Little Miss Marker

1934 · ⭐ 6.2 · Votes: 12

Big Steve Halloway gambler and proprietor of New York's Horseshoe Cabaret where his girl Bangles Carson sings is in desperate need of money. He arranges for his fellow bookies especially Sorrowful Jones to each pay him $1000 for his racehorse Dream Prince to lose. With all bets being placed at the window Sorrowful encounters a gambler having lost $500 wanting to place his bet but is unable to come up with $20. Instead he places his daughter Marthy Jane (Shirley Temple) as security or in bookie's terms a "marker". Having lost his bet he commits suicide leaving "little Miss Marker" under the care of Sorrowful Jones. As Steve hides out in Chicago to avoid investigation for his crooked bets he entrusts Sorrowful to watch over Bangles during his absence at which time the "gold digger" helps "tight-wod" with his trouble. When Big Steve learns Bangles is involved with Sorrowful he returns to New York to do something about it.