Little Miss Marker

This was the first of several versions of Damon Runyon's charming and durable story, but none of the others (SORROWFUL JONES, 1949; 40 POUNDS OF TROUBLE, 1963; LITTLE MISS MARKER, 1980) compared with the original, because none of them had the amazing Shirley Temple. This was the picture that sent her career soaring. Temple plays an adorable little tyke whose father leaves her as a marker for a $20 bet with bookie Sorrowful Jones (Adolphe Menjou), then kills himself. Jones has no idea of what to do with her, but gradually he and "Marky" grow closer as Jones finds religion, marries longtime amour nightclub singer Bangles Carson (Dorothy Dell), and becomes generous--m...