Bob Hope Bob Hope ( 1903 – 2003 ) , born Leslie Townes Hope in England , was a popular comedian and actor whose active career spanned over six decades , from vaudeville , Broadway musicals and radio to television and movies . Hope ' s trademarks were his machine gun delivery of jokes , his theme song " Thanks for the Memory , " and his distinctive profile ; in 1977 , when Hope guest starred on " The Muppet Show " , Gonzo expressed the opinion that were his nose not so small , Hope could have been a big star . Hope and the Muppets . Bob Hope first met Kermit the Frog in the late 1950s . Hope posed for a newspaper photo with the abstract character and Paul Arnold , an entertainer described as the only human who appears on camera with the Muppets . The newspaper clipping was reproduced in a resource book for the Jim Henson ' s Fantastic World exhibit . Hope ' s frequent collaborations with were due to a shared respect between the old trooper and the puppet troupe , as recalled by gag writer Bob Mills : Hope and the Muppets also shared writers on occasion , such as Jack Rose and Jim Thurman . In Hope ' s " Muppet Show " episode , Kermit also alludes to such trademarks of Hope ' s act as " But I wanna tell you " or his habit of introducing himself as " Bob [ Insert Gag ] Hope . " During " The Muppet Show " taping , Hope also recorded a skit with for " The Bob Hope All Star Christmas Comedy Special " , airing that year , and served as host to the felt troupe on the Royal Variety Performance . In 1978 , Kermit and Miss Piggy appeared on NBC ' s " Happy Birthday , Bob " special , for his 75th birthday . Piggy in particular reveals her special affection for " Roberto " and sings " Secret Love " to reveal the special relationship existing between a man and a pig . They later talked with Bob on " Bob Hope ' s Salute to the 75th Anniversary of the World Series " . Muppet Movie and Big Bird . In 1979 , Hope was one of the many stars who played cameo roles in " The Muppet Movie " . He appears as an ice cream vendor who exhorts Fozzie Bear not to mix up his honey and dragonfly cones . Hope ' s film career began in 1934 and included such notable films as " The Paleface " , " My Favorite Brunette " , " The Lemon Drop Kid " ( which introduced the song " Silver Bells " ) , and the " Road " pictures with Bing Crosby . However , " The Muppet Movie " would prove to be his penultimate appearance . Hope also had a warm relationship with another " Muppet Movie " cameo guest star : Big Bird . In his book " The Wisdom of Big Bird " , Caroll Spinney speaks warmly of Hope , who he first encountered in the 1976 special " Bob Hope ' s World of Comedy " . As Spinney recalled , originally Kermit the Frog had been requested , to introduce a segment on animals , but since Jim Henson couldn ' t do it , Muppets Inc . offered Big Bird as a substitute . The script , prepared by Hope ' s staff writers , mostly contained typical jokes about Colonel Sanders and so on . Spinney thought he had a better opening . When Big Bird met Bob Hope during the warm - up , Spinney said " I thought * I * had a funny - looking beak . " Hope guffawed and said " Open with those lines ! They ' re funnier than our stuff . " To Spinney ' s surprise , in 1979 , he heard Hope in a radio appearance say " I ' m going to walk arm in arm down the main street of Beijing , Red China , with my old buddy Big Bird . " So Big Bird joined Hope and other guest stars in " Road to China " . As Hope writer Bob Mills quipped , " Big Bird so totally captivated the kids , there ' s a whole generation over there now that ' s sworn off Peking duck . " While the visit cemented the bond between Bob Hope and Big Bird ( and Spinney ) , it also broke ground and set the precedent for " Big Bird in China " . Later Years . Hope slowed down in his later years , as his longevity netted increasing tributes from the media . Miss Piggy yet again paid her respects in the British special " Bob Hope ' s Happy Birthday Homecoming " , which aired on May 28 , 1985 . Hope was also inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987 , along with Jim Henson , and continued to appear in annual specials through 1996 , though health and age limited his own role to brief seated appearances . Hope made his final film appearance in John Landis ' 1985 film " Spies Like Us " , in a cameo as himself ( along with Frank Oz ) . In 1989 , Hope appeared in " Miss Piggy ' s Hollywood , " part of an episode in the series " The Jim Henson Hour " . Both the latter cameos played on Hope ' s propensity for golfing , a habit which inspired the PGA Tour to name the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in his honor . Hope was also known for his many USO tours to entertain US troops during every military conflict from World War II through the Persian Gulf War ; this facet was spoofed on " Dinosaurs " in 1992 , with the character Bob Hack . Hope died on July 27 , 2003 , two months after his 100th birthday . Along with George Burns , Irving Berlin , and Señor Wences , he was one of the few centenarians in the entertainment business . Kermit the Frog was later interviewed about Hope for the 2017 " American Masters " documentary , " This Is Bob Hope . . . "