I'll give him credit for having lasted so long, but his routines were ancient, largely borrowed from old vaudeville and with jokes that had last been funny during the Taft administration.  And I'm well over 50 so I'm hardly coming at this with the view of youth.

What can you say? The Man is a Legend, I wouldn't expect the youth of today to find him funny, or even entertaining, The comedy of today is different,( it sucks) Anyone with ANY class who is over the age of fifty, would like BOB HOPE. He used NO four letter words, Never grabbed his Croutch, or talked about his bathroom habits, SO I guess thats why the younger generation wouldn''t like him.

I'ma lover of comedy. He never ONCe made me laugh. He wasnt funny even in context of his times.

Overall a five star just for the massive body of work. When I was growing up Bob Hope had become the old peoples comic and was very old fashioned to the Vietnam War Era. But Bob was not to be denied entertaining the troops until his last not so healthy years. IMO his best work was the radio shows he did during WWII. Very funny stuff. His films were mildly entertaining and his variety shows were stale by the 1970's. He probably kept his old writers around too long. His timing and delivery were always sharp and he was at his best trading quips with guests on his shows.  And he didn't cozy up to Nixon any more than every president he poked fun at. They all enjoyed his minor roasts of them and it was never mean-spirited. And as for "Thanks for the Memories", listen to the original recording from the 1940's for a bit of a revelation. It was quite good.

My dad liked him

Unfortunately Bob Hope's legacy to the generation of today is that he is an old school comic who stuck around far too long, the original last comic standing.  But Hope largely invented the form as we know it today.  He was one of the first comics to focus his act on topical humour, skewering the political leaders of the day, the army, the enemy and his fellow celebrities.  And he worked the current events realm all the way from Vaudeville through to the end of the Reagan administration.  He was also a masterful wit and was able to dish out a backhanded compliment to his contemporaries and himself as good or better than anyone.  And his stand-up comedy was just the start of it.  He was the first and possibly greatest master of all media.  He went from the stage to radio to the big screen and television and was at the top of each form at one point or another.  He was the Willie Mays of comedy, he could do it all.

It's only my opinion, but I think Bob Hope was the greatest comedien ever. He pretty much did it all, stand up, radio, television, movies. Plus, he was a song and dance man. A great comedien and a great American. Thanks for the memories.

the best for the longest!! hope will always be on top with benny!!

He was a good comedian, a good humanitarian and a great patriot. However, nobody could compare with Jack Benny and his outstanding cast.

Born Leslie Townes Hope on May 29, 1903 in Standiforth Court, Eltham, England, rating Bob Hope is a difficult endeavor. His career obviously wasn't just stand-up (the actual subject of this list), but included vaudville, radio, television, and movies, and one is tempted to be influenced by his contributions to the USO. Nevertheless, Hope is considered a legend and an American institution for good reason, timing and self-mockery just to name a couple. His Road To... movies with Bing Crosby were the inspiration for latter efforts by other talents (though they were also responsible for Ishtar). People also give Hope too much flak over his latter television specials. Comedy must be tailored to the audience. One cannot always tell the same joke that works for a smaller target audience to a broad, general audience, and one can never tell the same joke the same way when faced with a change of audience. In other words, what works on a variety show or in a speech to a Shriner's Convention, won't really work at a small party, and the former tends to be more wholesome, corny and lame, but it only takes that much more skill to make such material work. Bob hope died from pneumonia on July 27, 2003 in Toluca Lake, California.

The king of the one-liners! There will never be another Bob Hope!

A few weeks ago we lost Hope. I cried for two hours, I guess the reason I did besides me loving him so much was because I know deep down that great comedy is over. I see comedians today that shouldn't be on the big screen or the small one. They all suck! Bob Hope not only brought laughter to millions of people at home but to the troops fighting for us. Who else can do what he did the way he did it. He's not the most rewarded man in History for nothing. He was #1 in vaudeville, radio, film and television in his time. Anyone who says he's lower than great lacks great humor and probably is not only a dull person but has a dull life. Good-bye Bob and good-bye classic comedy entertainment because now any nit-wit can get a show. Movies I recomend: "My favorite Brunette", "Paleface" and Road pictures with Bing Crosby and "The seven little Foys". Also any of his television or radio shows. Also on the official site of Al Jolson you can listen to a hilarious Bob Hope radio show with Al as his special guest.

I thought he could be funny at times. some of his jokes could be good. others not so funny. I saw him on stage years ago and he was pretty good then. I salute him though for all the good he has done for decades for the USA troups. He did all those USO tours during wars since WW11. He was one of the most generous humanitarians there was.I think he will be missed.

Bob, please go away. Your time has passed.

The most unfunny comic of all time. A tremendous no-talent who was the Madonna of his era. Smarmy and pushy. Annoying and smug. Can't sing, can't dance, was never given a solid, significant comic role in all his years in Hollywood, and for good reason. He was consigned to those awful Road movies and the other trash of the 60s. His Christmas Specials weren't so special in that they were essentially the exact same show year after year. What was especially pukesome was his wholehearted hawkish support of that immoral and illegal crime against humanity by the good ol' U.S.A. known as the Viet Nam War. Building his career on the misfortune of others, making a name for himself in the shadow of carnage. Despicable. This was a guy who cozied up to Dick Nixon because The Farting Quaker laughed at all of Skinose's lame jokes. His material was as old as my grandmother's foot and twice as corny. This guy is a national embarassment, not a national treasure as the mainstream media propaganda mill would lead you to believe.

This man should be #1 on this list!!! The greatest comedian to ever grace the stage! It's a shame I'm too young to have seen him during his prime...I'm 26 but I can't stand most of today's "comedians". Love you Bob!

A great comic a legend.Enough said.

Only considering his STAND-UP (btw- why are some * actors * on this list?) it was really scatter shot, with few barbs hitting the mark. The rest had punch lines you could see coming like Macy's parade.

He has NEVER been funny and NEVER will be.

His teaming with Lucille Ball was the greatest thing I ever did see. Talented man.

I'm one of those who was born in the 1960s and remembers Bob Hope from the TV specials. They all seemed alike--the monologue jokes, the themes which had little bite, the song and dance routines, the guest stars and the usual songs such as "Thanks For the Memories." From what I understand, the specials always brought in big ratings for NBC, and it was un-American to criticize the shows, even though there were probably many who thought that Bob Hope, his guest stars, the behind-the-scenes personnel and even the audience people were going through their motions as if they were being powered with windup keys. We can't deny what Bob Hope did for the American and allied armed forces--he was a great entertainer from the second World War through the Persian Gulf War--but his comedy and entertainment had gotten old by the 1970s. I imagine that many of his viewers were watching his guest stars such as Brooke Shields and Suzanne Somers instead of Hope. Had Hope retired in the 1970s, he would not have attracted all of the negative comments that he attracts today, and he would be remembered more fondly. Unfortunately, Bob Hope is remembered by many (such as this individual) for the large number of TV specials that he did during the last phase of his career, and those are forgettable at best.

I'm surprised that Bob Hope is rated so low. If you watch any of his old movies like My Favorite Brunette, The Paleface, or any of the Road pictures with Bing Crosby you can see why Woody Allen said that of all of the comedians that have appeared in the movies Bob had the best comic timing. And even funnier than his movies are his old radio shows. If you get the chance to listen to them on tape do so. He had the fasted delivery around. He had a faster delivery than Robin Williams and was a better ad-libber than even Groucho. And both of those men are masters in their field. I'm afraid that Bob Hope's low rating might be do to people only remembering his later movies which weren't very good or his later work in television when he was a bit past his prime. It' too bad. He was much better than that. If you get achance to hear him in his prime, look out because he'll bowl you over with his talent. He was one of the great ones!!

His standup routines were mostly predictable and cornball, but for some reason you can't help but really like the guy. As a child, I enjoyed him with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour in the old "Road Pictures". I continue to admire the fact that he dedicated so much of his time and effort entertaining the troops - from WWII through Viet Nam and beyond. If his comedy is a bit light weight he makes up for it with an engaging personality and a kind and generous heart. And even though he was born in England, he has earned his status as a one of a kind American icon. Thanks for the memories Bob.

He is the master comedian of all time. He is so very , very GREAT. There will never be anyone who can come close to top Bob's comdic talent. Oh how I miss his Christmas specials. Christmas just doesn't seem the same any more. Does it?

Never understood how this guy could even be considered a comedian-a ham, yes, a comedian, NO.