| The Day the Bookies Wept | |
| Director: | Leslie Goodwins |
| Producer: | Robert Sisk |
| Screenplay: | Bert Granet George Jeske |
| Starring: | Joe Penner Betty Grable Richard Lane Tom Kennedy Thurston Hall |
| Music: | Arthur Morton |
| Cinematography: | Jack MacKenzie |
| Editing: | Desmond Marquette |
| Studio: | RKO Pictures |
| Distributor: | RKO Pictures |
| Runtime: | 64 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
The Day the Bookies Wept is a 1939 American comedy film directed by Leslie Goodwins and written by Bert Granet and George Jeske. The film stars Joe Penner, Betty Grable, Richard Lane, Tom Kennedy and Thurston Hall. The film was released on September 15, 1939, by RKO Pictures.[1] [2] [3]
Pooling their resources, New York City taxi drivers–who are tired of losing money at the racetrack–designate Ernie Ambrose to go to Kentucky and buy them a racehorse. Ernie leaves behind his sweetheart Ina and spends all their money on a horse, relying on advice from a fake "colonel" by buying a nag called Hiccup.
The horse is useless until Ina discovers via the colonel that Hiccup has a taste for beer. At long odds, she bets $2,000 on the drunken horse to win, which it does, bankrupting bookies all over town.