The Lemon Drop Kid (1951) — "Half of these horses should be in wheelchairs."

Not every Christmas movie has a saint at its centre; some have a con man. Bob Hope plays a racetrack tout who owes a gangster $10,000 by Christmas Eve, so he does what any honest con man would do: he fills the streets of New York with phony Santas collecting for a phony charity. Based on a Damon Runyon story and co-starring Marilyn Maxwell, The Lemon Drop Kid (1951) is a holiday film with a crook's heart, and it's the film that gave the world "Silver Bells." We talk Hope, Runyon and the season's shadiest Santas. Chris Stachiw, the Doctor of Podcasting, digs into Bob Hope, Damon Runyon, "Silver Bells," and so much more. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support. ——— The Kulturecast is a film and culture podcast from Weirding Way Media, hosted by Chris Stachiw, the Doctor of Podcasting, alongside a rotating table of guest co-hosts. Each week digs into where film and culture meet — and how each one bends the other. Now home to sub-feeds including Required Viewing: A 360° Film Study with Dr. David D. Perlmutter. New episodes weekly. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-kulturecast/id931361376 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5wjxip9XVYapYuY12yEaGY. Back the show: https://www.patreon.com/cw/kulturecast