1967 NBC TELEVISION SPECIAL “BOB HOPE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL PT 1”
This film was 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). It opens with the crew leaving LA International Airport (1:47) bound for Thailand. For their first show, the troupe entertains men of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing at Ubon Air Base (1:55). As the crowds erupt in applause a sign from one of the troops reads “Hi Honey, 76 days” with a bed drawn in the center as he was heading back to the US soon (2:06). This base was situated between Laos and Cambodia (3:12). At the finale of this set, Mission Pilot Lieutenant Fred McCoy presents them with a painting for Jerry Colonna who was unable to attend this trip (4:33). From here they head to Udorn Air Base (4:47) and Madeleine Hartog-Bel opens the show (5:01). The stars are next delivered by helicopter to Da Nang (7:45) to entertain a jam-packed audience. Some of the men set themselves up laying on their backs under the stage (8:06). During Elaine Dunn’s set, her zipper breaks and the crowd goes wild (11:38). In Thailand (11:46) Captain Johnson, fresh from his 100th mission over Vietnam introduces the USO Show (12:03). Raquel Welch joins on stage for a song and dance (14:27). This was their first visit to Bearcat Camp (16:13). Hope hangs out with the Army Canine Corp (16:18) and some of the Thai troops of the Queen’s Cobra Regiment who were now stationed in Vietnam (16:27). One of the men is the Prime Minister of Thailand’s son (16:36). A wide span follows of the men in the audience composed of the 9th Infantry Division (16:43). Elaine Dunn and Bob Hope begin with a song and dance for the crowd (19:05). A helicopter flying low to avoid snipers (19:48), brings the troupe to Pleiku Air Base (20:12) which lay 25 miles from Cambodia. Raquel Welch and Hope open with jokes and Raquel had been filming for “Bandolero!” starring Dean Martin prior to joining the traveling USO Show (22:49). At the next show in Chu Lai, a soldier named Mike Esman from Philadelphia introduces the gang as he and the 12 men of his platoon had recently been pinned down under heavy fire and he was able to save all of them and was awarded a star for his efforts (25:11). Hope begins to deliver messages from the US to the men here, beginning with the soldier whose mother had written Bob Hope and NBC to convince them to do a special at this base (27:11). Another soldier’s fiancé asked for her soon to be husband to be kissed by one of the women of the show (28:20). The next man’s wife wanted Bob Hope to kiss her husband (29:05) and Bob plants one on his forehead. One of the oldest men in the Navy, aged 69 is brought on stage and he and Hope banter about age just before the first half of this special concludes (31:55).
