By Michael Lyons
You won’t find it on many (or any) Holiday Movie Top 10 lists, but 1951’s The Lemon Drop Kid deserves to be part of the seasonal cinema conversation.
It is indeed a Christmas movie and may be one of the best Christmas movies you’ve never seen.
The Lemon Drop Kid stars comedy legend Bob Hope as the titular character (real name: Sidney Milburn, but always referred to as Lemon Drop Kid, due to his love of the sour candies).
The Kid is a small-time con man, and, in the weeks, before Christmas, he bets a gangster’s money on a horse and loses. The gangster gives The Kid until Christmas Eve to pay the money back…or else!
When the conniving Lemon Drop Kid sees a sidewalk Santa ringing a bell and collecting money, he concocts a fake charitable organization. He then convinces his tough, street-smart buddies to dress as Santas, ring bells, and collect money, which he hopes to use for his own “charity”- himself.
But The Kid has a change of heart, and his lie comes to light. Does the true spirit of the season shine through? Well, in a sly, humorous way, it does.
The Lemon Drop Kid is based on a story by author Damon Runyon, and was actually adapted into a film before this, in 1934. Runyon wrote stories about characters comprising a segment of New York City made up of gangsters and hustlers. However, Runyon’s stories had humor and innocence (the famed musical Guys and Dolls is based on this work).
This, coupled with the comic style of Hope, gives The Lemon Drop Kid a unique edge. The comedian always seems to have a smirk and a one-liner ready at any moment.
The movie also features a strong, supporting cast including Marilyn Maxwell as love interest “Brainy” Baxter, Lloyd Nolan as one of the film’s “heavies,” Oxford Charlie, and William Frawley (later Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy) as one of The Kid’s cronies, Gloomy Willie.
The Lemon Drop Kid is also a musical of sorts. There are only several songs, but one of them, written for the film, has become a classic Christmas carol.
That song is “Silver Bells,” sung by Hope and Maxwell, in the film, as they walk the city's streets. Introduced here for the first time, “Silver Bells” has become one of the season’s musical standards. It also would become Hope’s signature Christmas song (to him, what “White Christmas” became for his comedy partner, Bing Crosby). Hope would traditionally perform “Silver Bells” as part of his annual Christmas TV special years later.
The Lemon Drop Kid may not be perfect (it has other musical moments that lag) and could be seen as dated (and, at times, politically incorrect). But it also has charm and is easy to take, particularly if viewed this time of year.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of The Lemon Drop Kid, so if it’s never been part of your Christmas movie rotation before, this could be the year to give Hope a chance.
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