February 17, 2016
Bob Hope: A tribute to a man who
made a difference
On turning 70
‘I still chase women, but only downhill.’
On turning 80
‘That’s the time of your life when even your birthday suit needs pressing.’
On turning 90
‘You know you’re getting old when the candles cost more than the cake.’
On turning 100
‘I don’t feel old. In fact,
I don’t feel anything until noon. Then it’s time for my nap.’
On giving up his early career, boxing
‘I ruined my hands in the ring. The referee kept
stepping on them.’
On never winning an Oscar
‘Welcome to the Academy Awards, or, as it’s called at my home, ‘Passover.’
On golf
‘Golf is my profession. Show business is just to pay the green fees.’
On why he chose showbiz for his career
‘When I was born, the
doctor said to my mother,
Congratulations, you have an eight pound ham.’
On presidents
‘I have performed for 12
presidents but entertained only six.’
On receiving the Congressional Gold Medal
‘I feel very humble, but I think I have the strength of character to fight it.’
On his family’s early
poverty
‘Four of us slept in the one bed. When it got cold, mother threw on another brother.’
On his six brothers
‘That’s how I learned to dance. Waiting for the bathroom.’
On his early failures
‘I would not have had anything to eat if it wasn’t for the stuff the audience threw at me.’
On going to heaven
‘I’ve done benefits for ALL religions.
I’d hate to blow the hereafter on a technicality.’
