Editor’s Note: We’re thrilled to welcome Debbie Sklar to myBurbank, where she’ll be digging into the rich history of our town.
Here’s a real puzzle from Burbank’s past, and it stars a face we all know: Bob Hope.
There’s a photo in the Burbank Public Library’s historical collection that shows the legendary entertainer speaking to a crowd at the Starlight Bowl. Behind him, you can see musicians from the Horace Heidt Jr. jazz band. But here’s the kicker—we don’t know what event it was for. That’s left us with a big question: Why was Bob Hope at the Starlight Bowl that day?
The black-and-white shot was taken by Ross Benson and is dated 1988 in the library’s records. It’s cataloged as pio01957, and the location is listed as the Starlight Bowl. So, was it a civic celebration? A benefit show? Something else entirely? The photo gives us hints, but no clear answer.
Now, there’s a possible clue from not too long ago. On September 27, 1987, Bob Hope headlined a constitution bicentennial celebration at the Starlight Amphitheatre. It was put together by Mayor Michael Hastings and featured folks like singer Stephen Bishop, actress Morgan Brittany, and TV personality Fritz Coleman. The goal was to raise money for a memorial to the Constitution and Burbank’s military veterans. Hope even agreed to help with another fundraiser for it later.
That 1987 event is pretty interesting because the photo also shows Hope with a band linked to Horace Heidt Jr. But the library says the Benson photo is from 1988, so we can’t just assume it’s the same thing without more proof.
The library has another photo of Hope at the Starlight Bowl, also from 1988, taken by Bonnie Burrow (catalog number pio01944). These two images together make us think there might be more stories to uncover about Bob Hope’s visits to the venue.
Burbank’s photo collection keeps snapshots of our history, but sometimes the captions leave us guessing. To figure out an event, it often comes down to little things: who was on stage, the musicians, the setting, a newspaper ad, or a program someone kept.
That’s where you come in. Did you go to a Bob Hope event at the Starlight Bowl in the late ’80s? Do you recognize the musicians or remember why he was there?
If you’ve got info, it could help the Burbank Public Library fill in the blanks and bring this moment into focus.
For now, the photo stays a small mystery in Burbank, featuring one of Hollywood’s most familiar faces.
