BOB HOPE Local appearances

Bob Hope, who called Cleveland his hometown, helped launch his career in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys.
In 1924, Hope made his first stage appearance in a vaudeville show Cleveland. That year, he and his partner, Lloyd Durbin, performed at the Overlander Opera House in East Palestine. Hope credits the performance as his first roadshow.
After Durbin's death, Hope teamed with George Byrne. While polishing their act at smaller theaters before a West Coast tour, they performed at the Capitol Theater in New Castle, Pa. The manager at Capitol Theater asked Hope to announce the upcoming shows. He threw in a few jokes. Later, Hope said that moment was the impetus for becoming a "single" act.
During a 1976 performance at Ohio State Fair, Bob Hope asked if anyone was from East Palestine. Daniel J. Davis and his wife raised their hands. Hope told the audience about his early performances there. Davis told Hope that he was pastor of First Church of Christ, which was in the middle of a building drive. Hope agreed to pay for a carillon for the church.
Hope visited the Mahoning Valley in 1978 and 1979 as the headlining act of the Canfield Fair.
Source: Vindicator files