The Ohio Theater at 39 E. State St. in downtown Columbus celebrated its 50th anniversary with the Ohio Theater Jubilee Gala on Oct. 21, 1978.
The weekend coincided with Ohio State University’s homecoming, and the Gala’s guest of honor – British-American comedian, actor, musician and entertainer Bob Hope – had a jam-packed weekend. NBC film crews followed Hope and the weekend's events for a TV special, “Bob Hope Celebrates the Ohio Jubilee,” which aired later in the year.
The weekend kicked off with a Homecoming Parade on Friday evening, Oct. 20, 1978. As the parade's grand marshal, Hope rode in a 1928 Ford Model A Roadster symbolizing the year the Ohio Theater opened. The Scioto Valley Antique Car Club provided the cars to carry celebrities in the parade.
Elaborate floats accompanied by the ROTC and OSU marching bands dazzled parade spectators. Columbus police estimated the crowd grew to be between 5,000 and 20,000 people. The parade concluded with a marching band show on the Capitol lawn and a reception at the Ohio Theater.
The main event on Saturday evening brought more national talent to the Ohio Theater’s stage. Ginger Rogers, Vic Damone and even President Ford joined Bob Hope for the special. Pianist Carmen Cavallaro was the only local act.
The crowd applauded and likely breathed a sigh of relief when the performance and filming ended at 11:40 PM, far later than event organizers expected. Next, the event attendees were then ushered to the elaborate ball.
Lester Lanin and his orchestra provided music as attendees danced and mingled under the enormous 400-foot tent set up on the Ohio Statehouse lawn.
At the late hour, guests appreciated the hundreds of twinkling lights and votive candles that illuminated the evening. Guests snacked on lavish buffets of chicken parmesan and seafood salad.
Because the ball was on the Statehouse’s property, coffee and fruit punch were the only libations. Bob Hope skipped the ball entirely, likely exhausted from the parade and many hours of filming.
The Columbus Dispatch review of the gala noted that Hope appeared notably fatigued on stage. Yet, Hope soldiered on. He had made an appearance earlier Saturday during the halftime show at the Buckeye’s homecoming game against Iowa, dotting the “i” in the marching band's Ohio formation. Ohio beat Iowa 31-7.
The Ohio Theater Jubilee Gala almost didn’t happen. Nine years before the 50th anniversary, the State of Ohio planned to raze the theater to build office buildings. The Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) raised nearly $2.5 million to save the building.
The Jubilee Gala event was originally planned for March 18, 1978, the theater’s actual anniversary. However, as the United Mine Workers of America strike wore on more than 70 days, coal shortages threatened an electrical energy crisis. On Feb. 14, 1978, event planner Clive David announced the event would be postponed until the fall.
The NBC-TV special on the theater's Jubilee Gala aired on NBC4 (WCMH-TV) on Dec. 3, 1978, and many Columbus area residents delighted in seeing shots of the familiar Downtown theater and familiar faces in the audience.
Maria Lee is a Librarian with Columbus Metropolitan Library.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Entertainer Bob Hope was guest of honor at Ohio Theater's Jubilee Gala in 1978
