Cinderella Liberty (1973)

In CINDERELLA LIBERTY, John (James Caan), a good-natured sailor on shore leave, begins a bittersweet romance with a hard-bitten prostitute, Maggie (Marsha Mason), who has an illegitimate black son in need of a father. When Maggie runs away, the sentimental John goes AWOL to find her, in an effort to make a family out of their unlikely coupling. Especially strong performances by Caan and Mason highlight this touching drama of subtle social commentary. Director Mark Rydell's film effectively combines the gritty realism of the character's surroundings--in particular, the life of a single mother and prostitute--and the classic elements of star-crossed romantic melodramas of the 1940s.