FORMAT: DVD (REWATCH)
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
(As posted on August 17th, 2007)
Kroger Babb produced this eye-opening, jaw-dropping Roadshow production. A crusading schoolteacher in a backwoods community tries to get the practice of underage marriage abolished. “Child Marriage must go!” She gets her square-jawed boyfriend to help her, and he even goes to the Governor about it. The hillbilly menfolk don’t take kindly to her jabbering and want to protect their right to statutory rape, so they put on hoods and kidnap her. They aim to tar and feather her, but she’s rescued by a dwarf (perennial dwarf actor Angelo Rossito) and the village idiot named Happy. The leader of the mob gets what he wants though by blackmailing his way into marrying little Jennie (Shirley Mills). Don’t sweat over them consummating the marriage, because everything gets worked out in the end as Jennie gets an impromptu divorce.
Like most Roadshow movies, this was sort of a bait and switch. It was advertised as anti-child marriage propaganda, but more time is spent on hillbilly drama than jailbait courting. ‘30s theatergoers sat through all the hillbilly shenanigans to see the much-publicized skinny dip by twelve-year-old Shirley Mills. The scene will actually disappoint perverts who dig that sort of thing because it’s actually filmed (SHOCK!) rather tastefully. This relic remains entertaining as all get out, both from a cult movie standing as well as an “Oh know they didn’t” viewpoint, and is recommended for everyone who thinks they’ve seen it all.
AKA: Child Brides. AKA: Child Bride of the Ozarks. AKA: Dust to Dust.
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