SORROWFUL JONES

JULY 4, 1949

Sorrowful Jones is a remake of the 1934 Shirley Temple film, Little Miss Marker. In the film, a young girl is left with the notoriously cheap Sorrowful Jones (Bob Hope) as a marker for a bet. When her father does not return, he learns that taking care of a child interferes with his free-wheeling lifestyle. Lucille Ball plays a nightclub singer who is dating Sorrowful’s boss. 

Although the official opening night in Hollywood took place on Independence Day 1949, it was premiered in New York City a month earlier, and seen in Australia on June 24, 1949. 

Directed by Sidney Lanfield
Produced by Robert L. Welch
Written by Edmund Hartmann and Melville Shavelson based on a story by Damon Runyon 

CREDITED CAST

Lucille Ball (Gladys) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in April 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon, which was not a success and was canceled after just 13 episodes. She died on April 26, 1989 at the age of 77. 

Ball’s singing voice is provided by Annette Warren, who also sang for her in Fancy Pants and later provided the singing voice for Ava Gardner in Show Boat.  Her first screen dubbing was for Lured featuring Lucille Ball, although Warren did not dub Lucy’s voice. She provided the singing voice for Pepper (Iris Adrian) in the Bob Hope film The Paleface (1947). 

Bob Hope (Sorrowful Jones) was born Lesley Townes Hope in England in 1903. During his extensive career in virtually all forms of media he received five honorary Academy Awards. In 1945, Desi Arnaz was the orchestra leader on Bob Hope’s radio show. Ball and Hope did three other films together. He appeared as himself on the season 6 opener of “I Love Lucy.” He did a brief cameo in a 1964 episode of “The Lucy Show.”  He died in 2003 at age 100.

Mary Jane Saunders (Martha Jane) makes her film debut. She went on to do a season of TV’s “Tales of the Welles Fargo” (1960-61) and made two appearances on “My Three Sons”: one with William Frawley and one with William Demarest. 

William Demarest (Regret) is best remembered as Uncle Charlie on “My Three Sons,” a role created after the death of William Frawley. Demarest and Frawley appeared together on screen in The Farmer’s Daughter (1940). He was nominated for an Academy Award in the biography, The Jolson Story (1946). Demarest did two other films with Lucille Ball: Fugitive Lady (1934) and Don’t Tell The Wife (1937). He died in 1983 at age 91. 

Bruce Cabot (Big Steve) appeared with Lucille Ball in 1934′s Men of the Night. In 1950, he joined Hope and Ball once again in Fancy Pants.  His main claim to fame is rescuing Fay Wray from King Kong (1933).

Tom Pedi (Once Over Sam) did one season of the short-lived sitcom “Arnie” (1970-71).  He was in the 1980 remake of Little Miss Marker, upon which Sorrowful Jones is based. 

Paul Lees (Orville Smith) was blinded by enemy artillery during his service in World War II. He received 32 military decorations and ribbons, including the Legion of Merit. Despite his lack of vision, Lees learned to act and signed a contract with Paramount. He would memorize script dialog by having someone read it to him twice.

Houseley Stevenson (Doc Chesley) was a British-born character actor who had just finished doing The Paleface with Bob Hope. 

Ben Weldon (Big Steve’s Bodyguard) appeared on “I Love Lucy” as the thief who breaks in to the Ricardo apartment to steal “The Fur Coat” (ILL S1;E9).  He was seen in a season one episode of “The Lucy Show.” 

Emmett Vogan (Psychiatrist) did four movies with Lucille Ball previous to this one. In 1954 he played Mr. Bolton in The Long, Long Trailer. 

Thomas Gomez (Reardon) was an Oscar nominee for Ride the Pink Horse the previous year. In 1953 he was seen as Pasquale #2 on CBS’s “Life With Luigi”. 
He did a 1964 episode of “My Three Sons” with William Demarest.

UNCREDITED CAST (with connections to Lucille Ball)

Ethel Bryant (Nurse) was also seen with Lucille Ball in Broadway Bill (1934), another film involving a racehorse. 

John Butler (Jack – Bettor on Green Diamond) was also seen with Lucille Ball in The Affairs of Annabel (1938). 

Bill Cartledge (First Jockey) was also seen with Lucille Ball in The Joy of Living (1938). 

Maurice Cass (Psychiatrist) was also seen with Lucille Ball (and John Butler) in The Affairs of Annabel (1938).

Michael Cirillo (Horse Player) joined Bob Hope in Paleface and Son of Paleface as well as Critic’s Choice with Hope and Ball in 1963. 

Charles Cooley (Shorty) was seen with Hope and Ball in Fancy Pants (1950) as well as a dozen other Bob Hope films. He also was a regular on “The Bob Hope Show” on television. 

James Dearing (Spectator) was in eight other Lucille Ball films between 1936 and 1954. 

Jay Eaton (Horse Player)

was in eight other Lucille Ball films between 1937 and 1946.

Chuck Hamilton (Police Officer) was seen in the background of eight other Lucille Ball films from 1937 to 1950.

Selmer Jackson (Doctor) was in six other Lucille Ball films between 1933 and 1949. 

Kenner G. Kemp (Bookmaker) was in seven other Lucille Ball films between 1936 and 1960 as well as doing background work on a 1965 episode of “The Lucy Show.” 

Bob Kortman (Horse Player) was in four other Lucille Ball films between 1934 and 1950. 

George Magrill (Horse Player) makes the last of his nine film appearances with Lucille Ball. He started in 1933 with Broadway Thru A Keyhole. 

John Mallon (Horse Player) was also seen with Hope and Ball in Fancy Pants (1950). 

John ‘Skins’ Miller (Jockey) was also seen with Hope and Ball in Fancy Pants (1950) and previously with Ball in The Big Street (1942). 

Frank Mills (Horse Player) makes the last of his ten film appearances with Lucille Ball. He started in 1933 with The Bowery.

Ralph Montgomery (Horse Player) was one of the policeman on the scene in “Lucy Goes To The Hospital” (ILL S2;E16) in 1953. 

Ralph Peters (Taxi Driver) was also seen with Lucille Ball in The Big Street (1942). 

Suzanne Ridgeway (Nightclub Patron) was also seen with Lucille Ball in That’s Right – You’re Wrong (1939) and The Magic Carpet (1951). 

Arthur Space (Plainclothes Policeman) was in four other films with Lucille Ball between 1945 and 1950. 

Bert Stevens (Nightclub Patron) was a background player in four Lucille Ball films as well as one episode of “I Love Lucy,” and many of “The Lucy Show.”

Sid Tomack (Waiter at Steve’s Place) was also seen in The Fuller Brush Girl (1950) with Lucille Ball. 

Harry Tyler (Blinky) did three other films with Lucille Ball between 1937 and 1950. 

Walter Winchell (Himself, Voice Over) was a journalist and radio host who was the narrator of Desilu’s “The Untouchables.”  He also joined the cast in their satire of the series on “Lucy The Gun Moll” (TLS S4;E25). 

The film was made at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, with location shooting in New York City. This was Lucille Ball’s 70th film! 

The New York Times, August 16, 1947.  Note that Lucille Ball is not mentioned.  (Thanks to @ericthelibrarian​ for the scan)

THE STORY

Sorrowful Jones (Bob Hope) is a New York bookie who keeps his operation hidden behind a trap door in a Broadway barber shop. He suffers a financial setback when a horse named Dreamy Joe, owned by gangster Big Steve Holloway (Bruce Cabot), unexpectedly wins a race and Jones has to pay all the bettors.

Jones learns that the race was fixed by Big Steve, who tells him about giving the horse a “speedball.” It turns out Big Steve has informed all the bookies in his circle of friends about the fixed race, and demands a sum of $1,000 from each one of them in exchange for this information.

Before the next race, Jones learns Dreamy Joe will lose, but still takes bets on the horse from his customers. He even takes a bet from gambler Orville Smith (Paul Lees), who leaves his four-year-old daughter Martha Jane (Mary Jane Saunders) as collateral. Orville overhears a phone call where Big Steve reveals that the race is fixed, so he is killed by one of Big Steve’s goons, Once Over Sam (Tom Pedi). Jones is forced to take care of Martha Jane and brings her home with him. 

The next day Jones gets help from his ex-girlfriend, burlesque performer Gladys O’Neill (Lucille Ball).

Big Steve tells Jones he is being investigated by the racing commission so he is quitting the race-fixing business. Big Steve plans to make one final race before he gets out of the game, where he is fixing it so that Dreamy Joe will win. He also transfers the ownership of the horse to Martha Jane, unaware that she is Orville’s daughter. After the race, Big Steve will kill the horse by giving it a high dose of “speedball.”

Jones tries to find Martha Jane’s mother, but discovers she is dead. Gladys suggests that Jones give all of Dreamy Joe’s winnings to Martha Jane to help her survive, or she will contact the police and tell them about Jones’ operation. She has no knowledge of Big Steve’s plan to fix the race.

Big Steve finds out that Martha Jane is Orville’s daughter, so Jones must hide her to protect her from being killed. When hiding on a fire escape’s landing, Martha Jane falls down and is seriously injured. In a coma, the little girl calls out for Dreamy Joe.

In order to save Martha Jane and wake her up, Jones and his partner Regret (William Demarest) steal the horse from Big Steve at the race track. They take it into the hospital room where Martha Jane lies. Martha Jane wakes up and the police find out that Big Steve is responsible for Orville’s murder.

After Big Steve is arrested, Jones proposes to Gladys. The police want Martha Jane to be placed in an orphanage, but Jones and Gladys, who have married, decide to adopt the girl. They go away on their honeymoon together with their newly adopted daughter.

TRIVIA & BACKGROUND

“Little Miss Marker” (1932), a short story by Damon Runyon, inspired the film Sorrowful Jones.

Damon Runyon’s 1940 short story “Little Pinks” served as the basis for the Lucille Ball / Henry Fonda film The Big Street (1942). 

Little Miss Marker (1934) starring Adolphe Menjou as Sorrowful Jones and Dorothy Dell as Bangles Carson. Shirley Temple as Marthy Jane. The film was directed by Alexander Hall, Lucille Ball’s one-time fiance. 

Sorrowful Jones (1947) starring Bob Hope as Sorrowful Jones and Lucille Ball as Gladys O’Neill. Mary Jane Saunders as Martha Jane. 

40 Pounds of Trouble (1962) starring Tony Curtis as Steve McCluskey and Suzanne Pleshette as Chris Lockwood. Claire Wilcox as Penelope Piper.

Little Miss Marker (1980) starring Walter Matthau as Sorrowful Jones and Julie Andrews as Amanda Worthington. Sarah Stimson as the Kid.

“Lux Radio Theater” broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on November 21, 1949 with Bob Hope and Lucille Ball reprising their film roles. 

“Havin’ a Wonderful Wish (Time You Were Here)” by Jay Livingston with lyrics by Ray Evans is sung by Lucille Ball (dubbed by Annette Warren).  

“Miss Beverley Hills of Hollywood” comic book issue #6, January / February 1947 promoted the film. Lucille Ball still is purporting to have been born in Butte, Montana. Here her birth date is also incorrect: August 6, not August 8. Note how much the Drama Teacher resembles Lucy’s mother, Dede Ball.

Lucille Ball advertising both Armstrong Tires and Sorrowful Jones. 

Lucille Ball advertising Sealright Sanitary Containers using Sorrowful Jones.

In “The Bob Hope Christmas Special” (1973) Lucy opens a small wooden box and removes a lock of Hope’s hair she says she snipped from his head when they were making Sorrowful Jones together.

The film was mentioned when Lucille Ball and Bob Hope guested on “Dinah!” in 1977. 

In 1989, after Ball’s passing, a clip from the film was incorporated into “Bob Hope’s Love Affair With Lucy.”