Film #069 - The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)
The Lemon Drop Kid is, for the most part, a typical Bob Hope comedy of the era. What gives it a bit of a zing is the fact that it is based on the works of Damon Runyon (like Guys and Dolls and Little Miss Marker). So we have Bob making his way through the world of mob toughs and seedy dealings, but with that typical heart of gold that Runyon was known for.
Hope plays Sidney Melbourne, a two-bit racetrack hustler who finds himself in hot water when he hustles the girl of an underworld big shot, Moose Moran. Held accountable for Moose’s losses, Sidney embarks on a scheme to raise the funds using street corner Santas supposedly raising money for an old-folks home. Meanwhile, his on-again-off-again girlfriend ‘Brainy’ Baxter (Marilyn Maxwell) buys into the scam, thinking Sidney has gone straight. And maybe he has, after all…
This is a perfect vehicle for Hope, as it allows him to be his typical snide self, full of half-muttered remarks, but also to show his softer, more appealing side. He is perfectly matched by Maxwell, who lacks Hope’s edgier stuff, but doesn’t come off as a pristine lily, either.
The film is populated by a typically wide range of Runyon character-types. William Frawley plays Gloomy Willie, Sidney’s right-hand man in the scheme. Lloyd Nolan plays Oxford Charley as a wonderfully slimy double-dealer, but with a soft spot for Brainy in true Runyon fashion. The real heavy is left to Moose Moran (Fred Clark), an unapologetic bully of a bad guy. And there are countless more (including Tor Johnson as, well, a wrestler), fully fleshing out the world of the Lemon Drop Kid.
As usual, Hope and his co-star are given a few songs to flesh out the proceedings. Most of them are fairly forgettable, but it is notable that the Christmas classic “Silver Bells” debuted here sung by Maxwell and Hope. It is a beautiful song and is well used in the movie, so it’s not really surprising that it caught on as it did.
The Lemon Drop Kid isn’t the kind of film that’s going to win you over to Bob Hope’s brand of humor. It doesn’t really stretch him in any way and just chugs along on its merry way. It’s certainly a solid effort and fans of Hope will love it. It’s just not one of the greats.