HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BOB!

A Salute to Bob Hope’s 80th Birthday ~ May 23, 1983

James
Lipton, Executive
Producer
Don
Mischer, Director
Gig Henry, Robert
L. Mills, Fred S.
Fox, Seaman Jacobs, James Lipton, Writers
Carl
Jablonski, Choreographer

Bob
Hope, Guest of Honor / Performer
Ronald
Reagan, President of the United States / Performer
Nancy
Reagan, First Lady

Bob
Fitzimmons, Announcer

Performers

• Lucille
  Ball
• Christie
  Brinkley
• George
  Burns
• Lynda
  Carter
• Howard
  Cosell
• Kathryn
  Crosby
• Phyllis
  Diller
• Roberto
  Duran
• Sheena
  Easton
• Marvin
  Hagler
• Dolores
  Hope
• Julio
  Iglesias
• Ann
  Jillian
• Bobby
  Jones and the New Life Singers
• Jim
  Henson (as the voice of Kermit the Frog)
• Loretta
  Lynn
• Barbara
  Mandrell
• Dudley
  Moore
• George
  C. Scott
• Tom
  Selleck
• Raymond
  P. Shafer
• Brooke
  Shields
• Cheryl
  Tiegs
• Tommy
  Tune (as Billy Buck Chandler from My One and Only)
• Twiggy
  (as Edith Herbert from My One and Only)
• United
  States Army Band and Chorus
• United
  States Marine Band
• United
  States Navy Band
• United
  States Air Force Band,
• United
  States Coast Guard Band
• Flip
  Wilson (as Geraldine Jones)

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This
three-hour special honors Bob Hope on his 80th birthday. The event
was taped on May 20th at the John F. Kennedy Center (Opera House) in
Washington DC and aired on NBC TV the following Monday from 8pm to
11pm EST.

A
similar event was held five years earlier for Hope’s 75th birthday. It was also a three-hour star-studded extravaganza at the
Kennedy Center and aired on NBC. Lucille Ball, Dolores Hope, George
Burns, Kathryn Crosby, George C. Scott, and Jim Henson were also a
part of the 1978 program.

In
1985, Bob Hope returned to the Kennedy Center for “The
Kennedy Center Honors.”
Perhaps because of scheduling, Hope was noticeably absent when
Lucille Ball received the same honor the following year. In 1988,
Hope returned to the Kennedy Center stage to tribute George Burns on
“The Kennedy Center Honors.”

Of
those celebrities performing, Lucille Ball had appeared with Bob
Hope, George Burns, and Flip Wilson – all on “The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy.”

This
special earned a 23.9 rating and a 38 share, the highest of the
evening. Ironically, (considering the venue was the Kennedy Center)
it was opposite a rerun of an ABC TV movie about Jacqueline Bouvier
Kennedy. CBS re-ran sitcoms and an episode of “Cagney & Lacey.”

Frank
Sinatra was scheduled to appear, but pulled out before the show
taped. This also meant that dancers Mikhail Baryshnikov and Twyla
Tharp did not appear. They were scheduled to dance to Sinatra’s
singing.

Critically speaking, although
in Bob Hope’s vast show business career he certainly knew a great
many performers, it is often hard for the viewer to discern the
connection between Bob Hope and the performance.  If the show were
boiled down to Hope-themed entertainment, it likely would have run
half of its three-hour air time.

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The
celebration opens with Hope chatting with President
Ronald Reagan
in the White House’s Lincoln Bedroom. Hope says that Reagan is the ninth President
that he has met. A former actor, Reagan and Hope reminisce about
the old days in Hollywood.

Hope
(about the Lincoln Bedroom): “I
find it a little better than the Ramada Inn.”

The
performance is held at the Opera House of the Kennedy Center in
Washington, D.C. and includes songs, comedy, and tributes from celebrity performers. Bob Hope and President Reagan occupy the President’s box with their wives Dolores and Nancy. 

Flanked
by bands from the four branches of the military, Lynda
Carter
(“Wonder Woman”) sings “Hey, Bob Honey” (aka “Hey, Big
Spender” from the musical Sweet
Charity
by Cy Coleman), “Thank Heaven for Robert Hope” (aka “Thank
Heaven for Little Girls” from the musical Gigi
by
Frederick Loewe), and “Ease on Down The Road” (from the musical
The Wiz by Charlie Smalls), a reference to Hope’s “Road” pictures
with Bing Crosby. All three songs have lyrics specially written for
the occasion.  

After
a commercial break, Tom
Selleck
(“Magnun P.I.”) talks about Hope’s background and references the
previous birthday celebration at the Kennedy Center five years
earlier.

Wearing
a purple gown, Flip
Wilson
takes the stage as his character Geraldine Jones. With her three
back-up singers (The Extremes) Geraldine sings a funky
“Toot-Toot-Tootsie (Goo’ bye)” written in 1922 by Gus Kahn, Ernie
Erdman, and Dan Russo. The lyrics incorporate her catch-phrase “the
Devil made me do it.” Flip Wilson (but not Geraldine) had appeared on “Here’s Lucy” in 1971.

Sheena
Easton
sings “Just One Smile” written by Randy Newman and “When
He Shines" by Dominic Bugatti and Florrie Palmer.

Howard
Cosell,
in his inimitable ‘motor mouth’ style, introduces boxers Roberto Duran and Marvin
Haggler. Instead of a strict boxing match, the two are involved in a
dance number where they do warm-ups and engage in a stylized match.
Geraldine (Flip Wilson) wanders into the ring and throw a punch, but
Cosell declares that “Rapid Robert” Hope is the winner!  “Rapid
Robert” was Hope’s nickname because of his quick-fire comic
delivery. (Of course, there may be another, more salacious, reason!)

Oops!  Flip Wilson has some dialogue during the music that is obviously
pre-recorded. He forgets to lip-synch. Also, when hopping up in down
in victory, Wilson is wearing silk boxing shorts whose movement
betrays he is not a she, but a he!  

Country
singer Loretta
Lynn
dedicates her first song to Nancy
Reagan and
Dolores Hope:
“Love is the Foundation”
by William C. Hall. For her second song, she sings “Secret Love”
by
Sammy
Fain
and Paul
Francis Webster for the musical film Calamity
Jane
(1953). Coincidentally, this song was also sung at Bob Hope’s 7th Birthday at the Kennedy Center – by Miss Piggy (aka Frank Oz).

Comedian
George
Burns
is introduced as the author of “How to Live To Be 100 – Or More,”
a book he published earlier in 1983. Little did Burns and Hope know
that they would indeed live to exactly 100 (but not much more). Burns died
in 1996 and Hope lived until 2003. Burns was also present at Hope’s
75th birthday party. He gets a standing ovation from the audience.
Naturally, Burns’ routine is about aging and retirement. Burns sings
“I Wish I Was 18 Again” by Sonny Throckmorton. He had released
the song on an album and a single in 1978 when he was a mere 82 years
old.

Hope’s
voice-over names some of the women (accompanied by still photos) who
have been on his USO tours: Jayne Mansfield, Gina Lolobridgida, Jill
St. John, Ann-Margret, Joey Heatherton, and ending with Ann
Jillian
and the Hollywood Blondes, live on stage. They sing a medley
featuring “Hit Me With A Hot Note” (by Duke Ellington), “Beat
Me Daddy Eight to the Bar” (by Don Raye, Ray McKinley, and Hughie
Prince), and “This Joint Is Jumpin’” (by Fats Waller).

Phyllis
Diller
steps on stage in an outrageous outfit. She talks about aging
including her many face lifts. At the end of her set, Diller
presciently says “I
wish for you what I wish for me – that you live to be 100.”
Hope did, Diller didn’t. She made it to 95, passing away in August
2012.

Julio
Iglesias
sings “True Love” by Cole Porter, a song introduced in the 1956
film High
Society.
The song segues into “I Wish You Love” and “La Vie En Rose.”

After
intermission (at least in the theatre), Dudley
Moore
talks about Bob Hope and their shared British heritage, making up the
facts for the sake of the comedy. Sitting at a grand piano, Moore
fuses the theme from Bridge
Over the River Kwaii with
Beethoven.

Oops!
There is a bit of audio feedback just before Moore plays the piano.
He giggles and looks offstage and says “thank you.”  

Lucille
Ball enters
to the “I Love Lucy” theme and an overwhelming round of applause. Ball
references that she was at the Kennedy Center five years ago for
Hope’s 75th.
Lucy asks that Reagan not give too many press conferences because he
pre-empts about 100 “I Love Lucy” reruns. Lucy compares Hope’s on-screen love-making with his golf game. She sings “Hey, Look Him
Over” aka “Hey, Look Me Over” by Cy Coleman. Lucille Ball
introduced the song in the 1960 Broadway musical Wildcat.
Special lyrics were written for this occasion. This must be like
deja vu for Lucy, who sang the same exact song on the same exact spot
to the same exact person five years earlier.

Hope: “Lucille Ball’s still all over the tube. Only this morning I got her on my Waterpik.”

Barbara
Mandrell sings Hope’s praises with an original song about him incorporating
references to his life, his movies, and his co-stars.

Sheena
Easton returns, this time with Kermit
the Frog
(voiced by Jim
Henson).
The sketch revolves around Princess Sheena kissing Kermit to turn him
into a prince. Despite her best efforts, it fails. She sings “Just
the Way You Are” by Billy Joel. Kermit chimes in as well. The song
has specially written lyrics to match the storybook scenario.  

Barbara
Mandrell is back to sing a gospel song with the help of Bobby
Jones and the New Life Singers.
Their spirited song includes “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.”

Set in
a New York photo studio in 1933, Christie
Brinkley, Brooke Shields, and
Cheryl Tiegs, model the latest fashions. After a wordless fashion parade,
the women exchange witty banter at their vanity
tables. Turns out all three are dating the same man – Bob Hope! The trio sing “You Made
Me Love You (I Didn’t Want To Do It)” by James
V. Monaco and Joseph
McCarthy.
In
real-life they had all been part of Bob Hope specials,
with Shields one of his favorite young stars.

Tom
Selleck introduces Tommy
Tune
and
Twiggy
in a song from the Tony nominated Broadway musical My
One and Only.
This is touted as the television premiere of a song from My
One and Only. They
perform “S’Wonderful” by George and Ira Gershwin. It
was originally introduced in the 1927 Broadway
musical
Funny
Face.
At the Tony Awards on June 5, 1983, My
One and Only
would win three of its nine Tony nominations, including one for Tommy
Tune.

Kathryn
Crosby,
Bing’s widow, talks about when she first became aware of Hope and
Crosby. She introduces Bob’s wife, Dolores
Hope (above),
who sings “What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life?” by Alan and
Marilyn Bergman written for the 1969 film The
Happy Ending.

George
C. Scott,
who also attended the 75th birthday show, reads messages from well-wishers including
international politicians from Germany, England, Canada, China, and
Pope John Paul II.  A huge birthday card is brought on with 50,000
signatures!

Scott
introduces President Ronald
Reagan,
who joins
in the festivities by paying tribute to and publicly thanking Hope
for his dedicated service to the USO. Scott introduces Bob Hope, who delivers
a monologue to wrap up the affair. 

Hope:
“Security
was really tight in that Presidential box. One agent checked me for
bombs and threw out half my monologue.”

The
show concludes with former Governor
Raymond Shafer
(representing the USO) presenting Hope with a glass eagle fashioned
by Corning. Hope sings “Thanks for the Memory” by Ralph Rainger
with special lyrics for the occasion. 

A birthday cake for Bob Hope is
wheeled out by an honor guard, followed by smaller cakes for Dolores Hope
(whose birthday is May 27), Brooke Shields (whose 18th birthday is May 31), and Marvin Haggler (who has a birthday on May 23).  Everyone sings “Happy
Birthday” as the final credits roll.

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