The Day the Bookies Wept

{{Infobox film

| name = The Day the Bookies Wept

| image = The Day the Bookies Wept poster.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Leslie Goodwins

| producer = Robert Sisk

| based_on = {{based on|Crazy Over Pigeons
in 1939 Collier's|Daniel Fuchs}}

| screenplay = Bert Granet
George Jeske

| story =

| 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

| released = {{Film date|1939|9|15}}

| runtime = 64 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget =

| gross =

}}

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.{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/72436/the-day-the-bookies-wept|title=The Day the Bookies Wept (1939) - Overview - TCM.com|work=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=14 September 2014}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=950CEFD71330E53ABC4C52DFBF668382629EDE|title=Movie Review - The Day the Bookies Wept - THE SCREEN; The Rialto Brings In a Scampering Racing Comedy in Joe Penner's 'The Day the Bookies Wept' - NYTimes.com|website=The New York Times |publisher=|accessdate=14 September 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://movies.tvguide.com/the-day-the-bookies-wept/112310|title=The Day The Bookies Wept Trailer, Reviews and Schedule for The Day The Bookies Wept - TVGuide.com|work=TV Guide|accessdate=14 September 2014}}

Plot

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.{{Citation |last=Goodwins |first=Leslie |title=The Day the Bookies Wept |date=1939-09-15 |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031214/ |type=Comedy |publisher=RKO Radio Pictures |access-date=2022-09-26}} 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.