Marihuana (1936)

Marihuana (AKA “Marihuana, the Devil’s Weed”; “Marihuana, the Weed with Roots in Hell!”)
Directed by Dwain Esper
Written by Hildegarde Stadie
1936/USA
Roadshow Attractions
First viewing

[box] Teenaged boy: [pouring a drink] This is gonna be a slippery drink for sliding girls.[/box]

Unhampered by the Hayes Code, the filmmakers disguise a lot of naughty goings on (nude bathing!) in a supposedly anti-drug tract.

This tells the tragic story of Burma, as she falls, courtesy of a funny-looking cigarette, from sulky teenager to heartless heroin pusher.  Meanwhile, we get wild dancing at a beer joint, disrobing at a weenie roast, and gangland violence.  Twenty-something 30’s “teenagers” look and act strangely similar to twenty-something 50’s “teenagers”.

Except for Burma’s hilarious performance in the finale, this was not as funny as I had hoped.  Then again, I was not stoned at the time.  I have high hopes for Reefer Madness, which I will review later today.

Trailer