Welcome to a new Wildcard Wednesday! This upcoming Monday will mark the 120th anniversary of Bob Hope’s birth, and in celebration of one of the foremost entertainers from the 20th century, not to mention a guest star on so many different sitcoms, I thought it would be fitting to share — with subscribers who comment below to alert me of their private, non-commercial interest — access to a favorite but seldom-seen special!

This prerecorded episode of The Bob Hope Show was first broadcast by NBC on October 24, 1962 (the week of the infamous Cuban Missile Crisis, incidentally) and featured the birthday boy alongside Juliet Prowse and two of his bestest buddies, Bing Crosby and this blog’s patron saint, Lucille Ball. The special includes a fun parody of Bonanza, a gangster sketch, musical numbers, and bloopers with Ball and Hope from their upcoming film Critic’s Choice (1963). Here’s a clip of this entertaining time capsule — and thanks for the memories, Bob!

Come back next week for a new Wildcard! And stay tuned Tuesday for more Becker!