Happy 100^th birthday, Bob

Thanks for the memories...

Palm Springs, 29-May-03. Bob Hope is 100 years old today. I wonder if Willard Scott will show his picture on a Smucker's jam label?

The Camelot Theatres in Palm Springs are holding an all-day Bob Hope film marathon in celebration of his birthday.

Bob Hope is a pillar of Palm Springs life.

His house with its flying-saucer roof is a landmark along Hwy 111, not much more than a mile from where I live. We're neighbors, practically.

There is, of course Bob Hope Drive, that intersects with not only Dinah Shore, but Frank Sinatra and Gerald Ford as well.

Naturally, Bob has a star in the sidewalk. Bob's a modest man. Whereas Lucy is a bench downtown, and Sonny has both a statue and a freeway, Bob just has a star.

The Bob Hope Chrysler Classic golf tournament is a perennial fund-raising event for the Eisenhower Medical Center and many other charitable organizations in the Coachella Valley. Faithful readers will recall that I worked as a marshal at the tournament this spring.

According to AARP The Magazine, Bob keeps his jokes in a walk-in vault in his house. Funny, all these years I thought he just had a quick wit and a good memory. Hear Bob tell jokes

And Bob's always good for a cover of Palm Springs Life magazine. Judging from the number of times he's been on the cover, I'd say he either owns a part interest in the magazine, or they need fresh ideas in the art department.

But wait! There's more! There is a whole series of covers devoted specifically to the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic!