Sorrowful Jones

Sorrowful Jones suffers a financial setback when Dreamy Joe, owned by Big Steve Holloway, wins a race unexpectedly. He owes large sums to numerous bettors, and paying out the winnings drains his pockets. The victory exposes how thin his bookmaking operation behind the Broadway barber shop really is.

In a nightclub, Big Steve reveals that the race was fixed and that Dreamy Joe was given a speedball. He also tells Jones that every bookie in his circle must pay $1,000 for this information. The revelation shows how deeply the scheme runs.

Before the next race, Jones receives word that Dreamy Joe will lose, but he keeps taking bets from customers. He also accepts marker payments from gambler Orville Smith, who leaves his four-year-old daughter Martha Jane as collateral. The tension between risk and cover-ups grows.

Orville is killed by Once Over Sam after overhearing a phone call about the fixed race. Jones takes Martha Jane home to care for her, bringing the child into his life. The case suddenly becomes personal as the danger moves closer.

The next day, Gladys O'Neill, Jones's ex-girlfriend, arrives to help care for Martha Jane. She becomes a steadying influence while Jones contends with the threat from Big Steve. A new responsibility links them more closely.

Big Steve visits and says he is quitting the business as racing officials close in. He plans one final race to fix Dreamy Joe's result and transfers ownership to Martha Jane, unaware that she is Orville's daughter. The scheme intensifies as leverage over the girl increases.

Jones learns that Martha Jane's mother is dead, leaving the girl with no family. This discovery adds urgency to hiding and protecting her from Big Steve. The pressure to secure her future grows.

Gladys suggests giving all of Dreamy Joe's winnings to Martha Jane to help her survive. She threatens to go to the police if Jones refuses, though she doesn't know Big Steve's plan. The moral conflict tightens the stakes.

Big Steve discovers that Martha Jane is Orville's daughter, which means she is a direct threat to his operation. Jones must hide her to protect her, moving her to a concealed spot on a fire escape. The danger becomes personal and immediate.

On the fire escape landing, Martha Jane falls and is seriously injured, slipping into a coma. In her unconscious state she calls out for Dreamy Joe, a sign that the horse remains her wishful lifeline. The incident escalates the urgency to rescue her.

Jones and Regret steal Dreamy Joe from the racetrack and bring it into the hospital room where Martha Jane lies. The bizarre act is meant to wake her by giving her the sight of Dreamy Joe. They hope the memory will restore her.

When Martha Jane wakes, the police discover Big Steve is responsible for Orville's murder. He is arrested, and the case closes the circle on his crimes. Jones's alliance with Gladys becomes central to the girl's future.

With the danger behind them, Jones proposes to Gladys, and they decide to adopt Martha Jane. The couple commits to building a family instead of turning the girl over to an orphanage. The bond between them anchors the ending.

Jones and Gladys go away on their honeymoon with their newly adopted daughter. The film closes with the family unit starting a new life together.