The Bob Hope Show

Listen to all posted episodes of The Bob Hope Show

Bob Hope is one of the most revered comedians of all time, and had an extremely long career. He was a prolific movie actor, and as the host of the Academy Awards for many years would often joke that he'd never won an Oscar. His film career included such hits as The Paleface and My Favorite Brunette, as well as the many "Road" pictures with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour. By the time Hope began his NBC radio show in 1937, he had notched more than ten years in show business. With his radio show spanning the years of World War II and the Korean War, Hope incorporated the show into his frequent USO tours, and a lot of the shows originate from military bases or battleships. Many of the shows on the USO tours include only his regular company, which included at times Jerry Colonna, Margaret Whiting and Doris Day. The shows from Hollywood almost always featured guest stars. His relationship with NBC lasted for over 60 years, through his many TV specials. Bob Hope's radio shows never tried significantly to develop a cast of characters, as Jack Benny did. They're more or less standard variety shows with jokes, songs and sketches, carried along by Hope's considerable charm.