Writing for Bob Hope: A Conversation with Martha Bolton
October 25 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm Eastern
“Martha Bolton finds the fun in the familiar, the mirth in the mundane, the belly laughs in the bellyaches of everyday living.” ~ Bob Hope
For 15 years, Martha Bolton worked with Bob Hope as his first full-time female staff writer — crafting jokes for over 40 hours of primetime TV specials and shaping routines Hope carried on stages around the world, including his legendary USO tours. Now, ASAP is honored to welcome Martha for a live 45-minute talk, followed by 15 minutes of Q&A.
Martha will share stories from her years in the writers’ room — the discipline of turning out material night after night and how those years became the foundation for a career that spanned comedy, television, playwriting, and 88 published books. She’ll also talk about co-writing Dear Bob: Bob Hope’s Wartime Correspondence with the G.I.s of World War II with Linda Hope, Bob’s daughter — an award-winning collection of the letters and postcards exchanged between Hope and the troops he entertained, drawn from his personal archive at the Library of Congress.
Whether you’re a writer, a performer, or simply a fan of Bob Hope’s legacy of service and laughter, this is a rare chance to hear firsthand what it took to write for one of the most iconic entertainers in American history — and why that legacy still resonates with military communities today.
About Martha Bolton
Martha Bolton is an Emmy‑nominated television writer, best‑selling book author, and veteran playwright with more than four decades of experience crafting respectful, engaging stories about iconic American figures. As the first woman female staff writer for Bob Hope, she spent over 15 years shaping Hope’s televised tributes, military specials, and public appearances—work that required extensive collaboration with major estates, networks, and government agencies. Bolton has since authored 88 published books and written nearly two dozen stage musicals produced in professional theatres across the United States.
