Marlon Brando’s Scathing View of Bob Hope’s Fame
Marlon Brando, never fond of accolades, once unleashed a biting critique of Bob Hope, questioning his relentless pursuit of the spotlight and labelling him an 'applause junkie.'
It’s not every day you encounter someone who recoils at being hailed as the finest in their field, yet Marlon Brando was just such a figure. While most would be delighted to be recognised as the very best, Brando found the whole business rather distasteful. He famously quipped that his dog, Tim, was more deserving of the title than he was. Despite his two Academy Awards, he was never comfortable with the adulation that came with his craft.
In an industry where egos are often larger than life, Brando’s discomfort with praise set him apart. Acting had once been his passion, but as his enthusiasm waned, so too did his patience for the trappings of celebrity. The longer he remained in the limelight, the more his legendary performances became sporadic, and his reputation for being difficult both on and off set only grew. Increasingly, he was known for his sharp tongue and his tendency to grumble about the state of modern cinema rather than celebrate it.
Brando’s Disdain for Showbiz Rituals
Even the most cherished figures in entertainment were not immune to Brando’s criticism. Bob Hope, whose career spanned vaudeville, film, television, and theatre, became something of an American institution. With nineteen stints as Oscars host, nearly sixty tours for the armed forces, five honorary Academy Awards, and four stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Hope’s presence was inescapable.
Brando, however, saw things differently. He believed Hope had lingered in the public eye far too long and made no secret of his contempt.
“Bob Hope will go to the opening of a phone booth in a petrol station in Anaheim, providing they have a camera there and three people,”
he once remarked to Lawrence Grobel.
“He’ll go to the opening of a market and receive an award. It’s pathetic. It’s a bottomless pit. A barrel that has no floor.”
On Applause and Insecurity
Brando’s issue was not so much with Hope’s talent or character, but with his relentless pursuit of attention.
“He must be a man who has an ever-crumbling estimation of himself,”
Brando observed.
“He’s constantly filling himself up. He’s like a junkie, an applause junkie, like Sammy Davis Jr. Sammy desperately longs to be loved, approved of.”
Unexpectedly, Brando dragged another showbiz legend, Sammy Davis Jr., into his critique, before returning to his main point.
“Bob Hope, Christ, instead of growing old gracefully or doing something with his money, be helpful, all he does is he has an anniversary with the president looking on. It’s sad.”
Brando’s Final Word
When pressed for his overall view, Brando did not mince words:
“He’s a pathetic guy.”
Unfortunately for Brando, his comments came in the late 1970s, and it would be another twenty years before Hope finally stepped away from public life.