In 1979, Bob Hope became the first American entertainer to perform for the Chinese people since Nixon and Mao had signed their historic Trade Agreement in 1974. The author, one of Hope's script writers, spent a month there --- a week in Shanghai and three weeks in Peking.
From the earliest productions meetings in preparation to tape the 3-hour special, all were in agreement that Hope's opening musical number --- to be written by producer Jim Lipton ala "The Road to Morocco" --- should be filmed atop the Wall.  Since China had only recently been opened to the West, there were few tourists, so the government granted permission to use the Wall, empty save for Bob Hope, as far as the camera's lens could see.
As he strolled down the ancient cobblestones swinging a 3-wood as a walking stick and glancing occasionally at the cue cards that Barney McNulty had taped to the wall just out of camera range, he sang.
It was by far the most auspicious opening number he would ever perform.Â
This clip is analyzed and discussed in THE LAUGH MAKERS: A Behind-the-Scenes Tribute to Bob Hope's Incredible Gag Writers (c) 2009 by Robert L. Mills and published by Bear Manor Media.com in both a print and audio version, read by the author.Â
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