Little Miss Marker (1980)

Set in the 1930s, a curmudgeon of a bookie (Walter Matthau) accepts a gambler's (Andrew Rubin) little girl (Sara Stimson) as a "marker" on his debt. When the father commits suicide, he's stuck with the kid and begrudgingly becomes attached to her. Based on the short story by Damon Runyon and directed by the screenwriter Walter Bernstein (YANKS), his only movie as a director. Runyon's story has been made several times: 1934 with Shirley Temple, 1949 as SORROWFUL JONES with Bob Hope, 40 POUNDS OF TROUBLE (1962) with Tony Curtis. By the time of this version (1980), it seemed tired and some of the updating didn't help it at all. For example, the senseless killing of a dog is played for laughs. Matthau's grumpy curmudgeon act was beginning to wear thin and Julie Andrews is wasted (she doesn't even get to sing). Fortunately, Runyon's tale hasn't been remade since and hopefully never will. With Tony Curtis, Bob Newhart, Lee Grant, Brian Dennehy and Nedra Volz.