walter Cronkite highlighting fifty years in the history of television. Includes tributes to Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Jackie Gleason, Bob Hope, Ed Sullivan and many more. To say clips of classic television moments are presented is an understatement, this is an excellent presentation that reaches deep into TV history.

50 Years of Television: A Golden Celebration (1989) (TV)

Host: Walter Cronkite

Welcome Home, America! - A USO Salute to America's Sons and Daughters (1991) (TV)

A broadcast of a concert honoring the United States armed forces and fifty years of service by the USO. This is a great document featuring speeches by former presidents and their men combined with some wonderful musical performances. You'll see Dick Cheney and Colin Powell all smiles as they stand shoulder to shoulder waving to the black tie audience. Also, a standout gospel performance from Miss Sandi Patty, a definite high point. Tom Selleck, a great American, handles the hosting duties initially and Tony Danza brings it home with some enthusiastic tap dancing. Believe it.

Welcome Home, America - A USO Salute (1991) (TV)

Cast: Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, Ronald Reagan, George and Barbara Bush, Frank Sinatra, Steve Martin, The Pointer Sisters, Tony Danza, Tony Orlando, Mark Russell, Gerald Ford, John Forsythe, Alan Thicke, Bob Hope, Debbie Allen, James Woods, Nell Carter, Tom Selleck

Second Annual Comedy Hall of Fame, The (1994) (TV)

Two hours of goodness from the same folks that brought us the First Annual Comedy Hall of Fame.


TV WEEKEND; Self-Mockery, Sincere Kind Of Flattery
By JOHN J. O'CONNOR
Published: October 28, 1994

As award shows go, George Schlatter's "Comedy Hall of Fame" has the distinct advantage of not daring to take itself too seriously. Jonathan Winters, one of last year's inductees, insists the somewhat clunky-looking award makes a great doorstop. George Carlin, in this year's charmed circle, uneasily notes that the event is "the kind of thing comedians should make fun of." They do, albeit gently and sometimes sentimentally, on tomorrow's "Second Annual Comedy Hall of Fame" on NBC.

Joining Mr. Carlin on the list of inductees are Sid Caesar, Bob Hope, Shirley MacLaine, Mary Tyler Moore and Richard Pryor. The presenters include Brett Butler, Bob Newhart, the Smothers Brothers and Phil Hartman, formerly of "Saturday Night Live" but still doing his best-of-the-lot Clinton impersonation. Opening the show, Kelsey Grammer, who plays a psychiatrist on "Frasier," pointedly notes that "even a bad psychiatrist could make a fortune in this room."

There are odd couplings. Bob Newhart, for instance, gets to present Richard Pryor's award, as Robert Townsend wryly explains that "Bob and Richard grew up in the 'hood together." Mr. Newhart insists he was the obvious choice because he and Mr. Pryor "work so much alike." The show-stealing cup goes to wily Ms. MacLaine, who, to the tune of "If They Could See Me Now," sings a laugh-and-a-tear tribute to all the comics facing hecklers, getting old, watching young hotshots take over but, somehow, always managing to get the last laugh. That's the standing-ovation cue. The evening ends on a Catskills note with Milton Berle telling a Zsa Zsa joke. You were expecting Oscar Wilde? SECOND ANNUAL COMEDY HALL OF FAME NBC, tomorrow at 8 P.M. (Channel 4 in New York) Directed by Gary Halvorson. Written by Buz Kohan and George Schlatter. Christine Clark, associate director; Maria S. Schlatter, producer; Bob Keene, production designer. Produced by NBC Productions in association with Broadway Video. Gary Necessary, executive in charge of production; Mr. Schlatter, executive producer.

The Second Annual Comedy Hall of Fame (1994) (TV)

Cast: Brett Butler, Red Buttons, Sid Caesar, George Carlin, Kelsey Grammer, Phil Hartman, Bob Hope, Jon Lovitz, Shirley MacLaine, Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart, Paula Poundstone, Richard Pryor, Rob Reiner, Dick Smothers, Tom Smothers, Sharon Stone, Robert Townsend, Dick Van Dyke, Jonathan Winters

Third Annual NBC All Star Hour, The (1985) (TV)

It's back for a third time with all the fanfare one expects from a faux awards show. Arm twisting self-pats all around. Ms. Carter opens the show with style and flair and from there it's all downhill.



 

The Third Annual NBC All Star Hour (1985) (TV) 
Cast: Nell Carter, Don Johnson

NBC 60th Anniversary Celebration (1986) (TV)

Over the top goodness, cheesy and contrived. Almost everyone is here and best of all..., Nell Carter performs.

NBC 60th Anniversary Celebration (1986) (TV)
Cast: Debbie Allen, Steve Allen, Fran Allison, Harry Anderson, Bea Arthur, Gene Barry, Milton Berle, Tempestt Bledsoe, Tom Brokaw, Pierce Brosnan, Raymond Burr, Red Buttons, Sid Caesar, Macdonald Carey, Johnny Carson, Nell Carter, John Chancellor, Connie Chung, Dick Clark, Robert Conrad, Robert Culp, Ted Danson, Don DeFore, Angie Dickinson, Micky Dolenz, Hugh Downs, Barbara Eden, Ralph Edwards, Nanette Fabray, Kim Fields, Michael J. Fox, Arlene Francis, Soleil Moon Frye, Estelle Getty, Marla Gibbs, Melissa Gilbert, George Gobel, Lorne Greene, Bryant Gumbel, Deidre Hall, Valerie Harper, Julie Harris, David Hasselhoff, Ed Herlihy, Bob Hope, Don Johnson, Davy Jones, Perry King, Jack Klugman, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Michael Landon, Hope Lange, Sabrina Le Beauf, Jerry Lester, Shari Lewis, Hal Linden, Norman Lloyd, Shelley Long, Gloria Loring, Peter Marshall, Dick Martin, Rue McClanahan, Ed McMahon, Mitch Miller, The Monkees, Michael Nesmith, Edwin Newman, Donald O'Connor, Merlin Olsen, Jack Paar, Patti Page, Bert Parks, Jane Pauley, George Peppard, Rhea Perlman, Sarah Purcell, Charlotte Rae, John Ratzenberger, Gene Rayburn, Martha Raye, Carl Reiner, Alfonso Ribeiro, Joan Rivers, Doris Roberts, Dan Rowan, Pat Sajak, Rick Schroder, Doc Severinsen, Paul Shaffer, Dinah Shore, Bob Smith, Robert Stack, Craig Stevens, Mary Stuart, Philip Michael Thomas, Peter Tork, Daniel J. Travanti, Robert Vaughn, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Betty White, Jonathan Winters, Jane Wyatt, Robert Young

Bob Hope Presents Ladies of Laughter (1992) (TV)

Little bit of Bob, whole lot of the Ladies.

Bob Hope Presents Ladies of Laughter (1992) (TV)
Cast: Bob Hope, Phyllis Diller, Assorted

Ed Sullivan All-Star Comedy Special, The (1995) (TV)

Two hour special hosted by Mary Tyler Moore. Great stuff, tons of memories.

The Ed Sullivan All-Star Comedy Special (1995) (TV)

Cast: Ed Sullivan, Mary Tyler Moore, Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball, Milton Berle, Victor Borge, Carol Burnett, John Byner, George Carlin, Art Carney, Lou Costello, Phyllis Diller, Jackie Gleason, Bob Hope, Will Jordan, Alan King, Rich Little, Jackie Mason, Richard Pryor, Joan Rivers, Red Skelton, Flip Wilson

America's All-Star Tribute to Elizabeth Taylor (1989) (TV)

The title doesn't say it all. This is to honor Ms. Taylor on being an honoree of a "Hope Award", as in Bob and Dolores Hope. This is from a huge unnamed concert hall in Palm Desert, California; expect to see many faces from the oldies. You know you're in for a good time when the first person to the podium is the stud that was Charles Bronson. This is a grand celebration, Black Tie all the way. Overall a great evening, super star power and Stevie sings a personalized version of "I Just Called To Say...".

America's All-Star Tribute to Elizabeth Taylor (1989) (TV)
Cast: Angela Lansbury, Beau Bridges, Bob Hope, Burt Bacharach, Carol Burnett, Charles Bronson, Cyd Charisse, Dudley Moore, Kenny Rogers, Mickey Rooney, Robert Stack, Roddy McDowall, Stevie Wonder

Bob Hope's Yellow Ribbon Party (1991) (TV)

As part of an earlier promise to US forces, Bob Hope put on a homecoming show for US Troops who served in both the 1991 Persian Gulf War and the 1989 invasion of Panama from his Palm Springs, California home. Considered by many to be his final USO Show.

Great show, along with regulars like Brooke and Marie O, you'll see the fabulous Patti LaBelle singing like she's at a Black Tie evening event even though it's daytime and she's outdoors! Completely brings down the figurative house, she's just great. The audience is all regular folk, servicemen and women and their families. Full of pride and all sharing in their love of America and the American way. One of television's greatest hours. Bob was the man.

Bob Hope's Yellow Ribbon Party (1991) (TV)

Cast: Ann Jillian, Bob Hope, Brooke Shields, Clint Black, Clint Holmes, Delta Burke, Ed McMahon, Gerald McRaney, James Stewart, Marie Osmond, Patti LaBelle

NBC Investigates Bob Hope (1987) (TV)

Huge ensemble cast, and rapid-fire jokes make this a good time. Bob was the Man!

NBC Investigates Bob Hope (1987) (TV)
Cast: Army Archerd, Bob Hope, Brandon Tartikoff, Danny Thomas, Gary Owens, George Burns, Jack Carter, Louis Nye, Michael Landon, Milton Berle, Phil Donohue, Tom Selleck, Tony Randall

Bob Hope Buys NBC? (1985) (TV)

This is so rare I only have the first 20 minutes, very elusive. What is here is great stuff, corny as heck with a pretty funny premise. Brandon Tartikoff stars as himself and has to negotiate "the deal" with Bob.



Bob Hope Buys NBC? (1985) (TV)
Cast: Bob Hope, Cassandra Peterson, Lucille Ball, Lynda Carter, Michael J. Fox, Mr. T, Patricia Ayame Thomson