The Laugh Makers

Like to make people laugh? Want to learn how to do it more often and maybe even for money? Well, this course is for you. Veteran comedy writer B...

This is Bob Hope in his element and at his very best -- on stage with live audiences, microphone in hand and delivering some of his strongest mater...

In 1979, to open his historic three-hour TV special from the Peoples Republic of China, Bob Hope sang "I'm Off an the Road to China" (ala "Road to ...

Peking, China. 1979. We're in the Peoples Republic to tape a 3-hour special, the first Americans allowed to do so since Nixon and Mao signed the ...

This amazing footage of performers in the Peking Opera was taped in June, 1979 as part of a 3-hour special entitled "Bob Hope On the Road to China....

During his 1979 visit to Peking to tape a 3-hour special, Bob Hope lectured at the Peking Film School and introduced students and staff to his 1947...

On his 1979 3-hour special from China, Bob Hope interviewed Chinese leading basketball player at the time, 7'5" Mu Chi Chu. Shades of Jeremy Lin?

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The P.L.A. Railroad Acrobat Team appear as guests on Bob Hope's 3-hour special from Peking and Shanghai, China. Introduced by Big Bird, they proce...

Guesting on Bob Hope's historic 1979 3-hour special from the Peoples Republic of China, Bob Shields and Laurene Yarnall masquerade as mannequins mu...

This is the first in a series of programs in which author Bob Mills guides viewers on a behind-the-scenes tour of Bob Hope specials taped in foreig...

In session two (Session One covered sketch-writing), Professor Bob again takes chalk in hand to delve into the intricacies of producing laughter wi...

Barbara Mandrell sings "Sure Feels Good" to 3,000 GIs and their families gathered on the tarmac of Pope Air Force Base in Faetteville, N.C.

You ca...

Mac Davis warbles his own composition "Christmas is for Kids" on Bob Hope's 1982 Christmas special.

You can read all about the how Hope worked wit...

Phyllis Diller delivers a Valentines Day themed monologue as a guest on "Bob Hope's Funny Valentine" in 1981.

You can read all about the how Hope ...

Phyllis Diller delivers a Christmas-themed monologue on Bob Hope's 1982 Holiday outing.

Country warbler Mac Davis sings "Lying Here and Lying" as ...

Country warbler Mac Davis sings "Lying Here and Lying" as a guest on Bob Hope's 1982 Christmas special "Bob Hope's Merriest of the Merry."

You can...

Bing's spouse, Mrs. Kathy Crosby, dons parka and mukluks to warble Hope's annual rendition of the Livingston & Evans chestnut "Silver Bells" on Hop...

Adam Rich drops by for this dandy sketch on Bob Hope's 1979 Christmas Special. Hope is a hobo ala Freddy the Freeloader and befriends Adam who's r...

Barbra Streisand guests with Bob on a 1960s special recalled in this 1981 Hope special entitled "Bob Hope" The Women I Love." They parody the fol...

Bob Hope brings back "Oscar Night," a sketch he performed with Ingrid Bergman in the 1960s on a retrospective we taped in 1981 called "Bob Hope: T...

Bob Hope's annual 1981 Christmas get-together included this number that Hope and Andy Williams repreise "Small Fry" from a routine Hope and Crosby ...

In 1978, Bob Hope taped a two-hour special in Australia, opening the new Perth Entertainment Center. Here, guest Barbara Eden wows 8300 audience m...

Early NFL footage highlights this sketch featuring QB "Crazy Nose" Hope who gives his all for his girl Bonnie Sue (Barbara Mandrell). His coach (t...

Betty White as Howard's wife is absolutely supurb in this "at home" sketch that appeared on "Stand Up and Cheer for the NFL's 60th Year" taped in B...

Bob Hope interviews the polisyllabic MNF commentator Howard Cosell on "Stand Up and Cheer for the NFL's 60th Year" taped in Burbank in 1981 to cele...

Song by Bob Hope and Barbara Mandrell on a 1981 football special celebrating the 60th anniversary of the National Football League. The producer wa...

On September 11, 2003, Ritter felt ill while rehearsing scenes for the second season of "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter." He was tak...

Here's Barbara Eden on a special we taped in 1980 called "TV's Prime Time Wars: Will the People Strike Back." (One of Hope's longest show titles)...

This clip is from the second in a trilogy of specials we taped in 1980-81-82. Mickey played the first academy commandant in a sketch about the fir...

We taped a two-hour special at the U.S. Military Academy West Point. Here Marie Osmond wows the cadet corps with "Mr. Sandman."

his guests and hi...

For our third academy special in 1982, we set our sextant on Annapolis, Maryland and our next port-of-call, the United States Naval Academy, accomp...

In September 1991, Roaeanne Barr and Tom Arnold (married at the time) made their sole appearance on a Bob Hope special. They did splendidly in thi...

In 1983, Bob Hope hosted a 90-minute special titled "Bob Hope's Road to Hollywood" that recalled his movie career and featured scenes from many of ...

Part 3: This was one of the first "Roasts" my writing partner Mel Chase and I worked on, having been hired the summer previous to the taping dates ...

Jonathan Winters, who appeared on Hope specials many times during the 70s and 80s, is a grease-smeared wrench jockey from the Lexington's engine ro...

Sam joins Bob Hope on the aircraft carrier Lexington docked at Pensacola, FL. The special this clip came from was Hope's Salute to the 75 Annivers...

In 1984, we traveled to New Orleans to tape a two-hour special at the World's Fair in New Orleans. Everything seemed okay at the time, but several...