Bob Hope's fountain pen

As we all know, entertainment legend Bob Hope passed on to the big stage
in the sky yesterday. I was wondering what type of fountain pen did
Hope use? I saw a film clip of him using what looked like a Parker 51
the other night. Anyone know what he liked to use?

Thanks for the memories Bob, we will all miss you!

--
Sincerely yours,

Ron Wilbanks

"Like a prized watch, a good fountain pen is a trusted companion for life."

Spam filter: -1 for the real thing!

Ron Wilbanks wrote in message ...
As we all know, entertainment legend Bob Hope passed on to the big stage
in the sky yesterday. I was wondering what type of fountain pen did
Hope use? I saw a film clip of him using what looked like a Parker 51
the other night. Anyone know what he liked to use?

Thanks for the memories Bob, we will all miss you!

I wish I knew, but will never get to know if someone in the know does
not divulge this information about Hope's preference for pen use.

He died a mulit-millionaire with extensive holdings in stocks, bonds,
properties, art, etc including golf clubs!

Assuming he had a pen preference, it woukld be easy to speculate that
he used a gold Mont Blanc fp or something very exotic, but it would be
shocking if it turned out that he signed things with bic pens or
whatever pen was thrust in his hands. After all, Mother Katherine
Drexel used pencils and wore them down to the eraser before she would
throw them away. That was documented and shown in her shrine in
Bensalem, Pennsylvania which is a stone's throw from Philadelphia.
She was made a saint three years ago by Pope Paul. She came froma
very wealthy family, the Drexel family which would be the same as
coming from the Bill Gates family.

My best guess is that Bob Hope signed with whatever pen was given to
him to use to sign documents. It could be the Cross pens or even
Parkers or maybe even cheap Bics and paper mates.

Richard Nixon had a strong preference for Parkers and that is well
displayed in a small museum in his birthplace where a place shows the
pens he used.

Bob, thanks for the memories!

Jim

Doylestown, PA

James Goodwin wrote:

My best guess is that Bob Hope signed with whatever pen was given to
him to use to sign documents. It could be the Cross pens or even
Parkers or maybe even cheap Bics and paper mates.

That is the best guess of all. Better to assume he was a "normal"
person that consider a pen to be just a pen and leave it at that. After
all that is the way most normal people feel about pens. I cannot
remember a single adult person I met in my entire childhood or teen
years who ever expressed the slightest preference for any given pen
company or model. Even though when I was a child most people were
still using fountain pens. Back then a (fountain) pen was just a
(fountain) pen to most people. Rich or poor. The one thing I do
remember is how many people said they were glad to be forever rid of
fountain pens as the newer ballpoints became finally cheap and reliable.

....and thats the way it was... Frank

wrote in message ...
That is the best guess of all. Better to assume he was a "normal"
person that consider a pen to be just a pen and leave it at that. After
all that is the way most normal people feel about pens.

I don't know about that. Not only did my dad (an arbitrer of taste) tell me
that a professional gentleman should always keep a fine pen in his front
pocket, but even a book I have (I think it's called the gentleman's guide,
either way it is Da Book of high mens fashion) has a small section stating
that a true gentleman always has a fine fountain pen on hand.
Richard

marlinspike wrote:

I don't know about that. Not only did my dad (an arbitrer of taste) tell me
that a professional gentleman should always keep a fine pen in his front
pocket, but even a book I have (I think it's called the gentleman's guide,
either way it is Da Book of high mens fashion) has a small section stating
that a true gentleman always has a fine fountain pen on hand.

Even if that is true, and it could be debated since many consider a
(visible) pen in a pocket to be a major fashion no-no I would defy
anyone to prove any well known person had a serious preference for a
given pen or company. We have had endless rather silly threads over the
years about MacArther's pen, Disney's pen, JFKs pen and so on. In all
cases there is no evidence I am aware of they really had any preference.
Hell they had to write with something! I would say that to the average
true gentleman a (fine) pen is not anything more than a (fine) pen. Has
anyone ever come up with a recorded statement by a famous person, not
paid for their endorsement that they really used a certain pen because
they thought it was better or made by their favorite pen company? Hell
even fine pens were usually acquired as a gift from a spouse, child,
business associate and so on. Usually purchased on a whim with not much
if any thought at all as to featuers, let along what copmpany made it.

Does anyone really think JFK, Disney or MacArthur sat down and studied
pen ads, tried 25 different models and brands and then said--"Wow I want
this one--its so much better than the others?" More likely they just
carried a pen in their pocket. Most likely given to them as a gift from
someone close. Sure being well off it was a fine pen. But a fine pen
was just a fine pen. I'd give good odds those people, far more normal
when it came to pens than us, could not ever identify the model pen they
carried if asked, other than maybe as a Sheaffer, Parker and so on. If
they could even do that much. In fact they may have not evenliked the
pen very much but used it if it came from someone close because they
didn;t want to offend the giver.

I related before the story of a good friend of mine, who as a rabbi,
when he retired was given a MB 146 by his congregation. He hated the
pen and liked to use simple ballpoints but used the 146 daily because he
felt he had to since he still saw some of those who gave him the pen so
often. I had to glue the pen together for him when it cracked into
several pieces less that two weeks after he got it. The same could
possibly be true for whatever pen MacAruther, JFK, Disney or others
carried and they used it not to offend the giver and for no other
reason.

Why can't people here understand that others do not have the totally
irrational feelings about pens we have and these feelings are for the
most part only shared by other semi-nutcase collectors such as
ourselves. Frank

BTW--I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet. Bob Hope was featured
in an ad for the Parker 61. In which he just stares at the pen's filler
end in a bottle of Quink as it (hopefully?) fills itself.

Before someone says this means that was his favorite pen I remember
seeing Bob in a TV interview not too many years ago when he was asked
why he endorsed Texaco most of his life. His straight face and serious
answer was, "For the money, no other reason." I'm sure the same applied
to the 61 ad. Frank

DovR wrote:


Is this the same with Cosby ?

No Cos collects to at least an extent. But ASFAIK has not been to a pen
show and the only pens he had on Letterman and the CBS good morning
shows seemed to be a typical assortment of new LE and such pens with no
preference for brands. He also gave Letterman a Skyline which wouldnt
write when letterman tried to use it. He said pen was same age as
Letterman which was about correct. I don't know how deep his interest
really is but no doubt he does hang around FPH in NY for some reason.
I've never seen any actual famous celeberty at a pen show.

Unlike toy train shows where one might expect to bumb into Frank Sinatra
25 years ago. I know. I did. He was just crusin' the asiles looking for
Lionel stuff. Frank

marlinspike wrote:



I don't know about that. Not only did my dad (an arbitrer of taste) tell me
that a professional gentleman should always keep a fine pen in his front
pocket, but even a book I have (I think it's called the gentleman's guide,
either way it is Da Book of high mens fashion) has a small section stating
that a true gentleman always has a fine fountain pen on hand.

Ah yes. Now this I agree with! Since I carry one with all of the time,
it must mean I am gentleman. ;-)


--
Sincerely yours,

Ron Wilbanks

"Like a prized watch, a good fountain pen is a trusted companion for life."

Spam filter: -1 for the real thing!

Ron Wilbanks writes:

PENMART01 wrote:

Btw, I never did comprehend the attraction with Bob Hope.. I found his
humor pathetic... like the Three Stooges Meet Captain Kangaroo.

My #1 favorite will always be Red Skelton! :-) Now that man could make
me laugh all the time. :-)

Absolutely, Red Skelton was an artist... but Jackie Gleason was truly the
Greatest!


---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
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