Bob Hope one-liners abound
Damon Runyon’s short story “Markie” is the basis for “Sorrowful Jones,” the second screen adaptation of the story. The first, in 1934, was titled “Little Miss Marker” and starred Shirley Temple in the title role. With Bob Hope heading the 1949 cast, the screenplay was fashioned to the comic’s style by combining frequent wisecracks with the sentimental tale of a Runyonesque character who finds himself in a fish-out-of water predicament.<br /><br />Sorrowful Jones (Hope) is a New York bookie known for his reluctance to part with a dollar. For a big upcoming race, Sorrowful takes a bet from a gambler short on cash who leaves his young daughter Martha Jane (Mary Jane Saunders) as collateral. When the gambler fails to return, Sorrowful finds himself looking after the little girl, a job that soon throws him into a tizzy. Sorrowful’s friend, night club singer Gladys O’Neil (Lucille Ball), takes an interest in the child and, seeing Sorrowful’s anxious, incompetent  bumbling, comes around periodically with proper food and clothing for the child.<br /><br />But there’s a problem. Gladys is the girlfriend of gangster Big Red Holloway (Bruce Cabot) and Big Red isn’t thrilled that Gladys is spending so much time with Sorrowful. Usually accompanied by his goons, Big Red is a dangerous guy to cross.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Big Steve plans to quit horserace gambling because the racing commission is investigating him for fixing races. He intends to fix one last race so that a horse named Dreamy Joe will win and make him a fortune. To cover his tracks, he transfers ownership of Dreamy Joe to Martha Jane and after the race, he will have the horse killed.<br /><br />This sets the groundwork for Sorrowful, who by now has bonded with Martha Jane, to become her protector. Sorrowful places himself as well as the girl in jeopardy as they push back against Big Steve’s nefarious plan.<br /><br />As in many of his films of the 1940s and early 50’s, Hope’s character is tailor-made for the comedian. Though playing a role, he is always Bob Hope with his snappy delivery, nervous side glances and shoulder shrugs. It gets to a point that the viewer anticipates the next joke rather than staying involved in the narrative. That might be fine for Hope fans, but those who are not might easily become impatient with the comedian’s upstaging his character.<br /><br />A lot of the humor is based on Sorrowful’s complete ignorance of how to take care of a child. Giving her a bath, providing decent meals, and keeping her occupied become major undertakings. Hope uses young Miss Saunders as his straight man, bouncing one-liners off her at nearly machine-gun speed, but the laughs derived are sparse.<br /><br />Ball as Sorrowful’s sidekick and conscience, Gladys, has few good lines of her own and, given how great she was with physical comedy, she’s oddly restrained. The role doesn’t give her much to do except serve as an awkward point on a romantic triangle of sorts. Several of her scenes offer opportunities for slapstick, but she’s made to just stand around. She’s quite obviously dubbed when she delivers the forgettable tune “Having a Wonderful Wish.” This was the first of four films Ball would make with with Bob Hope.<br /><br />Mary Jane Saunders is adorable and manages to do the near impossible — steal scenes from Bob Hope. She’s no Shirley Temple, but being a virtual unknown contributes to her believability. She handles herself admirably in her scenes with veterans Hope and Ball.<br /><br />Director Sidney Lanfield has helmed a schizophrenic movie. It’s partly an extended Bob Hope routine and partly the story of a bookie who gets involved with gangsters over an unexpected acquisition — a child. The opening is promising, with its shots of a bustling Times Square and Walter Winchell’s voiceover setting the tone for the tale to follow, but the Runyon flavor fails to grace the rest of the picture.<br /><br />Bonus materials on the unrated Blu-ray release include several Bob Hope trailers:<br /><br />“Sorrowful Jones” tries too hard to get laughs. The set up is obvious, the delivery expected, and the payoff tepid at best. The biggest laugh is the sight gag of Sorrowful riding Dreamy Joe down Broadway, filmed on location with a stunt man. The Hope films that have aged best are his Road pictures with Bing Crosby. The camaraderie between Hope and Crosby was outstanding and the frequent breaking of the fourth wall is still a treat for viewers. Unfortunately, “Sorrowful Jones” is terribly dated and short on laughs. Other screen versions of the Runyon story include “Forty Pounds of Trouble” (1963) and the “Little Miss Marker” remake (1980).
The movie title "Sorrowful Jones," available on Movies & TV, has received an average rating of 4.1 from 14 reviewers. 
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 {"Genre": "Comedy", "Contributor": "Bruce Cabot, William Demarest, Bob Hope, Tom Pedi, Mary Jane Saunders, Sidney Lanfield, Thomas Gomez, Lucille BallBruce Cabot, William Demarest, Bob Hope, Tom Pedi, Mary Jane Saunders, Sidney Lanfield, Thomas Gomez, Lucille Ball   See more", "Language": "English", "Runtime": "1 hour and 28 minutes", "Aspect Ratio": "1.37:1", "MPAA rating": "NR (Not Rated)", "Product Dimensions": "7 x 5 x 1 inches; 2.26 Ounces", "Director": "Sidney Lanfield", "Run time": "1 hour and 28 minutes", "Release date": "February 7, 2023", "Actors": "Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, William Demarest, Bruce Cabot, Thomas Gomez", "Subtitles": "English", "Studio": "KL Studio Classics", "Number of discs": "1"}

Here is a brief synopsis of the title : Screen legends Bob Hope (The Paleface) and Lucille Ball (Fancy Pants) unite for the first time in this heartwarming story spun from Damon Runyon’s famous fable about a penny-pinching Broadway bookie called Sorrowful Jones (that’s Hope). Sorrowful takes a bet from a rotten gambler who leaves his young daughter as collateral. When the bettor doesn’t come back, Sorrowful Jones learns some hard lessons about parenthood—whether he wants to or not! On top of that, Lucy plays nightclub singer Gladys O’Neil, the apple of Sorrowful’s eye. But gangster Bruce Cabot (King Kong) stakes his claim on her affections and the sparks fly in all directions. A remake of the 1934 Shirley Temple film Little Miss Marker, this wonderful version from director Sidney Lanfield (Where There’s Life, The Lemon Drop Kid) marks Hope’s debut as a bonafide actor..