Sorrowful Jones

A New York bookie who hides his operation behind a trap door in a Broadway barber shop. He endures a financial setback when a race is fixed and must navigate extortion and threats while protecting the vulnerable Martha Jane.

A burlesque performer who re-enters Jones's life and helps care for Martha Jane. She is quick-witted, protective, and pragmatic, balancing affection with the dangers surrounding the bookie operation.

A ruthless gangster who runs the fixed-race operation and extorts fellow bookies. His greed drives the plot toward a final, dangerous scheme involving Dreamy Joe, and his plans end in arrest.

A gambler who bets with Martha Jane as collateral and triggers the sequence of events after his death. His demise forces Jones to assume responsibility for the child.

Orville's four-year-old daughter, collateral in gambling bets. She becomes the emotional center of the story, her fate guiding Jones's choices and his decision to adopt her at the end.

Jones's loyal partner who assists in navigating the criminal underworld and helps pull off the plan to steal Dreamy Joe to wake Martha Jane. His wry humor masks a practical, protective streak.

A minor bettor in the racing circle who participates in the movie's betting world, representing the everyday gambler caught up in the fixed-race scheme.

The racehorse whose fixed-race fate drives the plot. Its victories and the plan to end its life after fixing create the central tension.