Having some good, clean fun with Hope...

Having some good, clean fun with Hope

Bob Hope and I go way back. Of course, he didn’t know it. Over his

100 years he has known and worked with so many acts and people that

he couldn’t possibly remember everyone that has ever been on the

stage with him. But I had that privilege several times.

Way back in my teen years, a well-known soap company (Lux) held a

national beauty contest for 15-year-olds. It was an advertising

scheme and, as we were soon to find out, a way to sell their product,

for votes were counted by soap wrappers. One of the prizes was a trip

to Hollywood and an appearance on the Bob Hope Radio Show. I already

lived near Hollywood, so that was not appealing, but to see Hope in

person was worth a car load of soap wrappers.

This is how the contest worked:

Girls from each state mailed in their photos to the company. Six

from each state were selected for the semi-final group. I was one of

the six from California. Our pictures were then put in the newspapers

and the public was to vote for one winner. Now here comes the

gimmick: to vote you had to send in a soap wrapper with your favorite

girl’s name written on the back. You can guess the rest. Every time

any of our relatives, friends or neighbors went to the store, they

bought six bars of soap. My boyfriend and his family stocked up with

bars of soap. We had bare soap bars in every cupboard and closet, in

every apothecary-type jar, under the sinks, in drawers, everywhere.

Mom would wrap two or three bars with ribbon and give them for gifts.

(In fact 15 years later, I still found naked soap bars in Mom’s

cupboard.)

Even though I did not win the grand prize, it was jolly good fun

and I did get to meet Hope. There we were the six finalists sitting

in the front row looking up to the stage where the great comedian

stood at the microphone. He introduced us individually by name. We

walked onto the stage to the tune of a few jokes about us being very

clean having washed with so much soap.

The next time I met Hope was several years later and I was doing a

little modeling. Hope had his first television show. It was put

together in vaudeville-type acts. I was one of the girls that held

the signs announcing the next act. I did this a few times until the

acts turned to skits and the format changed.

Hope performed everywhere. He journeyed around the world,

entertaining the troops. How I wanted to join the USO and travel with

his show, but I was too young and without much talent. He was a great

patriot and philanthropist.

On stage or off, this legendary showman was always a gentleman,

always a nice guy. That twinkle in his eye like he was ready to say

something clever was always there. I feel privileged to have rubbed

elbows with one of the greats.

NANCY ROBISON

Newport Beach

Rohrabacher needs to fly to airport’s rescue

In response to your article, “D.C. grounds L.A.’s El Toro airport

proposal,” July 23:

Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta, a Democrat in a

Republican administration, could only reiterate what Herman Bliss,

the Federal Aviation Administration’s Western-Pacific Region Director

of Airports, had written to me earlier at the request of the White

House: that the first article of the U.S. Constitution gives the

power to Congress to, among other things, control interstate

commerce, commerce with other countries, postal roads and property of

the Army and the Navy, and that Congress has not provided the

aviation administration authority to operate an airport at the closed

El Toro Marine Air Base.

Therefore it is up to Rep. Dana Rohrabacher to look after his

constituents who live in the communities of Dover Shores, Westcliff

and Santa Ana Heights who are adversely impacted by increasing noise

from aircraft departing from John Wayne Airport and his constituents

who live in Costa Mesa, Westminster, Huntington Beach, Seal Beach and

Long Beach who are adversely impacted by increasing noise from

aircraft approaching Long Beach Airport.

Voters in these communities depend on Rohrabacher to join with

representatives of communities adversely impacted by increasing noise

from aircraft approaching Los Angeles International Airport and

aircraft departing from Ontario, overcome the ill-directed influence

of Rep. Chris Cox and provide the aviation administration authority

to open a reasonable national airport at the closed El Toro base. One

that would not adversely impact any community such as described at

the Web site https://www.ocxeltoro.com.

CHARLES GRIFFIN

President,

The New Millennium Group

Newport Beach

A short, simple and sweet response

Regarding the July 19 Community Commentary, “Facts don’t support

Greenlight contentions.” ... Bravo, Bludau.

PAUL SALATA

Newport Beach