Strange Marriage (DVD)

As pretty Mary Smith is about to be sentenced to jail for vagrancy, drunken playboy Jimmie Martin arises and tells the judge that he is the fiance she claimed to be waiting for in her alibi. Calling his bluff, the judge marries them on the spot, and Mary dodges prison time. Jimmie spends the night at his new bride's flat and there is an amazing chemistry between the "newlyweds." Nevertheless, Jimmie eventually heads back to the city where he plans to quietly divorce Mary and marry his high-society fiancee. But after giving birth to Jimmie's child, Mary heads to town with her infant in her arms, determined to fight for the affections of her child's unknowing father.

Evalyn Knapp was best known for her appearances in B-Westerns and most notably the sound re-make of The Perils Of Pauline (1934). In Strange Marriage, she is supported by a strong cast which features Marie Prevost, Jason Robards, Sr. and Lloyd Ingraham. Richard Thorpe helmed a slew of B-grade films before signing a contract with MGM. He directed nearly 200 movies, including Ivanhoe (1952) and Jailhouse Rock (1957).

• comedy