Sharing Hope at Christmas — Bob Hope

I recently had a strange, sad experience while watching an old movie with the family. Most Saturday evenings, the Kengor abode delights in what we call “Family Movie & Snack Night.” The missus — my lovely Susan — lays out a cornucopia of exquisite snack food. The spread is so good that it rises high above mere snack-level, though she includes plenty of conventional snack fare, such as popcorn, of course. You can’t do a movie without popcorn.

During this time of year, the family’s film choices naturally turn to Christmas themes. They range from kid favorites such as Home Alone and Elf and the fantastic 1983 A Christmas Story, to older classics such as Going My Way (Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald) and its sequel, The Bells of St. Mary’s (Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman), Holiday Affair (Janet Leigh and Robert Mitchum), The Miracle of the Bells (Frank Sinatra and Fred McMurray), and various versions of A Christmas Carol. The latter includes the 1938 version with Reginald Owen, the superb but largely unknown 1984 TV remake with George C. Scott, and even the surprisingly excellent 1992 “Muppets” version with Michael Caine. And of course, each year we hunker down for the best movie ever made, Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life — the perfect film. (READ: Paul Kengor, “It’s a Wonderful Film—Yes, the Best Ever.”)

A couple of weeks ago, we tried an old movie we had never seen: Bob Hope in The Lemon Drop Kid. Unfortunately, we soon learned it isn’t a good movie. It’s a comedy loaded with slapstick silliness, most of which isn’t particularly funny. Moreover, though considered a “Christmas movie,” it isn’t much of one, except for one scene that’s not only good but splendid and almost magical. Dressed as Santa Claus, Bob Hope and his romantic interest, played by actress Marilyn Maxwell, stroll through the streets of a city bedecked with Christmas lights and snow and beautifully sing “Silver Bells.” Personally, the scene particularly resonates with me because it reminds me of Christmas images from downtown Pittsburgh (the town of my birth) back in the era. And indeed, the song’s co-writer, Jay Livingston, was from nearby McDonald, Pennsylvania, and his images were inspired by downtown Pittsburgh at Christmas time. In the movie, Hope and Maxwell walk arm in arm and croon:

Strings of streetlights, even stoplights
Blink of bright red and green
As the shoppers rush home with their treasures
Hear the snow crunch
See the kids bunch
This is Santa’s big scene
And above all the bustle you’ll hear

Silver bells
Silver bells
It’s Christmas time in the city.

Excellent lyrics and a great feel. I think it’s one of the best Christmas songs, period. In fact, the song is so nice that it almost saves the movie. Almost.