The Lemon Drop Kid

movie review of “The Lemon Drop Kid” starring Bob Hope, Marilyn Maxwell an!d William Frawley – where a gambler must raise money at Christmastime – or else!

The Lemon Drop Kid (1951) starring Bob Hope, Marilyn Maxwell an!d William Frawley

Product Description of The Lemon Drop Kid starring Bob Hope, Marilyn Maxwell, William Frawley

To pay back the money he owes Moose, Sidney enlists some pals to hit the street corners of New York dressed as Santa Claus accepting donations for a bogus elderly ladies home. The calamity starts when gangster Oxford Charlie (Lloyd Nolan) tries to move in on Sidney’s scam. What follows is vintage Hope shenanigans highlighted by a heart-warming rendition of the Christmas classic “Silver Bells” sung by Hope and Marilyn Maxwell (who appeared with Hope in the l953 film Off Limits). Also starring William Frawley (I Love Lucy) and Tor Johnson (Plan 9 from Outer Space).

Bob Hope stars as Sidney Melbourne (A.K.A. The Lemon Drop Kid named so after his love of the simple candy) a conman who offers a friendly “sure thing” horse tip to the girlfriend of mobster Moose Moran at the race track. When the horse loses and Moose’s Original pick wins Moose gives Sidney until Christmas to pay back the money he lost or his thug Sam the Surgeon will “open” Sidney after Christmas.

Editorial review of The Lemon Drop Kid, courtesy of Amazon.com

Bob Hope plays a small-time con artist with a fondness for lemon candy in this film based on a Damon Runyon story. When the Lemon Drop Kid accidentally cheats gangster Moose Moran (Fred Clark) out of his track winnings, the Kid promises to repay Moose the money by Christmas. Creating a fake charity for “Apple Annie” – Nellie Thursday, the Kid tricks his gang into donning Santa suits and collecting dough for old dolls like Nellie who have nowhere to live. Radio personality Marilyn Maxwell assists as the Kid’s girlfriend, while William Frawley and Jay C. Flippen play the lovable, gruff crooks that fall for the Kid’s Santa scam.

Hope is great as the fast-talking sharpster, and the comical gangsters are well worth the price of admission. Music by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston (including the classic Christmas song “Silver Bells“) makes The Lemon Drop Kid that much sweeter. —Mark Savary

Songs in The Lemon Drop Kid

• Silver Bells, Written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, Sung by Marilyn Maxwell and Bob Hope
• It Doesn’t Cost a Dime To Dream, Written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, Sung by Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell
• They Obviously Want Me To Sing, Written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, Sung by Bob Hope

Cast of characters

• Bob Hope (The Paleface) … Sidney Milburn – aka The Lemon Drop Kid
• Marilyn Maxwell (Lost in a Harem) … ‘Brainey’ Baxter
• Lloyd Nolan (Bataan) … Oxford Charlie
• Jane Darwell (Hit the Deck) … Nellie Thursday
• Andrea King (Band of Angels) … Stella
• Fred Clark (The Curse Of The Mummy’s Tomb) … Moose Moran
• Jay C. Flippen (The Las Vegas Story) … Straight Flush Tony
• William Frawley (I Love Lucy) … Gloomy Willie
• Harry Bellaver (Another Thin Man) … Sam the Surgeon
• Sid Melton (Blondie Goes to College) … Little Louie
• Ben Welden (Marked Woman) … Singing Solly
• Ida Moore … Mrs. Feeney – The Bird Lady
• Francis Pierlot (That’s My Boy) … Henry Regan
• Charles Cooley (Son of Paleface) … Goomba
• Salvatore De Lorenzo … Street-Corner Santa Claus (as Society Kid Hogan)
• Harry Shannon (A Shot in the Dark) … John (policeman)
• Bernard Szold … Honest Harry
• Tor Johnson (Plan 9 from Outer Space) … Super Swedish Angel – Wrestler
• Tom Dugan (Take Me Out to the Ball Game) … No Thumbs Charlie

Be sure to check the funny movie quotes from The Lemon Drop Kid as well!