Customer Reviews

THE LAUGH MAKERS: A Behind-the-Scenes Tribute to Bob Hope's Incredible Gag Writers

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Radio was a great friend as I was growing up in the 40s and 50s, and The Bob Hope Show was always one of my favorites. I enjoyed hearing the well-known stars of the day bantering with Bob. Back then I naively assumed that Hope wrote all his own jokes. Eventually I realized that he had some help -- and I found out just how much help when I read Bob Mills' book, The Laughter Makers. Bob tells of the later years with Hope, the 70s, 80s and 90s.

What initially attracted me to the book were these words on the cover: "behind the scenes." Well, I love that sort of thing, and Bob Mills tells us in delightful detail. It was particularly interesting to find out that each of Bob's writers went off on his own to write jokes. Then they'd all gather and meet with Hope. He would listen to each joke, choose the ones that appealed to him and not change a word of what the writer said. A writer's dream.

It was a pleasure to read this book and remember the good old days when a comedian didn't have to tell dirty jokes to get laughs.

This new book by comedy writer Bob Mills brought back plenty of good memories for me. As a fellow staff writer for Bob Hope, I worked with the author for fifteen years and shared many of these funny and endearing moments.

If you're a fan of humor, if you enjoy learning the ins and outs of a comedian's world, if you want a behind the scenes look at the life of one of America's greatest entertainers, then you will certainly enjoy this book.

From the writers' assignment-interrupted dinners at Chadneys (across from NBC), to the impromptu gatherings in Bob Hope's dressing room, to the late night phone calls from a globe-trotting boss, this book covers it all.

It's a fun read and would make a great gift for Bob Hope fans and students of comedy alike.

Once I got well into reading this book, I had the feeling of déjà vu. It seemed as if Bob Hope himself was writing it. That's a very understandable feeling since the author was one of Hope's cherished gag writers, originator of many of the gems Hope delivered in such a wonderful, unforgettable way.

Hope took some of his writers along on his overseas tours, and what stories they could tell. I'm so glad that Bob Mills is now telling them in his own delightful way. He describes a few of those overseas trips in much detail, so it feels as if we readers are traveling with them. Mills' narrative had me laughing out loud many times throughout the book, and I enjoyed every page. We learn quite a lot about Bob Hope - his dedication to his craft, his loyalty to his employees, his solid marriage (so unusual for a superstar!), and many other aspects of his life, up to and including his sad passing. As icing on the cake, Mills ends the book with a where-are-they-now section about the many people who contributed to Bob Hope's success.

One practical advantage this book has is the fact that it's made up of short sections, so it would be great to have with you in airports or doctors' waiting rooms. I love this book and enthusiastically recommend it to you.

This is a well written memoir from one of Bob Hope's veteran comedy writers, Robert Mills. Mills gives you a good look behind the scenes at one of America's most beloved comedians - so beloved and iconic in fact, they renamed Burbank airport after him!

Besides giving you incredible and insightful 'inside' stories, (Hope walking, unrecognized, on the street in China comes to mind), there are remembrances of some very witty lines written by Hope's staff, as well as some great ad-libs from a performer, who at the time, was in his 70's.

I highly recommend this to people who remember Hope vividly, and the events of the 70's and 80's vividly. Actually, that's a pre-requisite, so they 'get' the jokes.

I commend Mills on skillfully recounting an era in which a Court Jester was the true King of Showbiz. And he does it all in an entertaining fashion that keeps the pages turning. Even the subtitles had a lot of humor in them.

While there are many, many books about Bob Hope and his remarkable life, this one is the first I've ever read that actually takes us inside Hope's protective entourage while clearly and entertainingly showing us how it all worked. And quite a revelation it is. I never dreamed, for instance, that Hope played such a major role in the production of his radio and television specials -- how he carefully oversaw every detail, from the blank page to the finished product. And, in so doing, how close Hope became to the trusted writing staff that he had so carefully assembled over the years. In the process of showing us the real Bob Hope Show backstage, Mills recounts many interesting, revealing and often hilarious stories of Hope's relationships with his guest stars. And he pulls no punches. The author, as Howard Cosell (a frequent guest) would say, "tells it like it was" -- revelations as often as not at odds with the prevailing PR spin. Aside from the non-stop laughs generated by Mills's anecdotes, the monologues and sketches he quotes alone are worth the price of admission. Add to them the behind-the-scenes photos (many of which he took himself) and you have a perfectly delightful summer read. I highly recommend The Laugh Makers to anyone interested in how show business really works and what those in it are really like.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read and was truly authentic. I can say that because I was there and experienced all the events that Mills chronicled. I appreciate the even-handedness in the assessments of the parties involved, especially Bob Hope with whom I worked for the better part of twenty-three years as supervisor/arranger/conductor of music for his television shows. It shows a lifetime of television adventure that few can experience first-hand.

I gave Bob Mills' The Laugh Makers five stars for one main reason: It provides a vast amount of information on Bob Hope that we Bob Hope fans never knew before. I was surprised to learn, for example, that Bob had his make-up applied at his house before he taped at NBC and that he was his own driver. I was also surprised to learn that Bob's favorite comedian was Shecky Greene (really?). I was familiar with the way that Bob's writers worked since it had been well described for his radio writers in Jordan Young's The Laugh Crafters (I wonder if Bob Mills based the name of his book on Jordan's?)

Mills is at his best when he keeps the focus on his topic--Mr. Bob Hope. If there is a problem with the book, it's that at some point, Mills decides to make the book serve another purpose: a primer for would-be television writers. That's when the book starts to bog down. Other annoyances are Mill's detours into various show production problems, guest star updates to the current day and some long drawn-out descriptions of some of the places that the show visited (China, for example).

But, in the end, it all doesn't matter for the real Bob Hope fan. This is the only book that I know of that describes in some detail what it was like to tape Bob's final NBC shows. It reminds me of the reason why Johnny Carson wanted to bow out at 67. I strongly recommend this book to all Bob Hope junkies. This book serves as another reminder of Bob Hope's giant talent. I wish he was still around.

At the end of the book, the writer "discloses" that he is a bay-area born, raised, and educated guy, and that he writes an angry left-wing blog. Wow, really? I would have never guessed based on his commentary throughout the book. I like jokes ABOUT Fox News as much as the next guy...

"Cheney sat down for a one-on-one with Fox News. Very bold choice. Dick Cheney sitting down with Fox News is like Mrs. Butterworth sitting down with the Pancake Channel." --Jimmy Kimmel

But just asserting that all of America considers Fox News to be on par with car salesmen, lawyers, and politicians is factually incorrect (check the ratings).

This book does give a good background view of what goes into getting a comedy special on the air, and is a great tribute to Mr. Hope. Some parts are repetitious, but overall, a fairly entertaining read.

Bob Mills was one of "The Laugh Makers" for Bob Hope, generating gags and keeping notes for the 18 years he was with the comedian. Everybody loves behind-the-scenes anecdotes, me included, and this turned out to be a grand-slam picnic of them. (There's a bundle from the other side of the curtain, too.)

The writers worked by themselves, each creating scripts for an upcoming show, then Hope picked what he liked from each one. ("Hope loved being inundated with lines.") Hope established this unprecedented process, could spot a recycled gag years after it first appeared on his desk, and delivered the gags in monologues at an astounding average of four per minute.

People who work with, or have spent time with, a star hear it over and over ... "What was he REALLY like?" Bob Hope fans won't be disappointed.

He was penny-wise and pound-generous, asking things like how much did the fax machine cost while giving millions to charities.

In 1979, Bob Hope became the first American entertainer to perform in China after President Nixon opened relations with the Communist country. Big Bird went, too, but Bob Mills - in a terrifying final few minutes - almost didn't get back.

Hope's writers created local and topical gags from information gathered in questionnaires that had been distributed to townspeople, local politicians, etc.

I had always thought Hope did much of his own writing. Not true. In fact, according to Mills, he never changed even a word in a gag or asked for something to be rewritten.

Some fun stuff I loved: Danny Thomas packed a rod - he wore a Derringer in a holster strapped to his ankle. Lucille Ball was a perfectionist, a characteristic Hope loved. George Burns and Bob Hope did a personal tour, with Hope dressed in drag. Queen Elizabeth made the normally-cool Hope nervous. And he never refused or tried to avoid signing an autograph.

I appreciated that "The Laugh Makers" didn't read like it came out of a public relations department. Some of the goofs and gaffes are in there, too. It was also nice to sit down with a book and want to stay with it. I had to take some breaks, but I sure didn't need to.

Good book, good fun, good read.

What a wonderful book! For all of us who loved Bob Hope and the humor he brought into our lives, for everyone interested in Hollywood history, and for everyone studying comedy ... this book is a must. If you're young enough not to remember Bob Hope, buy this book anyway and draw some wisdom and direction from this very talented man who found a way to bring joy even during very difficult times.