Christmas Day 1948. West Berlin. It's a cold and lonely city if you are an American soldier. You're behind communist lines, behind a wall of fear and mutual distrust.

But all is not bleak. An American entertainer has come with a troupe of pretty girls and musicians to do a show to raise your spirits. His name? Bob Hope.

Hope begins his show with his regular patter: "When I landed," he says with an air of warm congeniality, "General Clay came up to see me, shook my hand, and asked me for my autograph. What a sneaky way to get enlistments." All the fellows are laughing and cheering. What a terrific change from the gray, monotonous days that generally characterize Berlin this time of year.

The show is nearing the close. Hope is introducing the last of his troupe ”one of the most famous son…