Looks like the older actress who plays Jakie's mom is missing part of the little finger on her right hand.
It's most evident in her scenes with Bobby Gordon as the young boy - and is hidden well in the rest of the film.
Wonder what happened? Not mentioned in her bio here on IMDB.
HEY! I was just logging on to point out that same thing!
My best guess, based on the most common injuries of the period, would have been a farming accident, an accident with a kitchen knife, or perhaps an amputation for an infection.
In the context of the story, it seems most likely that the Cantor bit her during one of his frequent rages.
"If you don't know the answer -change the question."
In the reprinted programme available with the DVD, it stated that Miss Besserer was an expert fencer. Probably she had a fencing accident. By the way bok, I wholeheartedly agree with you about what might have happened in the context of the story!
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