In 1944 Bob Hope, legendary comedian and film star, entertained troops at the newly created Nimitz Bowl in Pearl Harbor, an outdoor amphitheater and sports venue built by the U.S. Navy in the Punchbowl Crater on Oahu, Hawaii. Initially the venue was to host USO and other entertainment events for service members. It served this purpose well until 1949 when it was replaced by the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
The show was recorded, and in 1946 was produced by Capitol Records as a three-record album set in a special box entitled “I Never Left Home.” Bob Hope and Buddy Sylva, Capitol Record president, chose none other than the Flying Tiger Line to transport the initial 3,000 album sets from Lockheed Air Terminal to locations nationwide for distribution.
Captain Joe Rosbert
But there is much more behind this story. It’s very possible that Bob Prescott’s advantageous relationship with Southern California’s entertainment industry started with this “record” flight.
During the early formative years for the Flying Tiger Line, Robert Prescott was very aware of the hold that the movie and entertainment industry in Hollywood had on the American public. In June 1945, whether by design or coincidence, the fledgling airline’s first employment office was a single room within the luxurious Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, an early venue for the Oscar Awards ceremonies held annually in the hotel’s auditorium. In addition, the major film studios were located just south of Lockheed Air Terminal, FTL’s headquarters and base of operations from 1947 to 1963. After founding National Skyway Freight Corporation, and throughout his life-long position as president of the Flying Tiger Line, Bob Prescott had a special regard for those involved in the Hollywood film industry. Prescott’s first home was in Burbank, as were most movie stars, many who were contractually required to stay close to the studios – living, playing, and socializing in the nearby Hollywood Hills of Southern California.
From 1945 to 1949, while the film industry was enjoying a post-war boom, Bob Prescott was busy creating a whole new industry of his own – airfreight. Prescott’s affinity for the Hollywood elite was affirmed by the many Hollywood entertainers included in advertising and public relations spots for many decades following this period.
For more information about the Flying Tiger Line and the Hollywood film industry see Robert Prescott and Hollywood