Hope to receive century honour

Hope to receive century honour

Hope and his wife Dolores will not attend the ceremony

Comic legend Bob Hope has been named citizen of the century by the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

A plaque honouring the veteran star, who celebrates his 100th birthday on 29 May, will be put in place in front of the Hollywood Entertainment Museum on Tuesday.

Hope will not attend the event but stars including Frasier actor Kelsey Grammer and comic Phyllis Diller are expected to be there.

Hope is considered one of the world's greatest entertainers, having thrilled audiences for many decades with his performances on stage, TV and in film.

The Walk of Fame recognition will coincide with the release by Universal of the Bob Hope 100th Birthday DVD Tribute Collection box-set.

Other anniversary celebrations are also planned elsewhere in the US on his birthday, with a number of streets and buildings around the country named after the entertainer.

Secluded life

Hope's centenary will be marked when the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street will be named Bob Hope Square.

A reception will be held at the Bob Hope Gallery of Entertainment at the Library of Congress in Washington DC.

The expanded Bob Hope Hollywood United Service Organisations at Los Angeles International Airport will be dedicated.

Streets will be named after him in Toluca Lake and Cleveland, where he grew up.

And the Cleveland Indians will celebrate Bob Hope Day at Jacob's Field.

In recent years, Hope has withdrawn for the public eye. He spends his time at his suburban Toluca Lake golf estate, near Universal Studios.

He has also suffered bouts of ill health in recent years and has been in hospital with pneumonia.

Hope's legacy as a comic film actor and entertainer is still going strong.

He is remembered for his string of films with Bing Crosby and screen siren Dorothy Lamour, as well as his latter-day TV work.