Child Bride (1938)

Child Bride, also known as Child Brides, Child Bride of the Ozarks, and Dust to Dust (USA reissue titles), is a 1938 (see note) American film directed by Harry Revier and produced by Raymond L. Friedgen. The film was promoted as educational and as an attempt to draw attention to the lack of laws banning child marriage in many states.

The film is set in a remote town in the Ozarks. It was very controversial at the time both for its theme and because of a topless and nude swimming scene by then 12-year-old Shirley Mills. The film bypassed the ban of onscreen nudity under the Hays Code by being produced and distributed independently of the studio system, and by claiming to be educational. Although the film was banned in many areas, the movie's controversial nature gave it a certain infamy and it played on the so-called exploitation circuit for many years.

The film was one of director Revier's last. He had previously made a series of low-budget, independent movies including The Lost City series and Lash of the Penitentes.

According to an interview with Michael J. Nelson and Kevin Murphy of Mystery Science Theater 3000 fame, this movie was screened for the show, but it was considered too awful and disturbing by the crew, with Murphy saying that he needed "a good cry and a shower" after the film. In a separate interview with Frank Conniff, who selected films for the show, he cited it as the worst film he had watched as a potential selection for the show.

Synopsis

Jennie est une jeune fille de 12 ans vivant avec ses parents dans une région rurale et montagneuse. Son professeur, Mademoiselle Carol, bien qu'elle-même une fille de la montagne, est partie étudier dans l'espoir de revenir pour arrêter la tradition du mariage d’enfant qui persiste dans sa communauté. Ira, le père de Jennie, est un homme bon qui essaye de protéger Mademoiselle Carol des individus qui la menacent pour qu'elle renonce à ses idées malvenues. Un de ceux-ci, Jake Bolby, a en réalité des vues sur la petite Jennie et prévoit d'en faire son épouse.

Acteurs