Description

Reefer Madness (originally made as Tell Your Children and sometimes titled as The Burning Question, Dope Addict, Doped Youth and Love Madness) is a 1936–1939 American propaganda exploitation film revolving around the melodramatic events that ensue when high school students are lured by pushers to try cannabis (drug)—from a Hit and run (vehicular), to manslaughter, suicide, attempted rape, and descent into insanity due to marijuana addiction. The film was directed by Louis J. Gasnier and starred a cast composed of mostly unknown bit actors.

Originally financed by a church group under the title Tell Your Children, the film was intended to be shown to parents as a morality tale attempting to teach them about the dangers of cannabis use.< name=”History”/> However, soon after the film was shot, it was purchased by producer Dwain Esper, who re-cut the film for distribution on the exploitation film circuit beginning in 1938/39 through the 40s and 50s.

The film was “rediscovered” in the early 1970s and gained new life as satire among advocates of the Decriminalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States. Although finding a popular audience as a cult film, critics have panned it as a List of films considered the worst. Today, it is in the public domain in the United States.

Cast

• Dorothy Short as Mary Lane
• Kenneth Craig as Bill Harper
• Lillian Miles as Blanche
• Dave O’Brien (actor) as Ralph Wiley
• Thelma White as Mae Coleman
• Carleton Young as Jack Perry
• Warren McCollum as Jimmy Lane
• Pat Royale as Agnes
• Josef Forte as Dr. Alfred Carroll
• James Ard as Officer Chuckman
• Harry Harvey (actor) Jr. as Junior Harper