I haven’t seen Bob Hope in any pictures this month, but that will be more than made up for, beginning next Saturday, and I do mean by seeing “My Favorite Blonde” six or eight times. Not only that, but I’ll see him in person a week from Monday. And that, boys and girls, ain’t hay! I heard Bob on the radio four times this month. He was on a China Relief show April 11, and I heard him on his own show three times. I would have heard him on his own show four times, but of course, President Roosevelt had to take his air time last Tuesday for his report to the nation, in which he said almost nothing which had’t been said a thousand times before he said them. Anyway, the President wanted to speak, so who am I tell him when he should do it. He must not like Bob Hope though, because every time he speaks on Tuesday, it’s always at nine o’clock. Actually he does it because that’s a convenient listening time for most people and ensure he’ll have plenty of listeners. I saw in the paper that President’s Roosevelt’s rating was as much last week as the combined ratings of Bob Hope, Jack Benny, and Fibber McGee usually are.

Bing Crosby had several guests tonight and one of them was the Texan that President Roosevelt talked about last Tuesday. Another guest was Gene Tunney, so they naturally talked about sports. Gene asked, “What’s your favorite sport, Bing?” Bing replied, “Oh, I caddy for Bob Hope.”

I also learned on Bing’s show tonight that he will be here May 11. Up until now his appearance wasn’t certain, but just a possibility. But tonight, when he announced next week’s guests, he said Bob, the “hep” Crosby, would take his place next week. He didn’t say anything about the tour, but in Bing’s language that means he’ll be here. In fact he didn’t actually say he wouldn’t be on the show next week, but I’ used to his way of saying things by now.

Hedda Hopper informed me today that all Bob Hope’s work wasn’t in vain after all. She said, “Because of President Roosevelt’s address to the nation last night, you missed the Bob Hope–Elsie Janis show, but I didn’t, and the whole thing will be in my newest ‘Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood’ short subject. The show was given exclusively for 5000 sailors stationed at Long Beach. Elsie Janis was the sweetheart of the A.E.F. in the last war, and Bob Hope is the greatest entertainer of those men’s sons.

“She’s a great gal, that Elsie Janis—and Bob Hope is no slouch, either.”

Besides seeing the short subject, I may get to hear it Saturday morning if it’s sent to the armed forces by short wave. If it wasn’t recorded last week, I guess I’ll just have to wait.

Well President Roosevelt did it again. He talked on the radio at nine o’clock tonight, so naturally Bob Hope wasn’t on. And after he had postponed his departure on the Victory Caravan tour just to give his show tonight at Long Beach. Elsie Janis was scheduled to be his guest. Bob may just save tonight’s script and give the same show next week, but he’ll be in the east and his guest, Elsie Janis, will be in California, unless she decides to go with the caravan, so I don’t guess Bob will do that. I don’t mind so much the fact that I didn’t hear Bob tonight, but I do mind the fact that Bob had to put in hours of work and energy on this week’s show and then still have to charter a special plane to Washington.

Hedda Hopper was talking about the Victory Caravan today. She said she heard Bob Hope and Jerry Colonna rehearsing a telephone conversation in which Bob is supposed to be Mussolini trying to get Hitler on the phone. (He never does.) Then she went into detail about Bob’s plans for the next two or three weeks. She said he would take his entire radio show with him to eight major cities  on the route, act as master of ceremonies for all performances of the Caravan, take his radio show to army camps while on the tour, and come back immediately to start work in a Sam Goldwyn picture. (She named other things, too, but I can’t remember them all.) She called it the most ambitious program ever undertaken by a Hollywood personality.

There was a picture of Bob Hope in the paper this morning in connection with the army-navy relief show. He and Jerry Colonna were holding suitcases, ready to leave.  But Bob had on the funniest looking clothes to be starting on a trip. It was an Arabian costume. I imagine the picture was taken on the set of “The Road to Morocco.” Bob looks rather nice in a turban. He should wear them more often. Then no one could tell him from a California woman—slacks and a turban. Wouldn’t he look cute chasing himself up Hollywood Boulevard, or down Vine Street? But the, doesn’t he always look cute? Well yes!

Madeleine Carroll was Bill Stern’s guest tonight, and naturally she talked about Bob Hope. She said that she didn’t excell in any sports, but that she had a friend (Bob Hope by name) who claimed he played a wonderful game of golf. Then she added, “But you know Bob.”

Speaking of Mady, I saw her and Bob in the previews of “My Favorite Blond” today. I wanted them to show a picture of Percy the Penguin, but they just showed a guy they called Bob Hope. I never heard of him.

Jean and I stayed up till after midnight tonight talking and playing dominoes, but mostly talking. Naturally Jean beat me at dominoes but we tied in the talking part of it.

I had the most wonderful surprise today. I read in the paper that Bob Hope is going to be the master of ceremonies at the army-navy relief show. Actually it’s not such a great surprise, because I have mentioned before that I wanted him to be either m.c. or the last one on the program. As master of ceremonies, he’s not only last, but first, middle, and always.

I got a new movie magazine today that contained a review of “My Favorite Blond.” This reviewer (who claimed “Louisiana Purchase” was Victor Moore’s picture) said that in this picture Bob Hope fives the best performance of his career and one of the best of the month, above all other performances, good and bad.

Although Bing Crosby had only one guest tonight, the program was better than it has been in some time. Bing and Mary Martin were talking about saving materials for the government, and Mary said, “Why, Bing, do you realize that just sixty-two little tooth-paste tubes will hod together all the radio connections for a big bomber?” Bing replied, “Yeah, and it doesn’t take much more that that to hold Bob Hope together.”

Victor Borge was better tonight, because he stuck mostly to his music. He was funny all right, but in a musical sort of way. I think he must realize that he’s not nearly as good a comedian as he is a pianist, although when he combines the two, the results are pleasant enough.

I finally started back to school today, and believe me, it’s about time.

I’ve simply got to say a little more about Bob Hope’s show last night. He was talking about a picnic the whole gang attended last week, and he said, “I bent over in a crap game to throw the dice, but a bull from an adjoining pasture horned in. He made his point before I made mine.” Then, still talking about crap games, he said, “The sailors here sound like they sighed when Frances Langford walked in, but they have to breathe like that—their pants are too tight. They even have to unlace the back of their pants when they bend down go shoot craps.” Bob also mentioned his forthcoming tour over the country. He’s taking the whole cast of his show with him.