Topic: Bob Hope and the Three Stooges

[BeAStooge]

Currently on newsstands (August/September 2014 issue)...

Pages 34 - 35 are a two-page spread photo of Hope, Bing Crosby, Moe, Larry & Shemp on stage for the OLYMPIC FUND TELETHON (June 21 - 22, 1952  CBS & NBC).  The first nationally televised telethon raised funds to send U.S. athletes to the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland.

[Svengarlic]

I haven't seen an issue of the Digest in years. Didn't know it was still published. Is it still the same small size?

[middlenamewayne]

The regular edition of RD is still small, and there's also a large print edition. The Hope special is TIME magazine sized, or at least the copy I saw in the checkout line today was.

  - mnw

[Svengarlic]

As far as I can tell there are no known prints of that first Telethon. Not surprising. However, it's possible that there are several snippets scattered around like Dean and Jerry's 12 minute appearance that Lewis saved.

Cast: Bob Hope & Bing Crosby (Hosts)
Spike Jones & His Orchestra
Frank Sinatra
Rosemary Clooney
Dean and Jerry 
Moe , Larry and Shemp   
Abbott and Costello
Johnny Weismuller
Humphrey Bogart
Marilyn Monroe
Burns and Allen
June Allyson
Eddie "Rochester" Anderson
Joan Crawford
Tony Curtis
Janet Leigh
Zsa Zsa Gabor
Edgar Bergen & Charlie Mc Carthy
Tex Ritter
Edward G. Robinson
Fred MacMurray
Ed Sullivan

It appears that first telethon was short on performance guests, heavy on actors, and one TV personality/columnist in Sullivan. Here's the only known excerpt: