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Monday, February 28, 2011
Eight-time Oscar host Billy Crystal returned to his most famous stage to a rousing standing ovation. Crystal, who hasn't hosted the show since 2004, came to introduce a segment featuring
Bob Hope hosting the first televised Oscars.
"So where was I," Crystal joked when hitting the stage. "Some things never change. The producers have asked me to tell you we are running a little long, so here are the nominees for Best Picture."
"The first televised Oscars was in 1953. I was five years old so for those of you who stink in math I'm 47. The host that year was Bob Hope. He hosted it 18 times. I hosted it eight, and I was pooped after two. Bob was the Oscars. He was funny, he was classy and he was what I think the Oscar host must be: a sexy movie star."
"I never worked with Bob Hope, I never met him, but one night we had a great moment together here on the stage of the Academy Awards," Crystal remembered. "Bob was sitting [there] and it made me a little jittery that he was in the audience. So I thought of a good, strong joke and I found myself looking at Bob Hope's face. And the camera was on him and he laughed and applauded and I introduced him and he blew me a kiss and gave me an affectionate little wave, and it meant the world to me," Crystal remembered. "And when the camera went away, he flipped me off. So I guess you could say we worked together."
