Summary
The Lemon Drop Kid is a 1934 American comedy drama film directed by Marshall Neilan and written by Howard J. Green, J.P. McEvoy and Damon Runyon. The film stars Lee Tracy, Helen Mack, William Frawley, Minna Gombell, Baby LeRoy, Kitty Kelly and Henry B. Walthall. The film was released on September 28, 1934, by Paramount Pictures.[1][2]
| The Lemon Drop Kid | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Marshall Neilan |
| Screenplay by | Howard J. Green J.P. McEvoy Damon Runyon |
| Based on | The Lemon Drop Kid by Damon Runyon |
| Produced by | William LeBaron |
| Starring | Lee Tracy Helen Mack William Frawley Minna Gombell Baby LeRoy Kitty Kelly Henry B. Walthall |
| Cinematography | Henry Sharp |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 71 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot edit
Con artist and racetrack tout Wally Brooks hands a lemon drop to a man in a wheelchair, saying it will cure whatever ails him, then persuades the man, a millionaire named Griggsby, to bet $100 on a horse. Wally knows this horse can't win and intends to pocket the cash. The horse does win, so Wally and his partner Dunhill, alias "The Professor," take it on the lam.
Lying low in an out-of-the-way place, Wally meets town drunk Jonas Deering and his beautiful daughter Alice. A love affair blossoms and they marry, but when Alice is about to give birth and having serious medical problems, Wally needs money so he robs Mr. Potter, her boss. Alice dies in childbirth.
A despondent Wally shuns his own son, Wally Jr., and isn't sure where to turn next. The Professor marries longtime girlfriend Maizie and offers to raise Wally Jr., and even better, Griggsby shows up, claiming the lemon drop did help his arthritis. He volunteers to become Wally Jr.'s legal guardian and gives Wally some money, minus what the bet on his horse would have won.
Cast edit
- Lee Tracy as Wally Brooks
- Helen Mack as Alice Deering
- William Frawley as William Dunhill
- Minna Gombell as Maizie
- Baby LeRoy as Wally Jr.
- Kitty Kelly as Cora Jennings
- Henry B. Walthall as Jonas Deering
- Robert McWade as Mr. Griggsby
- Clarence Wilson as Martin Potter
- Charles C. Wilson as Warden
- Eddie Peabody as Banjo Player
- Edward LeSaint as Doctor
- Dell Henderson as Judge Forrest
References edit
- ^ "Mr. Runyon at the Races". The New York Times. October 27, 1934. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
- ^ "The Lemon Drop Kid (1934)". AFI.com. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
External links edit
- The Lemon Drop Kid at IMDb
