This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.
Little Miss Marker stars Julie Andrews and Walter Matthau in a hilarious remake of the original 1934 film. “Sorrowful” Jones (Matthau) is a grouchy, horse-racing bookie who makes his living off other people’s losses. He’s got a reputation to keep, so when an out-of-luck gambler begs him to accept his daughter as a “marker” on a debt, Jones says “yes.” Stuck with the girl, he soon realizes that the six-year-old beauty may be more than he bargained for. Based on the famous short story by Damon Runyon, the film also stars Tony Curtis, Bob Newhart and Lee Grant along with Sara Stimson in an unforgettable role!
For thoughts on Little Miss Marker (1980), please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
[youtube https://youtu.be/tgmHjkh1298?si=RlB13HlldNn5RYjH&t=3362]
Video Quality
Little Miss Marker (1980) comes to Blu-Ray with a 1080p transfer in its original 1.85:1 that is pretty strong from Universal considering that there is no indication that this transfer is derived from a new master. There is room for improvement without question, but what we are working with thankfully shows minimal signs of damage and digital tinkering. The mild speckling of nicks and scratches is unobtrusive and unlikely to lessen anyone’s experience. The transfer looks fairly clear and detailed for the majority of the runtime with only a couple of moments exhibiting density fluctuations in the grain field.
Image quality is stable with some wonderful detail in the environment and texture of clothing. Colors are finely saturated with a good amount of vibrancy to them that captures the hues of this locale. Black levels are acceptable in their depth, even if a few moments struggle with depth and delineation. Compression artifacts and other digital anomalies are not a major occurrence at any point. The presentation is one that holds up fairly well given the source of the master.
Audio Quality
Universal brings us this new Blu-Ray with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that gets the job done with a handful of deficiencies. Dialogue holds up nicely, coming through clearly without being overwhelmed by the music or din of certain crowds. The environmental effects are not implemented in a showy manner, and they begin to swirl together somewhat within the channels. The sounds of certain bustling moments bring some texture to the mix, although sometimes things get too crunchy. The playful score establishes the tone of this narrative, and you do not hear any weakness when it comes to fidelity. Universal has delivered a fair audio experience here. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.
Special Features
There are no special features provided on this disc.
Final Thoughts
Little Miss Marker (1980) is the third version of this story we have covered this year – see Little Miss Marker (1934) and Sorrowful Jones – so it must mean something that we have yet to get tired of it. The basic premise is heartwarming, and we always love seeing the slightly tweaked approach to certain events in each version. When forced to choose, this version may just be our favorite (or perhaps tied with the Bob Hope version), largely thanks to the shift in character played by Julie Andrews, yet the movie neutralizes this somewhat due to the unconvincing romantic chemistry between Andrews and star Walter Matthau. The story tugs at your heartstrings no matter which version you choose to embark upon. Universal Picture Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray that sports a solid A/V presentation and no supplemental feature. Be sure to at least check out one version of this story at some point. Recommended
Little Miss Marker (1980) can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or through various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
