Product Details

• Actors: Bob Hope
• Directors: N, A
• Format: Box set, Black & White, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 4
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: RESPOND 2
• DVD Release Date: November 6, 2007
• Run Time: 481 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000UFIYQC
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #98,512 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Bob Hope Ultimate Collection (Special Edition)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Thanks for the Memories, Bob! | For most of the 20th century, Bob Hope owned the crown as the King of Comedy on stage, on radio, on the silver screen and television. In fact, no performer made a more successful and seamless transition into the world of television than Hope. For a remarkable 50 years, his hilarious TV specials became the showcase for the stars of the day and defined the variety show for a generation of loyal fans. Hope s unique brand of humor became his calling card worldwide as America s Goodwill Ambassador. | An absolute must for any fan, this extraordinary DVD collection (authorized by the Hope estate) captures Bob s favorite TV moments, rare vintage clips, outtakes, movie shorts, Christmas specials, recalling World War II, performing for GIs around the world and his first ever radio appearance. Discs 1 & 2: 50 Years of Laughter(Volume 1), 50 Years of Laughter (Volume 2), Hope for the Holidays, Salute to the Troops. | Discs 3 & 4:
Celebrity Bloopers, Special Features: 1st Ever Radio Appearance, Movie shorts, Memories of World War II, World of Comedy.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best of Bob's TV Performances, November 23, 2007

By 

Lemon - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Bob Hope Ultimate Collection (Special Edition) (DVD)

Bob Hope's television specials were a fixture in American entertainment for almost 50 years. This DVD set features all the highlights - many terrific guests - and decades of Bob's famous quips. A must-have for fans of classic television.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great collection, April 14, 2008

By 

Robert Kozlowski "Bob Kozlowski" (Garden Grove, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bob Hope Ultimate Collection (Special Edition) (DVD)

A great collection of Bob Hope's shows. Anyone who remembers Bob Hope must have this collection.
Bob K.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars lots of classic material, but falls short of being the "ultimate" Bob Hope collection..., October 23, 2011

By 

trebe - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Bob Hope Ultimate Collection (Special Edition) (DVD)

Comedian Bob Hope (1903-2003) was the kind of guy you don't see much anymore, at least not in the entertainment business. An comedic legend, he began his career in vaudeville and eventually became a movie star. After retiring from feature films, Hope became familiar to generations of Americans for his numerous TV specials on NBC, and as an ambassador of goodwill, entertaining US military troops overseas. Always the epitome of class, Hope was also known for his trademark nose, and his love of golf.

This four disc set contains a selection of Hope's TV specials from the 1970's up through the 1990's, and will probably be most appreciated by those at least age thirty and above. Those familiar with this particular period of time, will probably recognize many familiar and forgotten faces, among the dozens of guest stars and celebrities featured. If you are not aware of world history, many of the jokes based on current events at the time, with be a mystery to you, but for those in the appropriate age range, much of this is material is pure nostalgia gold.

Disc One contains Volumes 1 and 2 of "50 Years Of Laughter" a retrospective of Bob Hope's 25 years of doing TV specials on NBC. Covering 25 years in a couple of hours is a tough job. Some of the clips are quite brief, and the image quality isn't always the greatest, but it's a pretty nice trip down memory lane. The two parts total about 102 minutes.

Disc Two is perhaps the best in the collection. First up is "The Bob Hope Christmas Special" (64 minutes) a terrific feature from 1970, narrated by Hope, that follows Bob and his brave group of entertainers, as they tour Southeast Asia entertaining US troops at various military bases. Among those in the troupe are Connie Stevens, Teresa Graves (Get Christie Love), and the first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong. Regardless of how you feel about America's involvement in Viet Nam, the military personnel there deserved the country's full support. Bob Hope, and all those who participated in the many tours through the years, are unsung heroes who risked their lives, and sacrificed time away from their families during the holidays, to bring a little joy to our troops.

Also on this disc is "Bob Hope's Bag Full Of Christmas Memories" (59 minutes) a holiday special from 1993 that features a party at the Hope residence where excerpts from past Christmas Specials are replayed. Among Bob and Delores' guests are Barbara Eden, Naomi and Wynona Judd, Joey Lawrence, and Loni Anderson.

Disc 3 contains "The Hilarious Unrehearsed Antics Of The Stars" (47 minutes) from 1984, a collection of gaffs and flub ups that mostly occurred live in front of an audience, with the real fun of course being in watching the performer's reactions. "Bob Goes To War " is a retrospective recounting some of Bob's adventures while touring the Pacific theater during World War II (17 minutes). "Bob's On The Air" is a 30 minute recording of Bob hosting a radio program back in 1935. It's mostly music, and putting a radio program on a DVD, just isn't a good idea. "Bob's Two Reelers" is a pair of black and white shorts from his early days. Rather than including the radio program and the shorts, it would have been better to feature another special.

Disc 4 contains "Bob Hope's World Of Comedy" (90 minutes) another compilation special with some of Bob's most beloved partners, including Lucille Ball, David Niven, Jack Benny, Ann Margaret, Danny Thomas, Bing Crosby, Johnny Carson, Donald O'Connor, Lassie the wonder collie, and a high-flying Martha Raye as Batgirl.

While this is a mostly solid set, the claim that is it the "ultimate collection" is an overstatement. There is plenty of classic material, but with only around two hours per disc, the amount of content is a little disappointing, as much more material could have been featured, and some of what is included is questionable. Over several decades, Bob Hope did a ton of specials, so there's plenty of material to choose from, as is evidenced by the various other DVD sets with material from Hope's specials. While much of the content in the "Ultimate Collection" is wonderful for lovers of classic TV, the set rates only four stars for value, and some questionable choices regarding material. Look for it on the secondary market for a bargain price.