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Celebrations fill Hope's 100th

Bob Hope, whose devotion to entertaining U.S. troops at war made him an American icon, turned 100 Thursday at his Toluca Lake, Calif., estate amid a torrent of congratulations.

"He can't believe that this is happening and that he's made it to his big 100," son Kelly Hope said at the gated home, where staff sorted more than 2,000 letters and postcards from well-wishers.

President Bush marked the occasion by establishing the Bob Hope American Patriot Award, to be granted no more than once a year to a civilian "who has demonstrated extraordinary love of country and devotion to the personnel of the United States Armed Forces." Celebrations elsewhere included the unveiling of signs naming the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street as Bob Hope Square.

At Hope's home, it was a day of quiet appreciation. Although frail, ailing and unable to make public appearances, Hope was said to be alert and happy. The day was also important, his son said, because "it means that we are together as a family one more time.

The Rock the Mic Tour with 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes, Sean Paul, Fabolous and Bonecrusher comes to the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 7. Jay-Z, one of the headliners at 30 of the Rock the Mic dates, will not be on the bill in Tampa.

Tickets $29.75 and $39.75, plus service charges go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Times Forum box office and through Ticketmaster at (813) 287-8844, (727) 898-2100 and www.ticketmaster.com

Keanu Reeves is planning to give away more than $80-million in profits from the two Matrix sequels, Ananova.com reports.

The actor, who plays Neo in the smash movie series, will donate most of his pay to effects and costume designers who worked on the movies.

Reeves' contract gives him 15 percent of the box-office draw for The Matrix Reloaded and its followup, The Matrix Revolutions. The deal should net Reeves more than $100-million.

The marriage of Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton is officially over.

The Tomb Raider actor filed for divorce from the Sling Blade star last July, after only two years of marriage. Jolie cited irreconcilable differences.

The union between the 27-year-old Jolie and the 47-year-old Thornton was dissolved Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. It was Thornton's fifth marriage and her second.

A year after leaving CBS, Bryant Gumbel is returning to broadcast television as an anchor of a quarterly news series on PBS that debuts next month.

The new show, to originate at Washington's WETA, is titled Flashpoints USA and will be anchored by Gumbel and Gwen Ifill, moderator of Washington Week and senior correspondent for The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer.

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