Bob Hope stopped in Hawai'i many times to bring cheer to military men and women. ADVERTISER LIBRARY PHOTO • 1984

Bob Hope declared, "I go for these Hawaiian customs" after receiving a lei from Pfc. Deanna Mae Jawson upon his arrival at Hickam Air Force Base in 1957. ADVERTISER LIBRARY PHOTO • 1957

He also paused in the Islands during many hops overseas, to bring cheer to the men and women in uniform, usually with a galaxy of stars in tow.

When he headlined an opening gala in May 1972 at Del Webb’s Kuilima Resort (now the Turtle Bay Resort) in Kahuku, his extravaganza played like a USO tour show, with such folks as Jim Nabors, Connie Stevens, Jane Russell, Edgar Bergen and Minnie Pearl sharing the limelight.

He also attracted a host of notable Hope fans; at the Kuilima launching, Barbara Eden, Peter Lawford and Jack Lord were among the crowd.

Hope frequented the military establishments, gunning his audience with a volley of jokes and songs. In July 1944, for instance, with songstress Frances Lanford and comic Jerry Colonna as part of his show troupe, he thrilled a a crowd of Army, Navy and civilian personnel in an outdoor performance at Pearl Harbor.

He entertained at Richardson Theatre at Fort Shafter in April 1952, getting help from actress Ann Blyth.

In yet another USO-type show at Schofield Barracks, in December 1971, he led an audience sing-along of “Silent Night,” wishing for peace and happiness and hope in the hearts of his audience. His cast at this show included Nabors and Don Ho, plus Les Brown and His Band of Renown.

Ol’ Ski Nose adored the Island tradition of lei-giving, sealed with a kiss. “I go for these Hawaiian customs,” he said in a 1957 visit, when he appeared at Hickam Air Force Base with actress Jayne Mansfield.

He’s taped radio and TV specials in the Islands, and one of the most colorful tube productions was his 1989 Christmas show, taped in November of that year at the Hyatt Regency Waikoloa (now the Hilton Waikoloa) on the Big Island. Wearing casual aloha shirts and a golf cap, Hope hosted The Judds and Eden from a makeshift staging area in front of the hotel’s Palace Towers, fronting the man-made canals that are part of the resort’s signature.

In another TV taping at Hilton Hawaiian Village in February 1984, Hope had Loni Anderson help celebrate Hawai‘i’s 25th anniversary of statehood.

When he held an autograph session in July 1985 at Ala Moana Center to promote his book, “Confessions of a Hooker, My Lifelong Love Affair With Golf,” several hundred lined up to buy copies and get his signature.

Hope also took several Island vacations, including stays at Royal Hawaiian Hotel and the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on the Big Island, where he mixed rest with golf.

In a 1985 interview with The Advertiser, Hope said he scours the news and finds the funnies — the secret to his lingering success.