Main Cast: Adolphe Menjou, Dorothy Dell, Shirley Temple, Charles Bickford, Lynne Overman
Release Year: 1934
Country: US
Run Time: 88 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Plot
Perhaps the most memorable of all of the movies based on Damon Runyon's story because of the winning presence of Shirley Temple (although it was remade three times), this is the story of a little girl who is left as a marker for a $20.00 bet. Temple's father kills himself and the bookie doesn't know what to do with the young girl. Needless to say, she wins over the hearts of all and sundry and the bookie turns over a new leaf to make this little girl happy. Through all the complications the bookie runs in to, including eventually marrying his long-time girlfriend to provide a home for the child, there is a tenor of love and joy that was not matched in any of the remakes. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
Review
Little Miss Marker put the already popular Shirley Temple on the map in a big way. Whereas previous films had been mere excuses for Temple to strut her stuff, Marker was actually a very good film. True, it's sentimental, especially when seen through the eyes of modern audiences, and it doesn't shy away from being blatantly manipulative. Yet there's still something undeniably appealing about the basic story, and the filmmakers seem to be pulling the audience's strings almost innocently. Temple is in tip-top form here, and even those who are not fans should find plenty to enjoy. For one thing, Temple's not called upon to play "cute" as much; she still comes off as cute, but the character is given some "hard boiled" dialogue and attitude that dilutes some of the actress's standard cheeriness. She's also well served by her co-star, Adolphe Menjou, and the two play off of each other quite nicely, establishing a believable relationship that is crucial to the film's success. The script is also good, featuring some snappy dialogue and setting up its situations in a professional manner. Overall, Marker is a delightful treat. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Alexander Hall - Director, William Shea - Editor, Ralph Rainger - Composer (Music Score), Alfred Gilks - Cinematographer, B.P. Schulberg - Producer, Sam Hellman - Screenwriter, Gladys Lehman - Screenwriter, William Lipman - Screenwriter, Damon Runyon - Short Story Author
Little Miss Marker (also known as The Girl in Pawn) is a 1934 American drama film directed by Alexander Hall. The screenplay was written by William R. Lipman, Sam Hellman, and Gladys Hellman after a short story by Damon Runyon. The film stars Shirley Temple, Adolphe Menjou, and Dorothy Dell in a story about a little girl held as collateral by gangsters. The film was named to the United States National Film Registry and has been remade several times.
The film tells the story of "Marky" (Temple), whose father gives her to a gangster-run gambling operation as a "marker" (collateral) for a bet. When the man loses his bet and commits suicide, the gangsters are left with the girl on their hands. They decide to keep her temporarily and use her to help pull off one of their fixed races, naming her the owner of the horse to be used in the race.
Marky is sent to live with bookie Sorrowful Jones (Menjou). Initially upset about being forced to look after the girl, the gangster eventually begins to develop a father-daughter relationship with her. His fellow gangsters become fond of her and begin to fill the roles of her extended family. Bangles (Dell), the girlfriend of gang kingpin Big Steve (Bickford) also begins to care for Marky. Being around the gang has a somewhat bad influence on the child, and she begins to develop a cynical nature and a wide vocabulary of gambling terminology and slang.
In 1998, Little Miss Marker was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
