I did vote that I love his work. Quite happy to watch certain films - My Favourite Brunette, The Paleface, Sorrowful Jones, The Facts of Life, Beau James, The Seven Little Foys, The Princess and the Pirate to name some. Also don't mind his radio work. 

However, he is at his best with Bing.

Compared to the likes of Groucho, however, Hope was quite script dependent. He may have done the occasional ad-lib, but it was not where he was comfortable.

Hope came out to Australia a couple of times. In the mid-80s he appeared on a night-time show, The Don Lane Show. Don was an ex-pat American who came out here and worked the variety circuits before making his way into TV. I believe he had worked early on in Vegas before coming out to Australia. Don was given his own show in the mid 70s lasting until the mid-80s. When the format was being discussed Don insisted that one man had to be his regular sidekick...Bert Newton.

Melbourne-born Bert remains a legend of Australian TV. He passed away a couple of years ago at the age of 83. His domain was live TV. Although he could work from a script, Bert was at his best, off the cuff. He was brilliant when things went wrong on live TV. In fact, if a show was a bit sluggish, Bert would impishly set things awry just so he could start ad-libbing and make the whole thing much livelier. 

Such was his reputation that when Bob Hope was slated to appear on The Don Lane Show he was reluctant to appear with Bert for fear of not keeping up. Legend has it that Don spoke to Hope directly and said it would be okay because Bert was such a fan that he would not attempt to upstage him. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDDDay6OgDI

Bert is quite tame here, so please don't judge him from this clip. 

Just to explain something - Don and Bert speak about the Logies - this is Australia's TV industry awards like the Emmy in the US and the TV BAFTAS in the UK.

I don't know who Bert's favourite comedian was. There was a similarity to Hope but Bert really was his own man.

However, Bert often said his favourite singer was Bing, and his favourite actor was Spencer Tracy.

When Kathryn had the auction after Bing's passing, Bert had a friend in the US who was able to successfully bid on two items for him. One item was a pipe. The second item was a plaque given to Bing by our wartime Prime Minister John Curtain for his work in entertaining the allied troops. It is fitting that the plaque made its way back to Australia. As far as I know Bert's widow, Patti would still have it.

If Patti isn't sure what to do with the plaque - there's a chap up in Queensland who would happily look after it. Just a suggestion.

If I can convert you to Bert Newton, Ian...try this compilation that Channel 9 put together the week Bert passed away. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q1JRuoR3lY
Bert spent most of his TV career on Channel 9. He was on TV from the very beginning - 1956. He will always remain a great loss to Australian television. 
However from about 1994 to 2007 (I'd have to double check the dates), Bert hosted his own morning show on Channel 10. I remember Michael Feinstein appearing and the two of them got onto the topic of Bing. Bert had to be strong and steer the conversation back to other things, but you could tell both men were enjoying the chat about Bing. They both were gushing over Bing's renaissance years. Unfortunately I don't have this footage and nobody as yet has posted it on YouTube.

David Lobosco wrote:

I am definitely in the minority here. I voted that I only like Bob Hope when he was with Bing. I feel Bing made him funny. When I listen to his radio shows, Bob is not bad, but I don't laugh out loud like I do with Jack Benny or Jackie Gleason.

Not quite in the minority. Someone has voted against old ski-nose. Not sure who. When I hear criticisms of Hope I can understand where people are coming from.

I did vote for liking him but always prefer him with Bing rather than solo. He does work well with some others too - George Burns, Jack Benny, etc. And does will with Lucy, Jane Russell, Dottie, etc.
 

Aaron Tickner wrote:

David Lobosco wrote:

I am definitely in the minority here. I voted that I only like Bob Hope when he was with Bing. I feel Bing made him funny. When I listen to his radio shows, Bob is not bad, but I don't laugh out loud like I do with Jack Benny or Jackie Gleason.

Not quite in the minority. Someone has voted against old ski-nose. Not sure who. When I hear criticisms of Hope I can understand where people are coming from.

I did vote for liking him but always prefer him with Bing rather than solo. He does work well with some others too - George Burns, Jack Benny, etc. And does will with Lucy, Jane Russell, Dottie, etc.
 

Yes, as a considerable admirer of Hope, I do however understand other people's reservations over him. With his radio shows, for example, what was once considered sharp, quick and trend setting, easily now often sounds hokey and corny. I think radio wise, where Jack Benny and Burns & Allen still succeed is that they were always strictly set withn their own domestic worlds which oddly now renders them more timeless than Hope, who was always very current in his material references. 
 

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (Yesterday 10:57 am)

Yes, Carmela, Bob,  although topical, could never be described as an "attack" comedian who gradually began to appear in the late 1950's? Did you know he was a fan of the branded "sick comic" Lenny Bruce and also a great admirer of Steve Martin? He was indeed very strong on the Academy Awards, wasn't he? I think he undertook hosting duties around nineteen times and proved a very warm, smooth and gracious presenter.

Bing certainly had his reservations over Jerry Lewis, swiftly departing (while on with Bob), a soon to be shared stage with Dean & Jerry during a 1952 telethon, apparently afraid that Jerry's wild antics would knock off his toupée. Jack Benny, who was famous for never having anything bad to say about anyone, is reported to have declined attending a big Hollywood party on learning of Jerry's invitation. 

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (Yesterday 9:15 pm)