Dear Diary,
Johnny Mercer, the traitor, didn’t even mention Bob tonight, but that can’t last, on account of because Jerry Colonna will be his guest next week. Imagine Jerry Colonna as a guest on the Tuesday night Pepsodent show! That’s like having Rochester as a guest on the Jack Benny program, or making F.D.R. an honorary citizen of the United States. And it’s almost as bad as having Bob Hope as a guest on the Pepsodent show. It all goes to show you what peculiar things can happen during summer vacations. There are still eleven weeks left before Bob comes back, and anything can happen.
Counting my sever hours today, I’ve spent 51 hours at the rationing board.
Dear Diary,
The first Tuesday night sans Hope didn’t come off so badly. Johnny Mercer started the show with Bob’s usual routine, “This is John ‘Taking Bob Hope’s Spot for the Summer’ Mercer telling you that a cheery smile is no good if it’s at home in a glass.” A little later things weren’t going so smoothly, so Johnny said, “Hope might at least send a wire,” Just then a boy said, “Telegram for Mr. Mercer. That’ll be $2.50, collect.” Johnny said, “I knew I’d hear from Hope.” (Off the record, the boy was Dix Davis, who had a starring role in Bob’s summer show last year). The telegram said, “Just heard show. Think you misunderstood. I said fill my time for summer, not till it. Hope.” 12 weeks.
Dear Diary,
I used to think the combination of Crosby and Mercer was unbeatable, but tonight Hope and Mercer topped it. They sang one of Johnny’s newest songs, “Propaganda.” By the way, the reason Johnny Mercer was on tonight is that he takes over the Pepsodent Show for the summer. And they coundn’t have picked a better man. Bob really got hot in that song, too. He was so good he surprised even me, which is hard to do as var as Bob Hope is concerned. The last show of the season cam from Camp Perry, in Bob’s home state, Ohio. At the first of the show Wen Niles announced the results of the latest Star of Stars Poll of the Movie-Radio Guide. The Pepsodent Show was voted favorite of all radio programs, Bob Hope was voted as the best comedian, and a fellow by the name of Bob Hope was voted 1943’s Star of Stars. They could hardly stop the applause. Bob signed off, “Good-night, Linda and Tony.” Good-night, Bob. Hasta la vista.
Dear Diary,
Bob was on Command Performance today. He and Johnny Mercer and Judy Garland did snatches of several of Johnny’s songs together. The cutest one was “Strip Polka” or whatever the name of it is. They sang more of it than any of the others. The show was recorded before Bob left Hollywood last week.
Dear Diary,
Bing Crosby, on his last full-hour show, was better tonight than I’ve heard in many a month. In a sort of a review of the hit songs of 1942 Bing sang a few bars of “Deep In the Heart of Texas.” Janet Blair said, “Bing, have you ever really seen those Texas stars at night?” Bing replied, Sure, I’ve seen a lot of those Texas stars, but it was in the daytime.” Janet: “When did you see Texas stars in the daytime?” Bing: “The time I said Dallas was bigger than Ft. Worth.”
Bing and Johnny Mercer sang one of Johnny’s songs together. Bing sang, “On behalf of the visiting airmen from Pomona–.” Johnny added, “Man, that’s Hope’s town!”
Janet asked Bing what he got for Christmas. He said, “Bob Hope gave me a whistling tea-pot, but I had to exchange it. It wasn’t my key. But you should see what I got him. You know how Hope and I are. Nothing is too good for Hope.” “What’d you get him?” “Nothing.”
Muriel Windham's Diary 