One Way Ticket to Hell (1955)

One Way Ticket to Hell (AKA “Teenage Devil Dolls”)
Directed by Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr.
Written by Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr.
1955/USA
Bamlet Price’s master’s thesis at UCLA
First viewing/Amazon Instant

“KNOW YOUR DOPE FIEND. YOUR LIFE MAY DEPEND ON IT! You will not be able to see his eyes because of the Tea-Shades, but his knuckles will be white from inner tension …. He will stagger and babble when questioned. He will not respect your badge. The Dope Fiend fears nothing. He will attack, for no reason, with every weapon at his command-including yours. BEWARE. Any officer apprehending a suspected marijuana addict should use all necessary force immediately. One stitch in time (on him) will usually save nine on you. Good luck. -The Chief” — Hunter S. Thompson

It’s been a while since I’ve seen a good “bad” drug exploitation movie.  This one filled the bill nicely.

The story is told in flashback and relates the saga of Cassandra Leigh.  We watch her go from troubled teen to motorcycle gang member to pothead to unhappy wife to prescription drug abuser to heroin addict to pusher and on to yet another stint in jail.  Her life is suitably lurid and punctuated by harrowing withdrawal scenes.  Poor Cassandra.

This was the director’s film school project and was made for $11,000.  Budget constraints meant that the movie was dialogue free.  The whole tale is told via voice-over narration from a narcotics detective with some post-synchronized Foley sound effects and rudimentary music.  All considered, it kept my interest for its 60-minute running time.  I didn’t think it was too terrible for what it was.

Trivia:  The director was married to contract actress Anne Francis at the time.

No clip but the entire film is on YouTube.