Reefer Madness

From SSDPedia

Reefer Madness, first named Tell Your Children by the church group that financed it, was filmed in 1936 as a tool for teaching parents the dangers of cannabis use. It told of a tragic tale of a high school students being lured into smoking marijuana, in which the plot includes a hit and run accident, manslaughter, suicide, rape, and a descent into madness. It was re-cut after being purchased soon after it was first filmed, in order to be distributed on the exploitation film circuit.

Contents 1 The Cast 2 Rediscovery 3 Cult Classic Status 4 Related Topics

[edit] The Cast

• Dorothy Short as Mary Lane
• Kenneth Craig as Bill Harper
• Lillian Miles as Blanche
• Dave O'Brien as Ralph Wiley
• Thelma White as Mae Coleman
• Carleton Young as Jack Perry
• Warren McCullom as Jimmy Lane
• Pat Royale as Agnes
• Josef Forte as Dr. Alfred Carroll
• Harry Harvey Jr. as Junior Harper

[edit] Rediscovery

Reefer Madness was basically ignored until it was rediscovered in 1971, in the Library of Congress, by NORML founder Keith Stroup who bought a print for $297. It soon gained new life as an unintentional comedy among many marijuana smokers and college students.

[edit] Cult Classic Status

Over the years, after its rediscovery, Reefer Madness became a cult classic, and inspired a musical satire, which premiered off-Broadway in 2001, and a Showtime film, also named Reefer Madness, based on the musical.

[edit] Related Topics

• Marijuana
• NORML