The Lemon Drop Kid

I saw this movie when I was only about five years old and I've loved it since. It epitomizes the typical good hearted man in a bad situation who undergoes a character transformation worthy of old Scrooge himself. Bob Hope plays a grifter who tries to play both sides of a scam. All of this is infused with just the right amount of holiday fun and Christmas Carols (and even a few cracks at Bing) to make it a real holiday classic. I would recommend it for any age and any family.

Bob Hope is wonderful as The Lemon Drop Kid, who makes his money tricking people into betting on ponies with his phony insider information and agreeing to cut him in on the winnings...only he mistakenly convinces a gangster's mol into betting on a different pony than she was supposed to with $2000! As a consequence, the gangster looses out on a $10,000 payout. He tells the Lemon Drop Kid he has until Christmas Eve to pay him back the $10,000. So The Kid travels to New York where he is hoping to call upon his friends to help him out...only they don't because either they can't or because he has taken advantage of their kindness one too many times, including the lovely lady "Brainy". Down on his luck and with just enough money to get his winter clothes out of hawk he sees a bell ringing Santa...and is struck by the idea that he could raise money for a charity...his save a life charity.

This was a great vehicle for Bob Hope and he is at the top of his game in this film. I was eager to see this film because I ordered sheet music for my favorite Christmas carol..."Silver Bells" and found out it came straight out of this film The Lemon Drop Kid which I had never heard of. I don't know that this will be a Christmas regular for me, but it was worth seeing...contained my favorite Christmas carol, and had some interesting scenes from a by gone era...including tinsled trees and Christmas store windows.

Hope's films always spun on his zany sense of humor. In this, a redo of a Damon Runyon story (see Little Miss Marker), Hope is at his best. I noted with interest the comments of one reviewer who bristling with politically correct indignation, accuses Hope of everything from Sexism to nearly murder. True, they were not as tuned into the careful not to offend anyone scene we are now but most of this stuff is pretty mild. Besides, being a senior citizen myself, I was hardly offended. The list of wonderful studio character actors in this film is delightful. Fred Clarke who was at his best as a villain or sleeze ball gives a delightful show as a gangster. And, then there's Marilyn Maxwell: her singing of "Silver Bells," gave us a new Christmas carol that is sung every holiday season. I'm sorry that some of our other reviewers were piqued by this film. I think it has held up well and I still delight at Hope's antics. I guess that dates me. I was in junior high when I saw this film. I loved it then and love it now.

"The Lemon Drop Kid" is from a story by Damon Runyon--and it's heritage is obvious based on the sorts of names for the characters, such as Stan the Surgeon, Moose Moran, Nellie Thursday and Straight Flush Tony. The title character is played by Bob Hope and he's a real schmuck. He makes his living, such as it is, by selling fake tips on horses at the racetrack. However, when he convinces a big-time mobster's girl to bet on a horse instead of the one she intended to bet on, the mobster (Fred Clark) is NOT happy. He insists that The Kid must pay him back by Christmas....or else. The problem is that The Lemon Drop Kid has no money and no friends--so he heads to New York to try to convince someone to loan him the money. But, he is a schmuck after all and none of his 'friends' in the city are willing to give him a dime. What's he to do....just wait to have his legs broken....if he's LUCKY?! Nah, he comes up with a scheme involving the creation of an old folks home and Santa. Confusing? See the film to find out why he does this and what's next.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable Hope vehicle. He's in top form and the movie is entertaining despite a few small glitches. For example, look for Bob Hope's lips as he 'sings' "Silver Bells" and tries to get money from some very little kids. You can clearly see that his lips AREN'T moving yet he's somehow singing! Oops. Despite this silly mistake, I must say that this is a lovely part of the film--a real highlight. Clever and worth your time.

This is one of my favorite holiday movies. It is a great example of Runyan's work. I would recommend it for the whole family! It is a nice departure from the usual holiday sentimentalism. The dialog is peppered with typical Runyan phrases that truly capture the "Guys and Dolls" types and yet still has the Bob Hope send up comedy typical of his "Road" pictures. The musical numbers add to the picture without making it into a big budget Hollywood show. Jane Darwell, William Frawley and Lloyd Nolan are really enjoyable. Even though some of the comedy it perhaps a bit ethnic oriented, it really isn't offensive. My family and I would rather watch this than any other "wonderful" holiday movie.