Monogram produced a lot of stinkers, but they also had their share of classics. "When Strangers Marry" (under its re-release title "Betrayed" for the DVD), is one of the best. Ingenue Kim Hunter, years before Brando emotionally screamed "Stella!" to get her attention, plays an innocent young girl from Ohio who has been married for only a month to a man she hardly knew. In fact, he immediately went on the road on business, and has just sent for her to meet him in New York when she arrives and runs into an old flame (Robert Mitchum). The husband remains mysteriously out of site for a while, so she gets reacquainted with Mitchum before finally encountering her husband (Dean Jagger). It becomes apparent the moment he shows up that he is in trouble and may be the killer of a drunk man he admits to having rolled in Philadelphia.
The fast-moving film noir like mystery presents its facts, adds on a couple more clues, and delivers the truth with a neat little twist that remains surprising even if it was a bit predictable. Neil Hamilton, an early 30's leading man (and later the police commissioner on "Batman") is fine as the investigator whom Mitchum and Hunter go to see to find Jagger. Hunter shows great promise and within a few years, would go onto film immortality in "A Streetcar Named Desire" and gain cult status by donning heavy make-up as Zira in "Planet of the Apes". Mitchum and Jagger are fine as well. This was one of Mitchum's first major roles after tons of walk-ons, and within a year of this, would be one of Hollywood's most popular "tough men", a new breed of leading actors like Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster that would change the way Hollywood made movies. This is a definite must see for fans of '40's "B" features.
The fast-moving film noir like mystery presents its facts, adds on a couple more clues, and delivers the truth with a neat little twist that remains surprising even if it was a bit predictable. Neil Hamilton, an early 30's leading man (and later the police commissioner on "Batman") is fine as the investigator whom Mitchum and Hunter go to see to find Jagger. Hunter shows great promise and within a few years, would go onto film immortality in "A Streetcar Named Desire" and gain cult status by donning heavy make-up as Zira in "Planet of the Apes". Mitchum and Jagger are fine as well. This was one of Mitchum's first major roles after tons of walk-ons, and within a year of this, would be one of Hollywood's most popular "tough men", a new breed of leading actors like Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster that would change the way Hollywood made movies. This is a definite must see for fans of '40's "B" features.