WE HAVEN'T LOST (Bob) HOPE

Come See Bob Hope at the Queen Mary

By C. MacDonald

LONG BEACH, CA--Bob Hope has returned to the Queen Mary, 75 years after he put on his first wartime comedy routine aboard the famous ship. "Bob Hope-An American Treasure" will make you laugh and cry and even bring you hope. The 2,200-square foot exhibit, featuring his incredible life story and how it impacted us all, appears through January, 2015.

"On Sept. 3, 1939, Bob and his wife, Dolores, were returning from Europe when war was declared," recounted current Queen Mary Commodore Everette Hoard. "German U-boats were looking to sink it, so windows were covered, the portholes were painted and many lights shut off. The ship's captain asked Bob to calm the nerves of the frightened passengers."

"Hope brought Hope. He made them laugh, showing how hard it was to dance in a life preserver. He sang, "Thanks for the Memories.....Some folks slept on the floor; some in the corridor but I was more exclusive, my room had 'Gentleman' above the door."

Danger was nothing new to Hope, who said, "I played in one tough town...on the marquee they had my name, age and beneficiary."

He loved "playing" the Queen Mary--"It's hard to lose the audience aboard a ship!" "During one of our wartime crossings, it was so rough you'd think Hitler was hiding in the hold and they were trying to shake him loose."

Once, while entertaining troops in Vietnam, his show went longer than usual. Bob and his entertainers returned to find their hotel blown up just minutes before by the enemy in an assassination attempt.

Hope, born in 1903 in Eltham, England, was a great humanitarian, said Jen Abel, who along with husband, Julian, were touring the new exhibit. "He was such a treasure, whose entertainment gave everyone a lift regardless of age, culture or background," said Julian from Kent, England.

The terrific exhibits, created with the World Golf Hall of Fame Museum and the Bob and Dolores Hope Foundation, features more than 170 artifacts, vintage photos, videos and more which effectively show his humility in helping make the World a better place, especially boosting morale.

For 50 years, he entertained over 10 million troops, logging more than 6 million miles from Da Nang, Vietnam to West Berlin, South Korea, Beirut and many other places. Somehow, he always managed to get to the troops no matter where they were--isolated on land or out in the sea. He provided smiles to troops when they needed it most. A sign during a Christmas Holiday Show in a battle area, read, "We haven't lost Hope!"

During one of his 1,000 shows, where bombs could be heard bursting nearby, he quipped: "I understand the enemy is very close and with my act, they always have been."

Later, during a serious moment, Hope, said, "I have seen what a laugh can do--transform unbelievable tears into something bearable, even hopeful." In 1987, during a comedy monologue aboard the Midway (now a museum in San Diego) in the Persian Gulf, he said, "I think it's really appropriate that the oldest aircraft carrier meets the oldest operational comedian."

A reporter friend of mine, once asked Bob, why he did not retire and go fishing. "Fish don't clap," was his response. Hope, who died at 100 in 2003, lives on in the minds of those lucky enough to have seen him in person or on TV. (The Bob Hope TV Show ran from 1955-71. His Christmas TV Shows and other specials ran to 1996.)

The astonishing exhibit on the Queen is "a must visit" to learn about this amazing fellow's life. There's also interesting trivia: He grew up in Cleveland and was part-owner of the Cleveland Indians when they won the World Series in 1948. You even can see his World Series Ring, Emmy and Oscar Awards, Congressional Gold Medals, priceless photos and much more.

Thanks for the memories to The Queen Mary (QueenMary.com; 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach; 877-342-0738) for sharing one of the World's most unselfish icons with us.