The greatest movie ever!

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Bob Hope is Sidney Milburn, "The Lemon Drop Kid" in this film based on a Damon Runyon story. Hope plays a racetrack "tout" who talks up horses to eager bettors. In the first scene we see him conversing with a neighing horse and taking notes. He tells one bettor that most of the horses are sick: "That's why they head for the inside rail so they have something to lean on." Unfortunately, he talks mobster Moose Moran's (Fred Clark) girlfriend out of betting on the horse Moose sent her to bet on, and the horse, Lightning Streak, comes in last. Sidney then owes Moose $10,000 and is in big trouble. He goes to New York and looks up some old friends. One is Nellie (Jane Darwell) whose husband Henry is about to be released from prison, but she is about to be evicted; and the other is Brainey (Marilyn Maxwell). Sidney moves Nellie and some other elderly ladies (or old dolls, as they're called) into Moose's casino which is sitting empty on Long Island, gets a vendors license, and sends his friends dressed as Santa out to collect money for "The Nellie Thursday Old Dolls Home." Trouble follows.Hope is surrounded by some fine character actors: Jay C. Flippen, Sid Melton, William Frawley, and Lloyd Nolan.Marilyn Maxwell sings "Silver Bells," which became a big hit. She toured with Hope entertaining the USO and was apparently having a huge affair with him.There's a lot of slapstick at the end, which is very funny, as Hope goes on the run dressed as an old woman. There are some great lines as well throughout, in part thanks to Hope's flawless delivery. Despite not playing a savory character, he comes off as one of the most likable crooks you'll ever meet.Fun, and a nice film to see at holiday time.

The gags fly thick and fast in this Hope romp. If a viewer doesn't like one set-up, the next will be on in a flash. Hope's got to settle a debt to mobster Clark, otherwise he's toast. So the race-track tout sets up a phony Santa scheme using sidewalk donations supposedly going to an old ladies home. Can he pull it off since there're more characters to manage than a circus.Hope's at his peak, physically and wise-crack wise. His shtick looks effortless, gliding from one set-up to the next. It's about as smooth as madcap comes, and not even the spare romantic scene dawdles And catch movie vets like a pre-Lucy William Frawley, fast-talking Lloyd Nolan, and professional grouch Fred Clark of the old Burns and Allen show. And for eye candy there's a luscious Marilyn Maxwell to sweeten things up. But shouldn't overlook versatile Jane Darwell of Grapes of Wrath.But the real ace-in-the-hole is writer and uncredited director (IMDB) Frank Tashlin. His comedic stamp is all over the physical comedy. For instance, catch that undressing of the manikin in the storefront window. It's a hoot, and I would think a challenge for censors given the female detail. Or the cyclonic wind where the Girl Scouts help the wobbly Hope negotiate a sidewalk. In fact, there are numerous touches throughout that make this Hope entry a sleeper, especially at Xmas time. Too bad it's not better known among his stellar entries, Crosby or no.

Our entire family from great grandmother on down to the great grandchildren love this movie. It will never be outdated. It is funny, decent and there is never a dull moment. This movie is truly a classic and such a refreshing change from the liberal nonsense that the industry is spewing out today.

Possible Spoilers!Bob Hope portrays a lemon drop eating race track hustler who hustles a local crime boss out of $10,000. Hope is given until Christmas to get the money together. Hope goes to NYC and cons his girlfriend, friends and local thugs into dressing up in Santa suits and collecting money for a senior citizens home for "old dolls." Hope intends to make off with the donations and pay off his debt to the crime boss. However, a NYC crime boss figures out what Hope is up to and blows the whistle on Hope and takes over the Santa donation scheme himself. Hope then redeems himself by entraping the two crime bosses, making sure the senior citizen home gets the donations and he gets his girl back. It would seem that Hope's character has finally learned the Christmas message, that it is better to give than to receive.This is probably my favorite Bob Hope film. He is excellent as a scheming hustler type. It seems to come natural to him. The film makes great use of character actors from the 30,s 40's and 50's in the films various supporting roles. Marilyn Maxwell is a real treat to look at and has great chemistry with Hope. The song Silver Bells is beautiful and fits the film perfectly. I think my favorite scene is where Hope is dressed as an elderly woman trying to describe what he is knitting to the other elderly woman. It was a mop that goes so well with his argyle scrub bucket. If you like Bob Hope, Christmas movies or comedies than you'll probably like this film.