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82-477: Thomas Peter Shadyac (born December 11, 1958) is an American director, producer, and writer. The youngest joke-writer ever for comedian Bob Hope , Shadyac is widely known for writing and directing the comedy films Ace Ventura: Pet Detective , The Nutty Professor , Liar Liar , Patch Adams , and Bruce Almighty . In 2010, Shadyac retired from the comedy genre and wrote, directed, and narrated his own documentary film I Am , that explores his abandonment of

164-479: A celebrity comic book titled The Adventures of Bob Hope to National Periodical Publications, alias DC Comics . The comic, originally featuring publicity stills of Hope on the cover, was entirely made up of fictional stories, eventually including fictitious relatives, a high school taught by movie monsters, and a superhero called Super-Hip . It was published intermittently and continued publication through issue #109 in 1969. Illustrators included Bob Oksner and (for

246-453: A 1930 screen test for the RKO - Pathé short-subject studio at Culver City, California . In the early days, Hope's career included appearances on stage in vaudeville shows and Broadway productions. He began performing on the radio in 1934 mostly with NBC radio, and switched to television when that medium became popular in the 1950s. He started hosting regular TV specials in 1954, and hosted

328-718: A Washington, D.C. attorney, was a longtime friend of comedian, actor and TV producer Danny Thomas . Thomas's charity and lifelong efforts were aimed at the founding and development of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Richard C. Shadyac Sr. served as the CEO of St. Jude's fundraising arm, American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC), from 1992 to 2005, and died in September 2009 in McLean, Virginia. His brother, Richard C. Shadyac Jr., worked as an attorney in

410-413: A butcher's assistant as well as a brief stint at Cleveland's Chandler Motor Car Company in his early 20s. Hope and his girlfriend later signed up for dancing lessons, encouraged after they performed in a three-day engagement at a club. Hope then formed a partnership with Lloyd Durbin, a friend from the dancing school. Silent film comedian Fatty Arbuckle saw them perform in 1925 and found them work with

492-484: A different girl on his arm every night. He was still having affairs into his 80s..." I Am (2010 American documentary film) Tom Shadyac suffered post-concussion syndrome after a bicycle accident in Virginia in 2007, experiencing months of acute headaches and hyper-sensitivity to light and noise. He slept in a closet due to chronic tinnitus that lasted more than six months. It was this constant ringing that

574-556: A duet with an often much younger female guest star such as Barbara Mandrell , Olivia Newton-John , Barbara Eden , and Brooke Shields , or with his wife Dolores, a former singer with whom he dueted on two specials. On April 26, 1970, CBS released the Raquel Welch television special Raquel! ; in it Hope appears as a guest. Hope's 1970 and 1971 Christmas specials for NBC—filmed in Vietnam in front of military audiences at

656-481: A few staged charity bouts later in life. In December 1920, 17-year-old Hope and his brothers became US citizens when their British parents became naturalised Americans . In 1921, while working as a lineman for a power company, Hope was assisting his brother Jim in clearing trees when a tree crashed to the ground, crushing his face; the accident required reconstructive surgery, which contributed to his later distinctive appearance. In his teens, he had also worked as

738-426: A frequent White House visitor over the years. The special, though different from his usual specials, received high praise from Variety , as well as other reviews. Following a brief appearance at the 50th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1997, Hope made his last TV appearance in a 1997 commercial about the introduction of Big Kmart , directed by Penny Marshall . Hope helped establish modern American stand-up comedy . He

820-423: A gig for about 10 years. I can't tell you how many jobs I applied for where they just didn't hire me. I had left the private club, and the private club didn't want me back in." Shadyac is an outspoken Christian, and stated in a 2013 interview that he equates the concept of "God" with "mystery source." Executive producer Producer Bob Hope Leslie Townes " Bob " Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003)

902-583: A golf club on stage during the week of USO performances he taped for his TV show The Colbert Report during the 2009 season. Dear Bob... Bob Hope's Wartime Correspondence with the G.I.s of WW2, written by Martha Bolton (first woman staff writer for Bob Hope) and Linda Hope (eldest daughter of Bob Hope), reveals the heart of the entertainer who became a best friend to the troops. Hope's first Broadway appearances, in 1927's The Sidewalks of New York and 1928's Ups-a-Daisy , were minor walk-on parts. He returned to Broadway in 1933 to star as Huckleberry Haines in

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984-583: A homeless shelter in Charlottesville, Virginia and making a key donation to Telluride, Colorado 's effort to set aside a natural area at the town's entrance. He reoriented and simplified his life, sold his 17,000-square-foot (1,600 m ) Los Angeles mansion and moved into a trailer park – albeit the exclusive Paradise Cove park in Malibu . As medical treatments failed to help, he isolated himself completely, sleeping in his closet and walling

1066-584: A homeless shelter in Charlottesville, Virginia , and made a key donation to an initiative in Telluride, Colorado to set aside a natural area at the town's entrance. He sold his 17,000-square-foot (1,600 m) Los Angeles mansion and moved into the exclusive Paradise Cove trailer park in Malibu, California . Shadyac sought to reorient and simplify his life; he removed himself from the film industry and wrote about his experience in Life's Operating Manual . When he

1148-730: A light opera singer from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan , who later worked as a cleaner. William and Avis married in April 1891 and lived at 12 Greenwood Street in Barry before moving to Whitehall, Bristol , and then to St George, Bristol . The family emigrated to the United States aboard the SS Philadelphia , passing through Ellis Island , New York on March 30, 1908, before moving on to Cleveland, Ohio . From age 12, Hope earned pocket money by singing, dancing, and performing comedy on

1230-517: A materialistic lifestyle following his involvement in a bicycle accident three years earlier. Shadyac is a former professor of communication at Pepperdine University 's Seaver College. In 2011, he was a participant in the Conference on World Affairs. In 2015, Shadyac began teaching film at the University of Colorado Boulder , beginning with that year's Spring semester. Shadyac teaches film at

1312-640: A professional boxer in his youth. In 1946, he bought a small stake in the Cleveland Indians professional baseball team and held it for most of the rest of his life. He appeared on the June 3, 1963, cover of Sports Illustrated magazine wearing an Indians uniform, and sang a special version of "Thanks for the Memory" after the Indians' last game at Cleveland Stadium on October 3, 1993. He also bought

1394-642: A prominent status in Hollywood and received frequent offers from significant figures in the comedy industry, keen to collaborate with him. He frequently cast Carrey in lead roles and his hit films with Carrey include Bruce Almighty and Liar Liar . Examples of other Shadyac films include his collaboration with Eddie Murphy on The Nutty Professor movie series; Patch Adams , starring Robin Williams ; Dragonfly with Kevin Costner ; and Evan Almighty ,

1476-468: A score of 38 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". The Los Angeles Times said the film was "a collection of sound bites that validate the filmmaker's point of view. What lifts the film above its dubious boilerplate assemblage of talking heads and archival images is Shadyac himself. With his gentle, self-mocking humor, he comes across as an exceptionally mellow, earnest and likable guy." Film critic Roger Ebert gave

1558-781: A secretary from Chicago, Illinois, who was the daughter of Edward and Mary (McGinnes) Troxell. They were married on January 25, 1933, in Erie, Pennsylvania. They divorced in November 1934. The couple had shared headliner status with Joe Howard at the Palace Theatre in April 1931, performing "Keep Smiling" and the "Antics of 1931". They worked together at the RKO Albee, performing the "Antics of 1933" along with Ann Gillens and Johnny Peters in June of that year. The following month, singer Dolores Reade joined Hope's vaudeville troupe and

1640-521: A share with Bing Crosby of the Los Angeles Rams football team in 1947, but sold it in 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. Hope was briefly married to vaudeville partner Grace Louise Troxell (1912–1992),

1722-531: A touring troupe called Hurley's Jolly Follies. Within a year, Hope had formed an act called the "Dancemedians" with George Byrne and the Hilton Sisters , conjoined twins who performed a tap-dancing routine on the vaudeville circuit. Hope and Byrne also had an act as Siamese twins ; they sang and danced while wearing blackface until friends advised Hope that he was funnier by himself. In 1929, Hope informally changed his first name to "Bob". In one version of

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1804-441: A week. The original staff included Mel Shavelson , Norman Panama , Jack Rose , Sherwood Schwartz , and Schwartz's brother Al . The writing staff eventually grew to fifteen. The show became the top radio program in the country. Regulars on the series included Jerry Colonna and Barbara Jo Allen as spinster Vera Vague. Hope continued his lucrative career in radio into the 1950s, when radio's popularity began being overshadowed by

1886-605: Is across the street from the Stax Museum of American soul music. Shadyac was married to Jennifer Barker in 1997. They eventually divorced. In 2007, Shadyac suffered post-concussion syndrome after a bicycle accident in Virginia, and experienced a prolonged period of acute headaches and hyper-sensitivity to light and sound. The injury followed the cumulative effects of previous mild head injuries Shadyac had suffered from surfing, mountain biking, and playing basketball. Shadyac

1968-588: Is impossible to see how he can do so much, can cover so much ground, can work so hard, and can be so effective. He works month after month at a pace that would kill most people. Along with his best friend Bing Crosby, Hope was offered a commission in the United States Navy as lieutenant commander during World War II, but FDR intervened, believing it would be better for troop morale if they kept doing what they were doing by playing for all branches of military service. For his service to his nation through

2050-595: The Academy Awards nineteen times from 1939 through 1977. Overlapping with this was his movie career, spanning 1934 to 1972, and his USO tours, which he conducted from 1941 to 1991. Hope signed a contract with Educational Pictures of New York for six short comedies. The first was a comedy, Going Spanish (1934). He was not happy with it, and told newspaper columnist Walter Winchell , "When they catch [bank robber] Dillinger , they're going to make him sit through it twice." Educational Pictures took umbrage at

2132-756: The Jerome Kern / Dorothy Fields musical Roberta . Stints in the musicals Say When , the 1936 Ziegfeld Follies with Fanny Brice , and Red, Hot and Blue with Ethel Merman and Jimmy Durante followed. Hope reprised his role as Huck Haines in a 1958 production of Roberta at The Muny Theater in Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri . Additionally, Hope rescued the Eltham Little Theatre in England from closure by providing funds to buy

2214-519: The Key Club , and made the Junior National and National Honor Societies. In both 1975 and 1976, Shadyac was included in the now-defunct "Who's Who Among High School Students" book, prior to his graduation in 1976. As a pre-law student at the University of Virginia , Shadyac produced a poster entitled "Are You a Preppie?" Borrowing from the style of National Lampoon magazine, and based on

2296-641: The Korean War , the Vietnam War, the third phase of the Lebanon Civil War , the latter years of the Iran–Iraq War , and the 1990–91 Persian Gulf War . His USO career lasted a half-century during which he headlined 57 times. He had a deep respect for the men and women who served in the armed forces, and this was reflected in his willingness to go anywhere to entertain them. However, during

2378-578: The University of Memphis . Shadyac was born in Falls Church, Virginia to Julie and Richard Shadyac, a lawyer. His mother was of Lebanese descent, while his father was of half- Irish and half-Lebanese ancestry. His mother, who died of cancer in 1998, had become semi-quadriplegic and spent much of Shadyac's adult life in a wheelchair. Shadyac attended J. E. B. Stuart High School in Falls Church, where he had played basketball, participated in

2460-556: 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. By the 1970s, his popularity was beginning to wane with military personnel and with

2542-715: The 1968 telecast, he quipped, "Welcome to the Academy Awards, or, as it's known at my house, Passover ." Although he was never nominated for an Oscar, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored him with four honorary awards, and in 1960 presented him with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award , given each year as part of the Oscars ceremony. Hope's career in broadcasting began on radio in 1934. His first regular series for NBC Radio

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2624-528: The 28-year-old Joan Collins in place of Lamour, whom Crosby thought was too old for the part. They had planned one more movie together in 1977, The Road to the Fountain of Youth , but filming was postponed when Crosby was injured in a fall, and the production was canceled when he suddenly died of heart failure that October. Hope starred in 54 theatrical features between 1938 and 1972, as well as cameos and short films. Most of his later movies failed to match

2706-594: The Desert Storm tour, and granddaughter Miranda appeared alongside him on an aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean. Of Hope's USO shows in World War II, novelist John Steinbeck , who then was working as a war correspondent, wrote in 1943: When the time for recognition of service to the nation in wartime comes to be considered, Bob Hope should be high on the list. This man drives himself and is driven. It

2788-464: The Foundation for I Am, which supports various charities. On Rotten Tomatoes , the film has an approval rating of 36% based on 47 reviews, with an average rating of 5.16/10. The website's critical consensus reads, " I Am is undeniably well-meaning - and unfortunately proof that a filmmaker's best intentions aren't enough to guarantee a worthwhile viewing experience." On Metacritic the film has

2870-543: The Memory " was his signature tune. He was praised for his comedic timing, specializing in one-liners and rapid-fire delivery of jokes that were often self-deprecating. Between 1941 and 1991, he made 57 tours for the United Service Organizations (USO), entertaining military personnel around the world. In 1997, Congress passed a bill that made him an honorary veteran of the Armed Forces. Hope

2952-414: The Memory ", which later became his trademark, was introduced in the film as a duet with Shirley Ross , accompanied by Shep Fields and his orchestra. The sentimental, fluid nature of the music allowed Hope's writers—he depended heavily upon joke writers throughout his career —to later create variations of the song to fit specific circumstances, such as bidding farewell to troops while on tour or mentioning

3034-685: The USO, he was awarded the Sylvanus Thayer Award by the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1968, the first entertainer to receive the award. A 1997 act of Congress signed by President Bill Clinton named Hope an "Honorary Veteran". He remarked, "I've been given many awards in my lifetime, but to be numbered among the men and women I admire most is the greatest honor I have ever received." In an homage to Hope, comedian/TV host Stephen Colbert carried

3116-460: The Washington area for 27 years and had joined the board of ALSAC in 2000. In September 2009 Richard C. Shadyac Jr. was appointed president and chief executive officer of ALSAC in Memphis. After filming I Am , Shadyac moved to Memphis, where he continued philanthropic work but tried to continue with moviemaking projects. He lamented during production of Brian Banks : "I've been trying to get

3198-518: The World? and What Can We Do About it? The film is about "human connectedness, happiness, and the human spirit," and explores Shadyac's personal journey, "the nature of humanity" and the "world's ever-growing addiction to materialism." The film received a 23-minute standing ovation at its premiere screening. In 2013 Shadyac published a book entitled Life's Operating Manual and appeared on HBO's live broadcast show Real Time with Bill Maher as part of

3280-409: The World? and What Can We Do About it? . It is about "human connectedness, happiness, and the human spirit", and explores themes including Darwinism, Western mores, loneliness, the economy, and the drive to war. The documentary includes animated scenes explaining scientific concepts, as well as clips from the films Wall Street and It's a Wonderful Life . Proceeds from the documentary went to

3362-403: The actress most associated with his film career although he made movies with dozens of leading ladies , including Katharine Hepburn , Paulette Goddard , Hedy Lamarr , Lucille Ball , Rosemary Clooney , Jane Russell , and Elke Sommer . Hope and Crosby teamed not only for the "Road" pictures, but for many stage, radio, and television appearances and many brief movie appearances together over

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3444-468: The choir is not a bad thing, but the preacher has to do something more to keep the choir awake ... Tom Shadyac’s view of what we need to keep our world from continuing on its downward spiral would have carried more gravitas had he said it better and with more convincing clarity. It would, indeed, be helpful if a how-to book for existence were available. Shadyac is a former adjunct professor of communication at Pepperdine University 's Seaver College. In 2011 he

3526-446: The decades until Crosby died in 1977. Although the two invested together in oil leases and other business ventures, worked together frequently, and lived near each other, they rarely saw each other socially. After the release of Road to Singapore (1940), Hope's screen career took off, and he had a long and successful run. After an 11-year hiatus from the "Road" genre, he and Crosby reteamed for The Road to Hong Kong (1962), starring

3608-491: The doctors could not treat that led him to suicidal thoughts. The injury followed the cumulative effects of previous mild head injuries Shadyac had suffered surfing, mountain biking and playing basketball. In 2011, a New York Times article stated that "the symptoms of a concussion [didn't] go away. Something as simple as a trip to the grocery store was painful for Shadyac, whose brain was unable to filter various stimuli. Shadyac subsequently gave away his excess fortune, opening

3690-490: The end of his career, worsening vision problems rendered him unable to read his cue cards. In October 1996, he announced he was ending his 60-year contract with NBC, joking that he "decided to become a free agent". His final television special, Laughing with the Presidents , was broadcast in November 1996, with host Tony Danza helping him present a personal retrospective of presidents of the United States known to Hope,

3772-461: The game in the 1930s while performing in Winnipeg , Canada, he eventually played to a four handicap . His love for the game—and the humor he could find in it—made him a sought-after foursome member. He once remarked that President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave up golf for painting: "Fewer strokes, you know." He also was quoted as saying, "It's wonderful how you can start out with three strangers in

3854-479: The height of the war—are on the list of the Top 46 U.S. network prime-time telecasts . Both were seen by more than 60 percent of the U.S. households watching television. Likely the most unusual of his television specials was Joys! , a parody of murder mystery narratives, where the audience discovers at the end of the broadcast that Johnny Carson was the villain. Beginning in early 1950, Hope licensed rights to publish

3936-452: The highly controversial Vietnam War , Hope had trouble convincing some performers to join him on tour, but he was accompanied on at least one USO tour by Ann-Margret . Anti-war sentiment was high, and his pro-troop stance made him a target of criticism from some quarters. Some shows were drowned out by boos; others were listened to in silence. The tours were funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, Hope's television sponsors, and by NBC ,

4018-575: The large number of preppies in Charlottesville and nearby Richmond, Virginia , the poster preceded the more well-known The Official Preppy Handbook . The poster went into multiple printings and served as a fundraiser for his fraternity, Sigma Chi . Shadyac graduated from UVA in 1981, and later received his master's degree in film from the UCLA Film School in 1989, after completing the critically acclaimed short film Tom, Dick and Harry . Shadyac moved to Los Angeles in 1983 and, at age 24,

4100-478: The last four issues) Neal Adams . While aboard RMS  Queen Mary when World War II began in September 1939, Hope volunteered to perform a special show for the passengers, during which he sang "Thanks for the Memory" with rewritten lyrics. He performed his first USO show on May 6, 1941, at March Field in California, and continued to travel and entertain troops for the rest of World War II, later during

4182-407: 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. He published several books, notably dictating to ghostwriters about his wartime experiences. 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

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4264-675: The legal guardians of Tracey, the youngest daughter of famous New York City bar owner Bernard "Toots" Shor and his wife, Marion "Baby" Shor. In 1935, the couple lived in Manhattan. In 1937, they moved to 10346 Moorpark Street in the Toluca Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, where they would reside until their respective deaths. Hope had a reputation as a womanizer and continued to see other women throughout his marriage. Zoglin wrote, "Bob Hope had affairs with chorus girls, beauty queens, singers and showbiz wannabes through his 70s; he had

4346-408: The mid-1940s, with his radio program getting good ratings as well, he was one of the most popular entertainers in the United States. When Paramount threatened to stop production of the "Road" pictures in 1945, they received 75,000 letters of protest. Hope had no faith in his skills as a dramatic actor, and his performances of that type were not as well received. He had been well known in radio until

4428-447: The morning, play 18 holes, and by the time the day is over you have three solid enemies." A golf club became an integral 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 Jimmy Stewart on The Mike Douglas Show . The Bob Hope Classic , founded in 1960, made history in 1995 when Hope teed up for

4510-477: The movie-going public in general. However, he continued doing USO tours into the 1980s 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". Hope was well known as an avid golfer, playing in as many as 150 charity tournaments a year. Introduced to

4592-501: The names of towns in which he was performing. As a film star, Hope was best known for such comedies as My Favorite Brunette and the highly successful " Road " movies in which he starred with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour . The series consists of seven films made between 1940 and 1962: Road to Singapore (1940), Road to Zanzibar (1941), Road to Morocco (1942), Road to Utopia (1946), Road to Rio (1947), Road to Bali (1952), and The Road to Hong Kong (1962). At

4674-508: The network that broadcast the television specials created after each tour from footage shot on location. However, the footage and shows were owned by Hope's own production company, which made them very lucrative ventures for him, as outlined by writer Richard Zoglin in his 2014 biography Hope: Entertainer of the Century . Hope sometimes recruited his own family members for USO travel. His wife, Dolores, sang from atop an armored vehicle during

4756-535: 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. 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. Hope had a heavy interest in sports beyond golf and his brief fling as

4838-762: The outset, Paramount executives were amazed at how relaxed and compatible Hope and Crosby were as a team. What the executives didn't know was that Hope and Crosby had already worked together (on the vaudeville stage in 1932), and that working so easily in the "Road" pictures was just an extension of their old stage act. Hope had seen Lamour performing as a nightclub singer in New York, and invited her to work on his United Service Organizations (USO) tours of military facilities. Lamour sometimes arrived for filming prepared with her lines, only to be baffled by completely rewritten scripts or ad-libbed dialogue between Hope and Crosby. Hope and Lamour were lifelong friends, and she remains

4920-501: The promotional campaign. The book was published by Hay House on April 30, 2013 and in his review for the New York Journal of Books , Martin A. David states: Many, if not most, of Mr. Shadyac’s elucidations are mundane truisms. But this absolutely does not discredit them ... Books like his are frequently read by people who already understand the messages contained but desire booster shots of energizing inspirations. Preaching to

5002-623: The property. He continued his interest and support, and regularly visited the facility when in London. The theater was renamed in his honor in 1982. During a short stint in 1960, Hope became a part owner of the Riverside International Raceway in Moreno Valley, California , along with Los Angeles Rams co-owner Fred Levy Jr. and oil tycoon Ed Pauley for $ 800,000 (adjusted to $ 7.0 million in 2020). Les Richter

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5084-578: The remark and canceled Hope's contract after only the one film. He soon signed with the Vitaphone short-subject studio in Brooklyn , New York, making musical and comedy shorts during the day and performing in Broadway shows in the evenings. Hope moved to Hollywood when Paramount Pictures signed him for the 1938 film The Big Broadcast of 1938 , also starring W. C. Fields . The song " Thanks for

5166-707: The sequel to Bruce Almighty with Steve Carell . He was also the executive producer of the ABC TV series 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter . His company Shady Acres Entertainment had an overall deal with Universal in 1999. In his 2011 documentary I Am , which follows Shadyac in the aftermath of a bicycle accident in which he suffered significant injuries, he interviews scientists, religious leaders, environmentalists and philosophers, including David Suzuki , Desmond Tutu , Noam Chomsky , Lynne McTaggart , Elisabet Sahtouris , Howard Zinn and Thom Hartmann . The film asks two central questions: What’s Wrong With

5248-408: The story, he named himself after racecar driver Bob Burman . In another, he said that he chose the name because he wanted a name with a "friendly 'Hiya, fellas!' sound" to it. In a 1942 legal document, his legal name appears as Lester Townes Hope; it is unknown if this reflects a legal name change from Leslie. After five years on the vaudeville circuit, Hope was "surprised and humbled" when he failed

5330-534: The street. He entered numerous dancing and amateur talent contests as Lester Hope, and won a prize in 1915 for his impersonation of Charlie Chaplin . For a time, he attended the Boys' Industrial School in Lancaster, Ohio , and as an adult donated sizable sums of money to the institution. He had a brief career as a boxer in 1919, fighting under the name Packy East. He had three wins and one loss, and he participated in

5412-530: The success of his 1940s efforts. He was disappointed with his appearance in Cancel My Reservation (1972), his last starring film; critics and filmgoers panned the movie. Though his career as a film star effectively ended in 1972, he did make a few cameo film appearances into the 1980s. Hope was host of the Academy Awards ceremony 19 times between 1939 and 1977. His supposedly-feigned desire for an Oscar became part of his act. While introducing

5494-528: The upstart television medium. Hope did many specials for the NBC television network in the following decades, beginning in April 1950. He was one of the first people to use cue cards . The shows often were sponsored by Frigidaire (early 1950s), General Motors (1955–61), Chrysler (1963–73), and Texaco (1975–85). Hope's Christmas specials were popular favorites and often featured a performance of " Silver Bells "—from his 1951 film The Lemon Drop Kid —done as

5576-568: The windows of his mobile home with black-out curtains. Later, as his symptoms finally began to subside, the director wanted to share his inner quest in the way he knew best: through film." Shadyac linked the experience to Dante's Seventh Circle of Hell . In the film, Shadyac conducts interviews with scientists, religious leaders, environmentalists and philosophers including Desmond Tutu , Noam Chomsky , Lynne McTaggart , Elisabet Sahtouris , David Suzuki , Howard Zinn , and Thom Hartmann . The film asks two central questions: What’s Wrong With

5658-431: The word "happenstance" which relates to things going on outside of you. What was happening to me was definitely on the inside. But after I gave up everything I felt a lot more joy in my life. A lot more contentment. There's nothing wrong, though, with making a lot of money ... this is not a judgment on anyone at all. I was just taking in a lot more than I needed and this wasn't good for me. His father, Richard C. Shadyac Sr.,

5740-522: Was Bob Hope's staff joke writer. Shadyac briefly acted during the 1980s, appearing in an episode of Magnum, P.I. and in the 1987 film Jocks . He then worked on movies-of-the-week, rewritten and directed for 20th Century Fox . Ace Ventura: Pet Detective was Shadyac's first major film and featured an up-and-coming Jim Carrey , described by Shadyac as "the only white guy in Living Color ." Following Ace Ventura: Pet Detective , Shadyac attained

5822-554: Was a British-born American comedian , actor , entertainer and producer with a career that spanned nearly 80 years and achievements in vaudeville , network radio, television, and USO Tours. He appeared in more than 70 short and feature films , starring in 54. These included a series of seven Road to ... musical comedy films with Bing Crosby as his partner. Hope hosted the Academy Awards show 19 times, more than any other host. He also appeared in many stage productions and television roles and wrote 14 books. The song " Thanks for

5904-764: Was a participant in the Conference on World Affairs. In 2015, Shadyac began teaching film at the University of Colorado Boulder, beginning with that year's Spring semester, Shadyac now teaches film at the University of Memphis . On March 22, 2018, Shadyac opened the doors to his newest project: Memphis Rox climbing gym. Located in South Memphis, it is a non-profit, pay-what-you-can climbing gym and community center. Memphis Rox also features weight lifting, climbing specific training, treadmills & other cardio, and classes in Yoga, Meditation, Tai Chi, and Senior Fitness. It

5986-528: Was born in the Eltham district of southeast London . He arrived in the United States with his family at the age of four, and grew up near Cleveland, Ohio . He became a boxer in the 1910s but moved into show business in the early 1920s, initially as a comedian and dancer on the vaudeville circuit before acting on Broadway . He began appearing on radio and in films starting in 1934. Hope retired from public life in 1999 and died in 2003, at 100. Leslie Townes Hope

6068-532: Was born on May 29, 1903, in Eltham , County of London (now part of the Royal Borough of Greenwich ), in a terraced house at 44 Craigton Road in Well Hall , where there is now a British Film Institute 'Centenary of British Cinema' commemorative plaque in his memory. He was the fifth of seven sons of William Henry Hope, a stonemason from Weston-super-Mare , Somerset, and Welsh mother Avis (née Townes),

6150-437: Was forced to sleep in a darkened closet in his house due to a constant ringing in his ears that lasted beyond a six-month period, and his treating doctors were unable to determine if and when the ringing would cease. Shadyac later explained: "I felt suicidal at points. It was a disaster." Following his eventual recovery from the 2007 accident, Shadyac sold the bulk of his possessions, donated significant amounts of money, opened

6232-561: Was later asked if his change of direction would have occurred if he had not experienced the concussion, Shadyac replied: I was already reevaluating the dissonance between making all this money and being on the set with people, the crew, many of whom couldn't afford the basic needs of their families. It didn't seem fair to me. So I don't think the concussion did it although it was definitely a crisis and crisis will often trigger things like this. I didn't give up everything to be happy. In fact, I'm not even sure what happiness is. Happiness comes from

6314-648: Was made president of the raceway. Hope made a guest appearance on The Golden Girls , season 4, episode 17 (aired February 25, 1989) called "You Gotta Have Hope" in which Rose is convinced Bob Hope is her father. In 1992, Hope made a guest appearance as himself on the animated Fox series The Simpsons in the episode " Lisa the Beauty Queen " (season 4, episode 4). His 90th birthday television celebration in May 1993, Bob Hope: The First 90 Years , won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Special. Toward

6396-515: Was miles away in New York, on Broadway. More intriguing, there is no record anywhere of his marriage to Dolores, if it happened. And there are no wedding photos, either. But he never forgot Louise and quietly sent her money in her later years. Dolores had been one of Hope's co-stars on Broadway in Roberta . The couple adopted four children: Linda (in 1939), Anthony "Tony" (1940–2004), Kelly (1946), and Eleanora "Nora" (1946). Bob and Dolores were also

6478-561: Was performing with him at Loew's Metropolitan Theater. She was described as a "former Ziegfeld beauty and one of society's favorite nightclub entertainers, having appeared at many private social functions at New York, Palm Beach, and Southampton". His marriage to Reade was fraught with ambiguities. As Richard Zoglin wrote in his 2014 biography Hope: Entertainer of the Century , Bob and Dolores always claimed that they married in February 1934 in Erie, Pennsylvania. But at that time, he

6560-468: Was secretly married to his vaudeville partner Louise Troxell, after three years together on and off. I found divorce papers for Bob and Louise dated November 1934, so either Bob Hope was a bigamist, or he lied about marrying Dolores in February that year. He had actually married Louise in January 1933 in Erie when they were traveling on the vaudeville circuit. When he claimed he had married Dolores in Erie he

6642-541: Was the Woodbury Soap Hour in 1937, on a 26-week contract. Serving as the master of ceremonies for these Rippling Rhythm Revue radio broadcasts, Hope collaborated with the big band leader Shep Fields during this period of transition from vaudeville to radio. A year later, The Pepsodent Show Starring Bob Hope began, and Hope signed a ten-year contract with the show's sponsor, Lever Brothers . He hired eight writers and paid them out of his salary of $ 2,500

6724-473: Was widely praised for his comedic timing and his specialization in the use of one-liners 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. Such early films as The Cat and the Canary (1939) and The Paleface (1948) were financially successful and praised by critics, and by

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