Let me start off by saying that we’ve been visiting with my parents this past week. Dad was flicking through the television guide and came across “Reefer Madness” which was a propaganda film made in 1936 to warn parents of the EVIL ways of “Marahuana” and those who use it. So, of course Mom and I were like “yeah! let’s watch it” (because we are wacky like that. So, we did.
I have to say that the movie was hilarious! I’m not sure that they did ANY research whatsoever on actual effects of weed before they shot the movie. They had obvious adults playing teenagers who giggled like crazy and dances to jazz music (teh evil!) while hopped up on dope. The movie was way more funny than I think it was meant to be honestly.
According to a commenter on IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base):
“Because of 70’s NORML propaganda falsely claiming that the FBI sponsored Reefer Madness, most viewers believe that this Exploitation classic was meant to be taken seriously. Not so! Thelma White (Mae) has noted in interviews that the producers and director Louis Gasnier asked the cast to “hoke it up.” The famous “Faster, Faster” scene is, in fact, a direct parody of a similar scene in the classic musical 42nd Street (a scene in which Dave O’Brien–Ralph in Reefer Madness–played a chorus boy).”
“So why make a cautionary tale, but do so tongue-in-cheek? Simple. To get around the Hays Code and show more skin than the Code allowed…but also to capitalize on the public’s fear of drugs. Either way, the producers made a ton of money on the Exploitation circuit–more than covering their costs for this relatively expensive sub-Poverty Row production.”
That explains a lot really. The movies was so, so over the top and unless you were actually IN the 1930’s and very against the usage of “marahuana” then I think you’d crack yourself up right off the couch. My husband thinks that this movie would be even funnier if watched while hopped up on the dope!
