Hope Shines Brightest in the Dark Quiz

Answer:

Bob Hope did not regard himself as a serious actor, despite appearing as leading man in more than 50 films. The films were more of a vehicle for his style of comedy. The five Academy Awards he received were not Oscars for particular roles but recognition for his services to the industry.

"The Big Broadcast of 1938" (1938) was the fourth and last of the "Big Broadcast" film series of musical comedies. It was also Hope's first feature film, after previously appearing in eight film shorts. The setting was a race between two ocean liners and his role was that of radio emcee whilst juggling with the various women in his life. It also marked the film debut of his signature song "Thanks for the Memory", which he sung with Shirley Ross.

First of the seven "Road to..." musical comedy film series, "Road to Singapore" (1940), saw Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour team up, starting various running gags along with a trend for ad-libbing. He and Crosby were playboys trying to avoid romance. His other 1940 film was "The Ghost Breakers", starring with Paulette Goddard in a classic of the horror-comedy genre. Hope played a radio broadcaster and became involved in a treasure hunt in an old Cuban mansion complete with 'zombies'.

The 1942 film "My Favorite Blonde" saw Hope starring with Madeleine Carroll in a comedy drama involving Hope as a vaudeville performer who got mixed up with some spies. The 1948 comedy western "The Paleface" starred Bob Hope and Jane Russell, playing Calamity Jane on a mission gone wrong. She then 'enlisted' Hope's character, a bumbling dentist, to complete the mission. Hope sang the song "Buttons and Bows", which won an Oscar for Best Original Song. The sequel was called "Son of Paleface" (1952) with Roy Rogers starring alongside Hope and Russell. Hope played the titular role whilst Russell was a saloon performer called Mike who also led a gang of thieves on the side. The "Buttons and Bows" song was sung by Russell and Roy Rogers this time.

"Fancy Pants" (1950), a rom-com western with Lucille Ball starring opposite Bob Hope, was a musical adaptation of the 1935 film "Ruggles of Red Gap". Annette Warren provided Ball's singing voice while Hope pretended to be a butler and an aristocrat, depending on who the audience was. Based on a short story of the same name by Damon Ruyon, the comedy "The Lemon Drop Kid" (1951) starred Hope (in the titular role) and Marylin Maxwell. Hope played a swindling horse tout and a scheme that went wrong. It had been previous adapted in a 1934 film starring Lee Tracy.

His other 1951 film was "My Favorite Spy" which co-starred Hedy Lamarr. This time Hope was a burlesque comic who is persuaded to pretend to be a spy. In the 1955 biographical musical comedy drama "The Seven Little Foys", Hope took on the role of vaudeville performer Eddie Foy with the little Foys as his children. He found himself as a single parent so he built them into his act. Not quite what actually happened, however perhaps close enough. The Foy story later inspired a TV series and a stage musical. This was the first role in which Hope combines straight drama and comedy.

On to the 1960s and "Call Me Bwana" (1963) in which Bob Hope co-starred with Anita Ekberg and Eddie Adams, both acting as secret agents. Hope's character falsely assumed his uncle's reputation as a big game hunter. As a result he got recruited to find a missing space probe. A farce set mostly in Africa, it was for 50 years the only film made by Eon Studios which was not a James Bond movie. Bob Hope's final film as leading man was the comedy film "Cancel My Reservation" (1972) with Eva Marie Saint as his co-star. Hope played a TV personality having problems with the women in his life. Retreating to a ranch, life got complicated with accusations of murder and an affair.

The wrong answers were "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1942) starring James Cagney, "Arsenic and Old Lace" (1944) starring Cary Grant, "My Darling Clementine" (1946) starring Hendy Fonda, "Key Largo" (1948) starring Humphrey Bogart, "The Greatest Show on Earth" (1952) starring James Stewart, and "The Quiet Man" (1952) starring John Wayne. James Cagney revisited his "Yankee Doodle Dandy" role for "The Seven Little Foys" and did a dance duet with Hope in one of the scenes in the latter.