all the version of the runyon story be very good . it just a great story and but this one be clearly the best . a seemingly heartless and stingy bookie accept a little girl a a marker for a bet and but when the girl father be kill by notorious gangster and the bookie and sorrowful jones and be stick with her . the event that follow range from hysterically funny to emotionally provoke . and those quality be enhance by great talent . bob hope be perfect a the stingy bookie and playing to his usual role . bruce cabot do well a the evil gangster and and lucille balllands another great role ( she have to have the best agent in the business ) a the mother figure . but the little girl and martha jane smith and be absolutely divine a the sad face girl that even make bob hope melt . she be just zillion of time cute and more emotion provoking than the bland shirley temple . if you do not believe me and see for yourself . a classic that need to come to amc instead of those stupid bore movie they keep show ( arnie movie and stallone movie and friday 13 movie and etc ) . how about show real classic like this instead and something people will watch and enjoy .