Ever since seventh grade I have been addicted to old time radio and the black and white age of Hollywood, the classics. My heroes were Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Orson Wells and Humphrey Bogart, who are remembered today for their revolution of comedy, refusal to be censored and ability to redefine Hollywood. July 23, 2003 was a dark day for me, the day Bob Hope (age 100) died; I remember being devastated as he represented to me, the death of an era.
When discussing Khrushchev I can’t help but to think back to one of my favorite books “I owe Russia 1200$” by Bob Hope. The introduction to the book describes a rather famous event in U.S History. Khrushchev’s visit to the United States in 1959 his denied entrance to Walt Disneyland and his tirade at a luncheon at 20th Century Fox studios. According to Hope, he was seated next to the premier’s wife at this luncheon and suggested that she visit Disneyland. When Khrushchev asked the Secret Service about this he was denied due for “security reasons. His response to this setback in his itinerary is what I find fascinating; the Premier of Russia the country vying for Superstar status over the US, the infamous “Butcher of Ukraine” threw a complete hissy fit!!! Here's an excerpt from the remarks that Khrushchev made that afternoon:
"We have come to this town where lives the cream of American art. And just imagine (that) I, a Premier, a Soviet representative, when I came here to this city, I was given a plan. A program of what I was to be shown and whom I was to meet here.
But just now I was told that I could not go to Disneyland. I asked 'Why not? What is it? Do you have rocket-launching pads there?' I do not know.
And just listen - just listen to what I was told - to what reason I was told. We, which means the American authorities, can not guarantee your security if you go there.
What is it? Is there an epidemic of cholera there or something? Or have gangsters taken over the place that can destroy me? Then what must I do? Commit suicide?
This is the situation I am in. Your guest. For me, this situation is inconceivable. I can not find words to explain this to my people."
You can tell that he is a bit put off and extremely peeved at being denied the chance to meet Mickey Mouse. After the luncheon while touring houses in L.A, Khrushchev refused to even get out of the limousine as he pouted inside the car, Khrushchev reportedly told his State Department handlers that "... putting me in a closed car and stewing me in the sun is not the right way to guarantee my safety. This (not being allowed to go to Disneyland) development causes me bitter regret. I thought I could come here as a free man." Another interesting read is Khrushev's speech at the civic dinner in L.A in which he states the anger he feels torwards the American tendency to make everything into a joke "I am talking seriously because I have come here with serious intentions, and you try to reduce the matter to simply a joke. It is a question of war or peace between our countries, a question of the life or death of the people."
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,811257-9,00.html
Khrushchev’s visit to the U.S was very important even though it was slightly marred by this security issue. It represented the early attempts at détente with Russia, and for Russia this meant competition
with the West was not over, but, for Khrushchev, this competition had to be ideological, economic, and technological rather than military.
Khrushchev’s visit to the U.S was very important even though it was slightly marred by this security issue. It represented the early attempts at détente with Russia, and for Russia this meant competition
with the West was not over, but, for Khrushchev, this competition had to be ideological, economic, and technological rather than military. 
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