Strange Cargo

Received a "Condemned" rating from the Catholic Legion of Decency for "irreverent use of Scripture" and "lustful complications." Even after the studio made the changes demanded, distribution was sharply cut by cities refusing to book it. Contemporary articles in The Hollywood Reporter noted the film was banned in Detroit. Other sources state it also was banned in Boston and Providence, Rhode Island.

At one point, Verne (Clark Gable) escapes by jumping out a window into the water. A short while later, on land, he pulls a out a Bible from inside his shirt to check a map printed inside. As he flips through the pages, there is no sign whatsoever that the book got wet. The unprotected Bible should have shown signs of water immersion (damp edges, soggy paper, etc.), but it appears to be perfectly dry.

There is an Italian edition of this film on DVD, distributed by DNA Srl: "VOLTO DI DONNA (1941) + DONNE (1939) + STRANGE CARGO (1940)" (3 Films on a single DVD), re-edited with the contribution of film historian Riccardo Cusin. This version is also available for streaming on some platforms.

Featured in Hero at Large (1980)