H3701

Happy Birthday

Bob Hope 100th Birthday

Cover Announcement 

As my long-term collectors know, I almost never do event covers. On rare occasions, such as for the Millennium, I deem that Collins cachets should be created for particular events. Bob Hope's recent celebration of his centennial Birthday was just such an occasion.

A superb showman and comedian, Bob Hope will perhaps be best remembered for his countless trips in this country and abroad to entertain U.S. servicemen and servicewomen. From his first camp show at March Field in California on May 6, 1941 to his final Christmas show in the Persian Gulf on the eve of the Gulf War in December of 1990 (at age 87), Bob Hope had a passion for supporting the U.S. military. In my hand painted cachet, I present a large portrait of Mr. Hope. On his cap, the emblem proclaims "Camp Shows" as a tribute to the laughter and good feelings that touched all of his military audiences.

Bob Hope has been a vaudeville star, a radio star, a movie star, a television star, and one of the best emcees who has ever lived. Born on May 29, 1903, Hope became a vaudeville star in the 1920s and made his stage debut in 1927 in New York City. His first radio show was the Capitol Family Hour in 1932. Bob did several Broadway shows from 1932 to 1936, and, in 1934, he hosted his own radio show on NBC beginning a sixty-year affiliation with that network.

In 1938, he did the film in which he first sang Thanks for the Memory. In 1940, he starred with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour in the first of the "road" pictures - The Road to Singapore. My hand painted cachet shows Hope and Lamour from the 1942 hit film The Road to Morocco in which they co-starred again with Bing Crosby.

From 1940 to 1978, Bob Hope either emceed or co-hosted the Academy Awards ceremonies twenty times. In 1950, he made his first television specials, including a Christmas show. In May of 1993, he celebrated his 90th Birthday with a TV special featuring Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton.

On May 29, 2003, I drove to the small rural village of Hope, New Jersey. There, using the recently issued Birthday stamp, I obtained a beautiful magenta hand cancellation on Bob Hope's 100th birthday. It is a philatelic tribute to this entertainment giant, and this gem will become one of the treasures of our hobby. It's a Collins exclusive, and I am proud to offer it to honor a giant of a man -- Bob Hope. Thanks for the Memories. Collins # H3701 - $12.25