Editing Bob Hope (section)

== Artistry and legacy ==
[[File:Cat-and-the-Canary-1939.jpg|thumb|left|[[Douglass Montgomery]], Bob Hope, [[Paulette Goddard]] and [[John Beal (actor)|John Beal]] in ''[[The Cat and the Canary (1939 film)|The Cat and the Canary]]'' (1939)]]

Hope helped establish modern American [[stand-up comedy]].<ref name="PBS" /> He was widely praised for his comedic timing and his specialization in the use of [[one-liner joke|one-liner]]s and rapid-fire delivery of jokes. He was known for his style of self-deprecating jokes, first building himself up and then tearing himself down. He performed hundreds of times per year.{{sfn|Quirk|1998|p=158}} Such early films as ''[[The Cat and the Canary (1939 film)|The Cat and the Canary]]'' (1939) and ''[[The Paleface (1948 film)|The Paleface]]'' (1948) were financially successful and praised by critics,{{sfn|Quirk|1998|pp=123, 183}} and by the mid-1940s, with his radio program getting good ratings as well, he was one of the most popular entertainers in the United States.{{sfn|Quirk|1998|p=153}} When Paramount threatened to stop production of the "Road" pictures in 1945, they received 75,000 letters of protest.{{sfn|Quirk|1998|p=172}}

[[File:Jerry colonna bob hope 1940 nbc.JPG|upright|thumb|Hope and his comic sidekick, [[Jerry Colonna (entertainer)|Jerry Colonna]], sporting his trademark handlebar mustache in 1940]]

Hope had no faith in his skills as a dramatic actor, and his performances of that type were not as well received.{{sfn|Quirk|1998|pp=184, 187}} He had been well known in radio until the late 1940s; however, as his ratings began to slip in the 1950s, he switched to television and became an early pioneer of that medium.{{sfn|Grudens|2002|p=160}}{{sfn|Quirk|1998|p=173}} He published several books, notably dictating to [[ghostwriter]]s about his wartime experiences.{{sfn|Quirk|1998|p=153}}

Although Hope made an effort to keep his material up to date, he never adapted his comic persona or his routines to any great degree. As Hollywood began to transition to the "[[New Hollywood]]" era in the 1960s, he reacted negatively, such as when he hosted the [[40th Academy Awards]] in 1968 and voiced his contempt by mocking the show's delay because of the assassination of [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] and condescendingly greeted attending younger actors on stage—such as [[Dustin Hoffman]], who was 30 at the time—as children.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Harris|first1=Mark|title=Pictures at a Revolution|date=2008|publisher=Penguin Press|page=409}}</ref> By the 1970s, his popularity was beginning to wane with military personnel and with the movie-going public in general.{{sfn|Quirk|1998|pp=255, 276, 314}} However, he continued doing USO tours into the 1980s{{sfn|Grudens|2002|p=161}} and continued to appear on television into the 1990s. Former First Lady [[Nancy Reagan]], a close friend and frequent host to him at the White House, called Hope "America's most honored citizen and our favorite clown".{{sfn|Quirk|1998|p=312}}

[[File:Bob Hope playing golf in the Oval Office.png|thumb|upright|left|Hope, a golf fan, putting a golf ball into an ashtray held by President [[Richard Nixon]] in the [[Oval Office]] in 1973]]

Hope was well known as an avid golfer, playing in as many as 150 charity tournaments a year.{{sfn|Grudens|2002|p=57}} Introduced to the game in the 1930s while performing in [[Winnipeg]], Canada,<ref name="Manitoba Historic Society 1988"/> he eventually played to a four [[Golf handicap|handicap]]. His love for the game—and the humor he could find in it—made him a sought-after [[foursome (golf)|foursome]] member. He once remarked that President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] gave up golf for painting: "Fewer strokes, you know."<ref name="panews May 1980"/> He also was quoted as saying, "It's wonderful how you can start out with three strangers in the morning, play 18 holes, and by the time the day is over you have three solid enemies."<ref name="Golf Hall of Fame" />

A golf club became an integral [[Theatrical property|prop]] for Hope during the standup segments of his television specials and USO shows. In 1978 he putted against the then-two-year-old [[Tiger Woods]] in a television appearance with the actor [[James Stewart|Jimmy Stewart]] on ''[[The Mike Douglas Show]]''.<ref name="Fox Sports 2012"/>

The [[Bob Hope Classic]], founded in 1960, made history in 1995 when Hope teed up for the opening round in a foursome that included Presidents [[Gerald Ford]], [[George H. W. Bush]], and [[Bill Clinton]], the only time three U.S. presidents played in the same golf foursome.<ref name="bhcc History"/> The event, now known as the CareerBuilder Challenge, was one of the few [[PGA Tour]] tournaments that took place over five rounds, until the 2012 tournament when it was cut back to the conventional four.<ref name="Business Wire"/>
{{Multiple image|perrow=4|total_width=400
| image1 = BOB_HOPE_star_for_Radio_on_Hollywood_Walk_of_Fame_photo_by_Steveshelokhonov_20220408_120342.jpg
| image2 = BOB_HOPE_star_for_Television_on_Hollywood_Walk_of_Fame_photo_by_Steveshelokhonov_20220408_151025_HDR.jpg
| image3 = BOB_HOPE_star_and_special_plaque_for_Live_performance_on_Hollywood_Walk_of_Fame_photo_by_Steveshelokhonov_20220408_145233.jpg
| image4 = BOB_HOPE_star_for_Motion_pictures_on_Hollywood_Walk_of_Fame_photo_by_Steveshelokhonov_20220408_121304.jpg
| footer = Bob Hope's four stars for [[Radio broadcasting]], [[Television]], [[United Service Organizations|Live performance]], and [[Motion pictures]] on [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] in [[Los Angeles]]
}}
Hope had a heavy interest in sports beyond golf and his brief fling as a professional boxer in his youth. In 1946, he bought a small stake in the [[Cleveland Indians]] professional baseball team<ref name="Windsor Star 1946"/> and held it for most of the rest of his life.<ref name="Rea 1982"/> He appeared on the June 3, 1963, cover of ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' magazine wearing an Indians uniform,<ref name="Sports Illustrated cover"/> and sang a special version of "Thanks for the Memory" after the Indians' last game at [[Cleveland Stadium]] on October 3, 1993.<ref name="Dawidziak 2003"/> He also bought a share with Bing Crosby of the [[Los Angeles Rams]] football team in 1947, but sold it in 1962.<ref name="Lodi News 1962"/> He frequently used his television specials to promote the annual AP [[College Football All-America Team]]. The players would come onstage one by one and introduce themselves, then Hope, often dressed in a football uniform, would give a one-liner about the player or his school.<ref name="FWAA 2009"/>