DOLORES (MRS. BOB) HOPE - TYPED LETTER SIGNED CIRCA 1997 - HFSID 270229

DOLORES HOPE
Dolores Hope sends a typed letter of thanks to Phyllis Diller.
Typed Letter Signed: "Dolores/love - love/& more [ditto marks]", 1 page, 8½x11. No place, no date, but 1997. On pictorial birthday stationery to comedienne and actress Phyllis Diller. Begins: "Dear Phyllis". In full: "I'm changing the sampler pillow I have from 'Old age is not for sissies' to "You're never too young to dream and never too old to have dreams come true.' What a year this has been - the Palm Springs Concert, a new album, my stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars, joining Rosemary Clooney at the Rainbow & Stars in New York, my birthday celebration, and my treasured friends. Thank you all for being a special part of my dreams. Love". In 1997, Dolores received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 1, celebrated her 88th birthday on May 27 and released her CD, That's Love. DOLORES HOPE, born Dolores Reade (1909-2011), had a successful career as a nightclub singer, but she is best known for being Mrs. Bob Hope. The couple was married from February 19, 1934 until his death on July 27, 2003 and had four adopted children. From 1942, Dolores accompanied her husband on his trips to entertain troops around the world, including an appearance in Vietnam in 1966; in 1991, she was the only female allowed to perform for the troops in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm. Dolores appeared on 18 of her husband's TV specials, from Happy Birthday, Bob in 1978 to Bob Hope at 100 (2003), and she was also seen on an episode of The Jack Benny Program (1958) as well as two airings of The Christophers (1953, 1955). Well known for her philanthropic works, Dolores has worked tirelessly for the Eisenhower Medical Center and she has contributed greatly to other charities, most notably those of the Roman Catholic Church. She was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in May 1997. Comedienne PHYLLIS DILLER (1917-2012), known for her outrageous appearance, zany outfits, distinctive laugh and a stand-up act that featured frequent references to her fictional husband, "Fang", and zingers about her sex appeal and numerous plastic surgeries, got her big break in March 1955 (at age 37), when she debuted at San Francisco's Purple Onion club. A subsequent appearance on The Tonight Show hosted by Jack Paar launched her national career, which got a big boost after Bob Hope saw Diller in a Washington, D.C. club. A favorite of the comedian, Diller would appear in three of Hope's films and 23 of his TV specials. Diller, who recorded her first comedy record album in 1959, took her groundbreaking "funny hausfrau" act to nightclubs and television variety shows and specials and she also appeared on the big screen. Her feature film credits include Splendor in the Grass (1961), The Fat Spy (1966), Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number! (1966), The Sunshine Boys (1975) and The Silence of the Hams (1994), and she provided the voice of the Queen in A Bug's Life (1998). By 2000, the comedienne, who had trained as a concert pianist before her marriage (1939-1965) to Sherwood Anderson Diller, had appeared as a piano soloist with 100 symphony orchestras across the U.S. Despite retiring from nightclub/stage tours in May 2002 at the age of 84, Diller continued to make films (Motorcross Kids, 2004; Forget About It, 2005) and occasionally appear on TV programs, including two episodes of 7th Heaven (2002, 2003) and a guest shot on The Wayne Brady Show (2004). Lightly creased with folds. Lower horizontal fold at two words of writing. Light type transference at lower margin. Fine condition.