The man who invented the televised roast before roasts were cool.
This Bob Hope Special called “Highlights of a Quarter Century” begins his 26th year with NBC in 1975 (he began with NBC radio in 1937) celebrating 25 years of Bob Hope Specials and the many celebrities that appeared on them The clips begin with his very first special, for Frigidaire, on April 9, 1950 and putting his way through the years to 1975
Acting
Hope's impeccable timing with legends like Lucy and Bergman.
Production
Rare archival footage spanning 1950-1975 television history.
Bob Hope
Self (archive footage)
Desi Arnez Hines II
Self (archive footage)
Lucille Ball
Self (archive footage)
Tony Bennett
Self (archive footage)
Jack Benny
Self (archive footage)
Ingrid Bergman
Self (archive footage)
Dyan Cannon
Self (archive footage)
Richard Carpenter
Self (archive footage)
Karen Carpenter
Self (archive footage)
Johnny Carson
Self (archive footage)
Ray Charles
Self (archive footage)
Perry Como
Self (archive footage)
Bing Crosby
Self (archive footage)
Sammy Davis Jr.
Self (archive footage)
John Denver
Self (archive footage)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Hope's 26-year NBC run remains unmatched in television history; no modern equivalent exists.
That 1950 Frigidaire special essentially invented the sponsored variety hour format that dominated 1950s television.
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