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A Few Words About A few words about...™ The Lemon Drop Kid -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

Robert Harris

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There's a short sequence with Bob Hope in Frank Tashlin's The Lemon Drop Kid (1951), that I always felt was just a tiny step away from Chaplin.

It takes place around a department store window at Christmas, and rather than detail it, I'll suggest that you see it yourselves, as it's worth the trouble.

If Hope doing Damon Runyon, sounds unusual, know that it's full-on comedy.

And it works.

With a superb cast, Kino Lorber's new Blu-ray is a winner on all fronts.

Original aspect ratio of 1.37, misidentified on the jacket at 1.33, appears glorious, and the imagery within, with full grain, and generally superb black levels and shadow detail, all work beautifully.

Image - 4.5

Audio - 5

4k Up-rez - 4.75

Pass / Fail - Pass

Recommended

RAH
 

LeoA

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Too bad that Son of Paleface wasn't out in time for the sale. That's the last HD-DVD exclusive of any note as far as I'm aware.

Nice to be able to get Blu-Ray's of the other three Bob Hope movies that appeared on HD-DVD (And this one, of course).
 

deepscan

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I do have a quibble about this and all the other Kino/Hope blu rays...there is no copyright notice on them. Could it be these have fallen into public domain?
 

Randy Korstick

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I do have a quibble about this and all the other Kino/Hope blu rays...there is no copyright notice on them. Could it be these have fallen into public domain?
These 5 films plus the Great Lover and The Seven Little Foys have been in public domain for over 2 decades which is why it has laways been hard to find decent copies of these films.
 

Thomas T

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These 5 films plus the Great Lover and The Seven Little Foys have been in public domain for over 2 decades which is why it has always been hard to find decent copies of these films.

I stand to be corrected but although Road To Bali has been a PD staple for years, I believe the rights to the other 4 films, Great Lover and Seven Little Foys plus Paris Holiday, Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell, Cancel My Reservation and How To Commit Marriage are controlled by the Bob Hope estate which is why they've never been issued on home video by the studios that released them (Paramount, Warner Brothers, United Artists and Cinerama Releasing).
 
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Flashgear

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I'm assuming my most desired missing Bob Hope title, Beau James, still resides under Paramount ownership? I would love to see Olive able to release an acceptable BD of this Great 1957 VistaVision film...like last year's surprising issue of Strategic Air Command...I'm also assuming that this film has problematic elements issues and hope those could be rectified to at least serviceable standards...I dearly hope that it is also not encumbered by music rights (Gershwins/Rodgers and Hart) or literary source rights disputes (based on the book by George Fowler)...you just struggle to explain why this treasure has never seen a licensed or studio release over the years on any home video format?
 

Keith Cobby

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Loads of Hope films missing on blu-ray: VV titles Beau James, The Seven Little Foys (beautiful image on its recent BBC outing), That Certain Feeling. Other favourites of mine including Here Come the Girls, Paris Holiday, Alias Jesse James, and most of all, My Favorite Blonde.
 

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