When Strangers Marry **** (1944, Dean Jagger, Kim Hunter, Robert Mitchum, Neil Hamilton) – Classic Movie Review 10,544

Director William Castle’s 1944 psychological suspense thriller When Strangers Marry [Betrayed] stars Kim Hunter as a new bride, naive waitress Millie Baxter, who comes to New York City to meet her salesman husband Paul Baxter (Dean Jagger), whom she met only months before, and thinks that he might be a killer.

This tense, taut and engrossing support feature launched Robert Mitchum to stardom, as Hunter’s ex-boyfriend Fred Graham, who is apparently helping her in her hour of need.

The pacey handling, splendid film noir atmosphere (black and white cinematography by Ira H Morgan) and punchy acting look all the better in view of the admirably short running time of only 67 minutes. Mitchum (billed as Bob Mitchum) really grabs the role and makes a five-course banquet out of it.

It is showing on British TV as Betrayed, the reissue title.

Also in the cast are Neil Hamilton as Police Lieutenant Blake, Lou Lubin, Milton Kibbee, Dewey Robinson, Claire Whitney, Edward Keane, Virginia Sale, Dick Elliott, Dick White, Minerva Urecal, Rhonda Fleming, Billy Nelson and Sam McDaniel.

The film’s producers The King Brothers (Frank King and Maurice King) hired Castle and introduced him to writer Philip Yordan. Castle said he and Yordan came up with a new story which the King Brothers liked and gave him seven days and a budget of $50,000 to make it. Yordan gave the story to aspiring novelist Dennis J Cooper to write up as a script, but then Yordan had to rewrite it.

Castle’s cut from a screaming woman discovering a body to a whistling locomotive is an homage to Alfred Hitchcock’s shot in The 39 Steps (1935).

Castle is seen on a photograph given to the police.

Mitchum had previously made Johnny Doesn’t Live Here Anymore for the King Brothers, who claimed they had the actor under a multi-picture contract and tried to enforce it but he made no further films for them.

Rhonda Fleming’s agent Henry Willson went to work for David O Selznick, who put her under contract and first she was given small roles in In Old Oklahoma (1943), Since You Went Away (1944) and in When Strangers Marry (1944) as Girl on Train.

Fleming later claimed she was cast after the director spotted her walking in the backlot. He said: ‘you’ll do’ and cast her. She said she was not paid for her role.

Fleming’s next film is the Alfred Hitchcock thriller Spellbound (1945).

RIP Rhonda Fleming (born Marilyn Louis; August 10, 1923 – October 14, 2020).

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,544

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com