Theater pays tribute to Bob Hope

LONDON -- News of Hope's death at age 100 led evening news broadcasts in Britain, and SKY TV News ran lengthy film clips and tributes.\nThe comedian's book "I Never Left Home" referred to England. "He got back there as often as he could to play golf, to do shows, fund-raisers or to visit," said his longtime publicist, Ward Grant. "He just loved going back there."\nThe veteran entertainer died Sunday at his home in the Los Angeles area of pneumonia. \n"I left England at the age of 4 when I found out I couldn't be king," the comedian once joked. "I still have a bit of British in me. In fact, my blood type is solid marmalade."\nAlthough he found fame and fortune in the United States, Hope was also feted in his native country and in 1998 received an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his contribution to film, to song and to the entertainment of troops.\n"I'm speechless. Seventy years of ad lib material and I'm speechless," Hope said on hearing the news.\nBuckingham Palace said the queen was sending a message of condolence to the late entertainer's family.\nHope kept close ties with Eltham and saved the town's theater from closure in 1980 by raising $92,800 through a series of charity golf games. The Eltham Little Theater was renamed the Bob Hope Theater in 1982 and the comedian unveiled the plaque that bears his name.\n"He was a very good friend to us. We would not be here now were it not for him," said Jim Shepherd, honorary secretary of the theater.\n"He was a very warm person, very down-to-earth and not 'Hollywood' at all," added Shepherd. "He was a humble man and didn't even like to have a fan club. If fans wanted an autograph all they had to do was approach him in the street or just write to him and he would always oblige."\nBritish talk show host Michael Parkinson remembered Hope as "one of the greatest entertainers of the 20th century," while veteran entertainer Danny La Rue, who was a friend of the comic for many years, said he was "one of the all-time greats."\n"Bob was one of the most generous and humble people you could wish to meet. He was a wonderful comedian and one of the great comic actors," La Rue said.\n"He was a real star, the complete professional and an inspiration to thousands of wannabe comedians," said British singer and talk show host Des O'Connor.\nBritish film director Michael Winner described Hope as his hero.\n"He may have been a big Hollywood name but he was also terrifically proud of his English roots and spoke about them all the time," Winner said.