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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! |
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#2
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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 |
#3
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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 |
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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 |
#5
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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 |
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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 |
#7
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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 |
#8
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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! |
#9
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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) =--- ---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =--- Sheldon ```````````` "Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation." |
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