1967 NBC TELEVISON SPECIAL “BOB HOPE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL PT. 2”
This film is a part of the Bob Hope Christmas Specials which aired on NBC annually during the Vietnam War. Bob Hope had initially began paying visits to troops for entertainment shows during the second world war. This special visits Saigon, Long Binh, Bearcat Base, Da Nang, Lai Khe, Cam Rahn Bay, Guam, Wake Island, Korat, Udorn, Ubon, Bangkok and Clark field in the Philippines. Two shows also took place on the USS Ranger and the USS Coral Sea in the Gulf of Tonkin (:51). It features guest stars Raquel Welch (1:16), Barbara Mcnair (1:18), Elaine Dunn (1:22), Miss World; Madeleine Hartog-Bel (1:24), Philip Crosby (1:28), journalist Earl Wilson (1:30), as well as Les Brown and His Band of Renown (1:34). This is the second part of the 1967 Christmas Special and opens with Lai Khe which was once a rubber plantation (:11) and is situated 40 yards from a native village. They performed for the 1st Infantry Division which had been through eight major combat engagements (:26). Three thousand of the men had been committed to actions the morning of the show (:39) and most would leave from the show and head directly to bunkers (:39). Due to this, they did an extended show for the men knowing what they were heading out for (2:24). As they head to Phu Cat Base, an aerial view of the Mekong River with Laos on one side of it is pointed out (2:29). This show was to be for 500 Air Force pilots, crew, chiefs and technicians (2:36). Elaine Dunn opens with a song and snappy tap dance (3:33). Half of the audience was composed of Air Force men while the other half was of men of the 101st Airborne (5:12). One of the patrols which had traveled 23 miles to Bob’s show, present him with a shell with their own names scratched into it (5:25). A soldier dressed as Santa Claus is seen in the crowd as Hope and Madeleine Hartog-bel discuss her linguistic skills as she was fluent in English, Spanish and French (5:35). Here Hope asks if anyone in the crowd can speak either French or Spanish and a soldier from Arkansas comes running up (6:27) and begins speaking in French to Madeleine (7:08). A new base they visit on this tour is Phan Rang Air Base (11:14) with men of the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing. Morton Lachman, the director of the show and Bob Hope are seen chatting prior to the show (11:27). This show was held at night and it was the first time in four years the Defense Department had allowed them to perform after sundown (11:37). Hope steps out onto stage wearing a coat given to him from the 43rd Signal Battalion (12:44). Philip Crosby steps on stage to sing “You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You” (13:04). For the next show aboard the USS Ranger, they had to land on a carrier on the south China Sea (15:57). Les Brown is seen stepping from their plane after they touched down (16:28). The flight deck is over loaded with men and the ship’s radar was kept on for the entire duration of the show (18:41). A skit ensues with Earl Wilson and Bob Hope (18:50) where Hope pretends to be Colonel William Donnelly (19:51). Next the gang lands aboard the USS Coral Sea (21:43) with an audience of 1,500 enlisted men and 300 officers (22:33). The final show is at Cam Rahn Bay (23:31) and an aerial shot of the 27,000 in attendance follows (23:31). The film concludes just after Bob Hope and Raquel Welch conduct a dance number on stage (24:52).
