{"id":45794,"date":"2024-12-13T07:30:40","date_gmt":"2024-12-13T12:30:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=45794"},"modified":"2024-12-12T17:45:17","modified_gmt":"2024-12-12T22:45:17","slug":"the-bootleg-files-bob-hopes-comedy-christmas-special","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2024\/12\/13\/the-bootleg-files-bob-hopes-comedy-christmas-special\/","title":{"rendered":"The Bootleg Files: Bob Hope’s Comedy Christmas Special"},"content":{"rendered":"

BOOTLEG FILES 889:<\/strong> \u201cBob Hope\u2019s Comedy Christmas Special\u201d (1976 television offering wit guests John Wayne, Dyan Cannon and Neil Sedaka). <\/p>\n

LAST SEEN:<\/strong> On YouTube. <\/p>\n

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO:<\/strong> None.<\/p>\n

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS:<\/strong> A perceived lack of commercial viability. <\/p>\n

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: <\/strong>No thanks for these memories!<\/p>\n

On this day in 1976, NBC showed its contempt for the American public by broadcasting \u201cBob Hope\u2019s Comedy Christmas Special\u201d in prime time. <\/p>\n

Okay, maybe that introduction was a wee bit harsh. This particular production wasn\u2019t that<\/em> bad \u2013 but as with most of Hope\u2019s 1970s specials, it wasn\u2019t that good, either. While Hope managed to score a number of humorous one-liners in this 90-minute presentation, the show was mostly too safe, too sedate and too square to resonate.
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The show opens with Hope dressed up as Santa Claus while Dyan Cannon plays Mrs. Claus \u2013 she can\u2019t keep a straight face while dropping unsubtle wisecracks about her \u201cjelly belly\u201d husband and moaning about keeping company with elves \u2013 \u201cAll you get from them is small talk.\u201d Hope\u2019s Santa is facing a strike by his reindeer, so he brings in four starlets to pull his sleigh. Mrs. Claus orders the starlets into the sleigh and tells Santa to pull the sleigh \u2013 to which Hope\u2019s Santa complains, \u201cOne moment you\u2019re in charge, the next minute you\u2019re taking orders from a woman. Now I know how Harry Reasoner feels.\u201d (And if you don\u2019t understand that joke \u2013 well, you\u2019re too young to be reading this!)<\/p>\n

The show then goes into Hope\u2019s monologue, which was always the highlight of his specials. While some of his one-liners were lamentable \u2013 he mentioned how his sponsor Texaco snagged \u201cthe oil drilling rights to Tony Orlando\u2019s hair\u201d \u2013 others were on target. For instance, he noted how President-elect Jimmy Carter and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger \u201chad a wonderful meeting, the two of them and their interpreters.\u201d And he pointed to Elizabeth Taylor\u2019s latest marriage: \u201cOther brides say \u2018I do,\u2019 Liz just yells \u2018One more time.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

In this production, Hope makes repeated references to the popular programming on television. In one skit, he dons a leather jacket and slick black wig to spoof Henry Winkler\u2019s Fonzie, and in another he parodies the Six Million Dollar Man franchise. Kate Jackson, who was starring in the hit series \u201cCharlie\u2019s Angels,\u201d shares a conversational appearance with Hope \u2013 both are clearly reading from cue cards \u2013 but there is one genuinely funny moment when the discussion turns to popular dolls and Hope refers to the \u201cGore Vi-doll \u2013 it just makes nasty remarks about the other dolls.\u201d <\/p>\n

Unfortunately, \u201cBob Hope\u2019s Comedy Christmas Special\u201d follows the predictable formula that permeated Hope\u2019s Yuletide shows \u2013 a lengthy segment with the Associated Press\u2019 All-America Football Team (where they athletes introduce themselves and Hope makes mild jokes at their expense) and conversational exchanges with beauty pageant winners (in this case, Miss America, Miss Teen America and the decorative lovelies of the Tournament of Roses Parade). There are also musical numbers that are less than memorable \u2013 Neil Sedaka and Lola Falana perform solos that never tap into their respective charisma while Hope shares \u201cSilver Bells\u201d with a none-too-melodic Dyan Cannon. <\/p>\n

Still, the show has a couple of surprises \u2013 John Wayne gamely attempts sketch comedy by playing a psychiatrist who has Hope\u2019s Ebenezer Scrooge as a client, and later the two old stars sit by a fireplace to share a pleasant exchange of nostalgic memories. There is also an uncredited cameo by Johnny Carson in drag as his Aunt Blabby character.<\/p>\n

In some ways, the most interesting thing about \u201cBob Hope\u2019s Comedy Christmas Special\u201d are the commercials from the show\u2019s sponsor, Texaco. One spot pays tribute to the Americans who are stockholders in Texaco \u2013 now, that\u2019s something you don\u2019t see on TV today! \u2013 and another has Hope taking a tour of the sponsor\u2019s facilities by announcing, \u201cWhile Crosby has been squeezing oranges, I\u2019ve been going places where Texaco is squeezing more oil out of our dwindling supplies.\u201d Yup, you can\u2019t have a Hope show without a zing at Bing.<\/p>\n

\u201cBob Hope\u2019s Comedy Christmas Special\u201d was never rebroadcast after its airing on December 13, 1976, and to date the production has never been made available on any home entertainment format. However, the full show with the original commercials is on YouTube in a visually satisfactory (but unauthorized) upload. If you\u2019re a Hope fan, have yourself an early Christmas present with this offering:<\/p>\n