SORROWFUL JONES

US, 1949, 88 minutes, Black and white.
Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, William Demarest, Bruce Cabot, Thomas Gomez, Tom Pedi, Houseley Stevenson, Mary Jane Saunders.
Directed by Sidney Lanfield.

Sorrowful Jones is a late '40s version of Damon Runyon's Little Miss Marker, filmed with Shirley Temple and Adolphe Menjou in 1934. It was to be filmed in 1979 with Walter Matthau and Julie Andrews.

The screenplay has been adapted for Bob Hope's style, one-liners, self-deprecation. It is also adapted for Lucille Ball's presence - even for some songs. Mary Jane Saunders is in the Shirley Temple role and makes a creditable, sentimental Little Miss Marker. There is good support from William Demarest as Regret, Thomas Gomez as the policeman, Bruce Cabot as the main villain. There is an introduction by Walter Winchell explaining the New York setting, Broadway and Damon Runyon's characters.

1. An entertaining Damon Runyon story? Bob Hope movie? Lucille Ball movie?

2. Black and white photography, New York, the betting areas, nightclubs, hotels, racetracks? Walter Winchell's explanation of the Damon Runyon background? Musical score and songs?

3. The title and its focus on Bob Hope and his Runyon character? Meanness with money, sorrowful and not humorous, deadpan humour? Bob Hope's comic style?

4. Sorrowful and his bets, people putting it over him, his having money, work with Regret? The police? His relationship with Gladys and its breakdown? Being summoned by Steve? Handing him the money? The fixed races? Martha Jane as her father's marker? His disappearance? Sorrowful looking after Martha Jane -as an adult? To the restaurant? The help from Gladys? Taking her home, meals, bath, talk? The ownership of the horse in her name? Police investigations? The fixed race? Martha Jane and her riding on the horse, the coma? Sorrowful bringing the horse to the hospital, people thinking him mad, Martha Jane coming out of the coma? The decision with Gladys to adopt her?

5. Martha Jane, her father, his disappearance, her going to sleep, wanting him, the restaurant, the apartment, Sorrowful looking after her, with Gladys? Opening her mouth about what she heard? Riding the horse? The coma? The horse in the hospital?

6. Gladys and her work in the nightclub, Steve's girl, love for Sorrowful, Lucille Ball and her wisecracks with Bob Hope? Looking after the girl? Happy ending?

7. Steve and his horse-fixing, his henchmen, the killing of Martha Jane's father, the hold over Sorrowful, skipping town, police investigations? The arrest? The evidence of the cleaning woman?

8. Regret and the bookies, the world of Damon Runyon's oddball characters? The world of Broadway? Humour, serious?