Little Miss Marker (1980, Julie Andrews, Tony Curtis)

In this remake of Damon Runyon’s popular tale, Walter Matthau plays a gruff, seedy bookie who claims a little girl (Sara Stimson) as collateral for her father’s bet. Unexpectedly, the father never returns. The attention of a little six-year-old kid is just one of Sorrowful Jones’s (Matthau) many headaches, as he deals with a mobster (Tony Curtis) and the benevolent attentions of the owner of a mansion (Julie Andrews). The directorial film debut of long-time producer Walter Bernstein.

The first film version of Little Miss Marker was produced in 1934 and starred Shirley Temple as the kid and Adolphe Menjou as the bookie. Damon Runyon’s story has been filmed four times.

production details
USA | Universal | 103 minutes | 1980

Director: Walter Bernstein
Producer: Jennings Lang
Cinematography: Philip Lathrop
Editor: Eve Newman
Music: Henry Mancini
Script: Walter Bernstein
Art Direction: Edward C. Carfagno

cast
Brian Dennehy as Herbie
Tony Curtis as Blackie
Lee Grant as The Judge
Julie Andrews as Amanda
Walter Matthau as Sorrowful Jones
Bob Newhart as Regret
Kenneth McMillan as Brannigan
Andrew Rubin as Carter
Tom Pedi as Vittorio
Jacquelyn Hyde as Lola
Jessica Rains as Clerk