Mar. 6, 1962 - The movie industry and President Kennedy paid tribute to Bob Hope last night for his tireless trips to entertain American servicemen. The comedian was presented with the Milestone Award at the Screen Producers Guild annual dinner in Hollywood. Mr. Hope received telephone messages from servicemen in Berlin, Korea, Greenland, Alaska, and other places where he has entertained. The biggest surprise was the tape-recorded voice of President Kennedy, who cited Mr. Hope as having “always been generous and enthusiastic in giving his talents.” The President mentioned Mr. Hope’s “road” pictures and said he might be considering a “Road to Washington” — “from my own experience, I can tell him it’s not the easiest road to travel.” The Producers Guild announced its selection of “West Side Story” as the best-produced film of 1961. “Ben Casey” was named the best-produced TV series.
