Moviecut—The Lemon Drop Kid

source: The Lemon Drop Kid

The thing I noticed about thirty minutes into the picture was how complicated the plotting got for a movie from the early Fifties. Not what I was expecting from a title like "The Lemon Drop Kid", whose title character is wonderfully performed by one of my all time favorites - Bob Hope. Hope is his trademark self most of the time with the snappy quips and one liners, but it wasn't just Hope playing Hope, indeed it appeared that Bob actually got into his character based on a Damon Runyon story. With any other actor, The Lemon Drop Kid might have come across as the smarmy con man that he was written to be, but Hope makes him a likable chap, even when he's robbing you blind. The other major curve that the picture throws at you about mid-way through is that all of a sudden, it becomes a Christmas story! I wasn't really ready for that, and yet right from the opening sound of "Silver Bells", it all seems to fit together perfectly around a con game to bring home the bacon for Nellie Thursday's Home For Old Dolls. Hope has just the perfect cast of characters to pull off this grift - Jay C. Flippen, Ben Weldon, and Tor Johnson among others, and it was especially cool to catch William Frawley in a role apart from his Fred Mertz character. I'm not so sure this bunch could have pulled off the caper in real life quite so easily, but I think you can cut the film some slack in that regard; getting there was all the fun it could be. With any of these older flicks, I'm always on the lookout for reminders of simpler times gone by - how about a hot pastrami sandwich for fifty cents! Say, I wonder too, if you can still get a salami gift wrapped for the holidays? There's also the era preoccupation with getting as many profile shots of the picture's leading lady into view as possible. On that score, Marilyn Maxwell's figure never disappoints, strategically positioned whenever possible in conversation with Lemon Drop or Oxford Charley (Lloyd Nolan). After a while I began to wonder why she ever stuck it out with The Kid, but I guess every heel has some redemptive qualities. I don't know if I'd make this a must see every year at Christmas time, but then again, it might not be the worst choice out there. It takes you back to a way simpler time than say, "Bad Santa", and you won't have to screen out the language for young viewers. All in all, a fun picture and a fine effort from Bob Hope and his gang of usual suspects.

********************Mild Spoilers Ahead******************************** This is a sassy comedy for Bob Hope who is a two timing con artist that somehow is likable. Bob Hope manages to pull it all together and hold the weak plot together for a few laughs. He's the whole show in this one. The Lemon Drop Kid (Bob Hope) double crosses the wrong guy in this movie and he has to run for his life. It becomes apparent that the Lemon Drop Kid would sell out his mother to save his own neck. He even cooks up a scam to get money by dressing up as Santa Claus and ringing a bell at Christmas time. Then he enlists a bunch of cronies to work for him in the Santa Claus bell ringer scam and cheats a bunch of old ladies out of their money. What a heel! It's a fairly good movie and it does move along nicely, but some of the top billed actors are too corny in their roles for my tastes, namely Marilyn Maxwell, Jane Darwell and William Frawley. They just aren't pulling it off in this one like Bob does. Even Bob goes over the top at times which causes the move to fall sporadically flat . I thought the bit with Bob Hope and the mechanical mannequin in the store window was different and unusual. Bob walking in the wind and cold and stealing the dog's knitted sweater was also memorable. He also made me laugh when he dressed up as an old lady to sneak into the Home for Old Dolls(women). This one is kind of fun, but it's no classic. My Favorite Brunette and The Son of Paleface are the two comedies of Bob's that I would recommend before this one. Worth watching, though, if you are a big fan of Bob Hopes and just want to see something with him in it. I suggest you stay away from The Road To Bali which is the worst Bob Hope Comedy I've seen so far...but I haven't all of them. I give The Lemon Drop Kid 75/100. It's average comedy with some sparks of hilarity thrown in here and there.

Still makes me laugh after all these years impeccable timing great writing beautiful comic acting from all, Hope is wonderful as usual if you haven't seen this and looking for an hour or so of laughs the sit down put your feet up and enjoy. They Obviously Want Me To Sing ...not now please

Very funny 1951 Bob Hope film where he plays a small-time gangster who has accidentally dropped money of a bigger mob person at the track and then finds an ingenious way to get the money back. The gags are great with Marilyn Maxwell as Hope's girlfriend and eventual partner in the scheme. Jane Darwell showed a gift of comedy in this hilarious film. As one of the old dolls, she brings plenty of humor as the wife of a convicted safe-cracker about to be released at holiday time. Hope's great idea of setting up a licensed home for old dolls is very humorous. How will he pay for the home in a gambling home? He sends his band of crooks out playing Santa Claus and soliciting money. All goes well until Lloyd Nolan, a real big-time gangster, gets wind of the scheme and steals the money from Hope. Bob has to retrieve the money and free the dolls who have been taken hostage by a ruthless Nolan. Funny and yet very poignant with the holiday-spirit like ending.

I have watched this movie every Christmas my whole life. It's full of song and laughter. I raised my kids on this movie and is for the whole family. Starring Bob Hope. Make this your family tradition.

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.

Though this movie is a favorite of my Mother's, it inevitably is one of mine. Bob Hope is "ON" in this Season's Greeting which, by the way, introduced the world to the song "Silver Bells". A MUST-HAVE in your home library.

I was a big Bob Hope fan all through the 1940s. In his movies, he always played the hapless loser who lucks his way out of trouble and into a beautiful woman's arms. In this one he plays a con man. Con men can be funny if they are complete incompetents or if they successfully con someone who deserves to be conned. In this movie, only half of each of the above occurs and it is thus less funny and inconsistent. Hope starts out a loser and a craven coward in this one, but at the end of the movie as his schemes work, he becomes smarmy and struts around in an unappealing way. I hated this; it undermined all the previous likable schnook characters Hope had played. I had already read the Runyon story about the Lemon Drop Kid when this film was first released and I was disappointed that the movie contained almost no part of it and only a soupcon of Runyon English could be heard. Maxwell was attractive and sang well. The song "Silver Bells" is a good one. There were many superior character actors in this, but none of them had a chance to really register. I can't think of a Bob Hope move made subsequent to this that I liked. This started a downhill slide for me.