'Paleface'

As a singular actor or performer in any setting, there's little doubt that no one was better than Bob Hope.

Note: I didn't necessarily say funnier. Hope is transcendant. He's not just a comedian, even though he's exceptionally funny even in these modern days of Comedy Central.

It's the delivery, it's how he controls your eye as you watch him on screen or on stage. He takes over. In sports, it's equal to Michael Jordan taking over a game or Tiger Woods just dominating a course.

It's part charisma and part a natural persuasion toward being a performer. Part just physical presence. He didn't need to perform, just be included in the shot to take over. Hope, unlike 90 percent of all these others, was absolutely born to perform.

When you think of the greats -- Brando, DeNiro, Gable -- Hope has to be included.