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.
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.