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Daily RepublicCoolerjin Independent Newspaper93rd Year Number 284 30 Pages Monday, September 20,1976; Mai! Tues., Sept. 21,1976 Mitchell, S.O. * ☆ Edition Single Copy 15*Lowe tonights upper 30i Highe tomorrows 60sAt Corn PalaceIt’s just like Vaudeville again for Hopethe soBy CHERYL ANN CRAKE fteevbBcCHy flitar the aj^Komtehte Bend begins to jpla^r« melody ofend soon_ to playare Identifiable with Bob Ho over 3,400 feces begin to smite iftd over 0,800 hands beginto applaud at the King of Comedy walks With his familiar strides to center stage or the Mitchell Corn Palace.For the audience at the 19ft Corn Palace Festival H la reateetone of the greatest comedians of all time who atdnda before them. For Bob Hope it is like a return to Vaudeville where he started over 33 years ago. Hope began his career as a comedian in the late 1990s doing several shows a day. Now he’s back in that same kind of situation doing two shows a day at the Corn Palace through Saturday.The audience of the Corn Palace is somewhat of a return to the old days, too. Since skyrocketing to the top of the entertainment world Hope has performed to audiences that number in the tens of thousands. But In Mitchell he’s playing to the right sited crowd and he likes the Idea, it's still my favorite site audience,” says Hope of the Corn Palace audience. However, before he finishes his week of appearances here he-will pt«y for approximately «, we persons.The Com Palace Show audience ia getting a sneakpreview of some of the material that may very well pop up on Hope's television specials later this fall. According to the comedian he is trying out a lot of new material on thisaudience. And while In Mitchell Hope will be viewing films for one at his upcoming television specials, a two-hour spectacular on “Bob Hope’s World of Comedy.” TheHope material at the Cora Palace covers all the subjects from religion to girls to Bing Crosby to the Corn Palace, to the drought to inflation and politics.Politics has always been one of Hope’s favoritesubjects. He has been making jokes about presidents and political figures since the Franklin D. Roosevelt era, andsoon the best of Hopes jokes about our presidents win beIt by Hope,published in a bookBut Hope has not only been able to joke about our presidents, he has also become friends with virtually all of them since FDR. But today Dwight Ike” Eisenhower still holds a tpedal place in the heart of the master entertainer. Hope says of all the presidents he has known he probably admires most the general from World War II who went on to become president. Eisenhower and Hope formed a close friendship through the years which Included frequent golf matches. Today Hope's wife Delores is on the board of directors of the Elsenhower Medical Center In Palm Springs and Hope is honorary chairman ofthe center and many of his benefit funds from his golfthetournaments goes to the support of the center, thoughwith the best sense of humor according to the King of • --- ' rkedComedy was John F. Kennedy. Kennedy kind of worlat it, but they all did,” Hope says. Hope remembers that Lyndon Johnson loved to tell jokes and that FDR seemedto direct the audience’s laughter with his own laughter at* Hope's routine.Hope has not only been able to make fun of the politicians, but he has also developed an educated interestin our political system. He actively supported President'3~ ■* edJohRichard Nixon in 1972 and he supported Johnson’s policies during the height of the Vietnam conflict.Hope admits he knows little about Sen. George McGovern who hails from Mitchell and attempted unsuccessfully to unseat Nixon as president in 1972. But Hope says he did not feel the senator from South Dakota was right for the job of President of the United States in 1972. He contemplated that just as Barry Goldwater wastoofar totbt right in 1964. McGovern was too far to the leftinir .•* “have your arms stretched to brace a lot of people. I don’tin 1972. When you run for the Presidency you've got to have your arms stretched to brace a lot or ithink McGovern did that,” said Hope.At age 73, the son of a Cleveland stonemason, Hope has come through the ranks from Vaudeville to Broadway to radio to motion pictures to television as a performer. And now he is about to set out on a new endeavor. I’m going to produce and direct pictures, says Hope andthree pilot programs are also in preparation for NBC'isTon, Helping t pilots is his oldest daughter, Linda.televito write some of the material for hisLinda is the only one of the four Hope children toludfremain somewhaf within her father’s profession, although they all took a try at it.For approximately 40 yean Hope has been married to the.girl singer who sang with himon Broadway, Delores Reade Hope. Hope it one of the few Hollywood per* son all ties to have achieved not only success as an entertainer but also a successful marriage. The reason says Hope is a mutual interest between he and Ids wife.Hope met Delores in the early 1930s and married her a few months later. She still sings and she went on four or five of my Christmas trips,” Hope said. 1 talked to herthis afternoon and she resents the fact I’m ’playinghe resaxes invaudeville’ without her,” remarks Hope as his Corn Palace dressing room.Hope it the man who has received Uie Congressional Medal at Honor for service* to democracy throughout the world, has received 31 honorary degrees, from colleges and universities, received the Academy of Motion Picture Arts first Gold Medsl, and the USO Silver Medal of Merit to name a few. But amid It alt he still considers those overseas visits to entertain American troops as the most satisfying event of his enreer.He notes with a warm grin on his face that every townhe plays has someone who’ll come up and tell him they' tilesaw him in 1944, or 1994 or 1968 while overseas in the Armed Forces.As his seemingly endless service to servicementhrough countless overseas performances to servicemen exemplifies, Hope is probably one of the most patriotic of Americans and ne stiH believes in the American spirit. He proudly talks about his America and its ability to overcome and comeback.” Hope says, We bounced out of depressions ... I think it is a very healthy sign. It means we can pull ourselves out of those depths. The American spirit is also something to contemplate. It is just tremendous, says Hope. ,Hope has conquered the world of entertainment to earn such pep as ‘Mr. Entertainment.’ On the horizon he sees several comedians to achieve the same status as a comedian. One of those is Freddie Prime. Hope says he can adapt well to several kinds of comedy. “Shecky Green and Da rid Steinberg, these kind of fellows are very good,’’ says Hope.Hope also commented that Norman Lear has achieved success in television with shock treatment. He reiterated that much of that shock treatment would not be tolerated 10 years ago.After the Corn Palace Show is a part of the memories Hope will keep right on going. He doesn’t have an open date until Mid-November in his present schedule, but he isn’t planning to retire, unless some unforeseen health oblem requires it For the man who has made comedy is business, the laughter of the audience actually givesSI,me therapy. says Hope. ‘IWhen the audience is having a good time I nave a good time.”Bob Hope was on the Corn Palace stage for over an hour muck to the delight of the capacity audiences at the opening Corn Palace Show performances. Hope drew standing ovations from the crowd as he talked his way tfarough a variety of subjects. This is Hope’s first time at the Corn Palace and he said be came npon the recommendation of Lawrence Welk, who has played the Palace tour times. Supporting Hope were the acrobatic family.The Bumpy Family, juggler, Dieter Tasso, singer Patriciannlshke Price and the Ray Komlshke Band. All were well received by the g South Dakota audience. (Republic photoa by Mary Lynn Locked)ymsmsmnsmmsassassessBSSk
Newspaper Details
Mitchell Daily Republic
Mitchell, South Dakota, US
Mon, Sep 20, 1976
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Dakota W.
SD, USA 23 Nov 2021
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