The Black Marble

The Black Marble is a 1980 mysterycomedy film directed by Harold Becker, based on a novel by Joseph Wambaugh. It stars Robert Foxworth, Paula Prentiss and Harry Dean Stanton.

The teaming of the officers not only helps Valnikov to put himself together, but the pair also falls in love. While containing more humorous elements than most of Joseph Wambaughs stories, it continues to explore Wambaughs common theme of the psychological burdens of police work.The title of the film comes from a phrase used by Natalie. The term black marble is synonymous to choosing the short straw or having bad luck. She states that she is always picking the black marble and does not want to anymore. She initially considers Valnikov a black marble, but ultimately no longer believes this to be true. ........

Source: Wikipedia