Tell Your Children (1936)

User Rating:

3.3/10   

Director:

Louis J. Gasnier

Writers:

Lawrence Meade (original story)
Arthur Hoerl (screenplay)

Release Date:

1938 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

SEE youthful marijuana victims - what actually happens!

Plot:

Cautionary tale features a fictionalized and highly exaggerated take on the use of marijuana. A trio of drug dealers lead innocent teenagers to become addicted to "reefer" cigarettes by holding wild parties with jazz music.

Plot Keywords:

Marijuana | School | Reefer | Teen | Judge

Cast

Dorothy Short	...	Mary
Kenneth Craig	...	Bill
Lillian Miles	...	Blanche
Dave O'Brien	...	Ralph
Thelma White	...	Mae
Carleton Young	...	Jack
Warren McCollum	...	Jimmy (as Warren McCullom)
Patricia Royale	...	Agnes (as Pat Royale)
Joseph Forte	...	Dr. Carroll (as Josef Forte)
Harry Harvey Jr.	...	Junior

Also Known As:

Dope Addict (USA) (reissue title)
Doped Youth (USA) (reissue title)
Love Madness (USA) (reissue title)
Reefer Madness (USA) (reissue title)
The Burning Question (USA) (reissue title)

Runtime:

66 min | France:63 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:G (Nova Scotia/Quebec) | USA:PG (1973) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | UK:15 (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Grand National Studios - 7250 Santa Monica Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

George A. Hirliman Productions

Trivia:

A special-edition DVD of the film was released in 2004, with an outrageously non-realistic colorization (the various characters who smoke all exhale brightly colored pastel smoke) and a satirical commentary track by Michael J. Nelson of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" (1988).

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the close-up of Mary lying dead on the couch, a shadow of the camera's barn doors falls on the arm rest just above her head.

Quotes:

Mae: I wish you'd lay off those kids!
Jack: Why don't you get over that "mother complex"?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Dead by Dawn 2: The Mask of Conrad (2004) (V)

1930's potheads become hopelessly and incurably insane?

This movie is funny. Not just regular funny but inexplicably funny. I wish public schools all over the country would show this movie in classes. This cult classic gives what is supposed to be a serious warning of the dangers of marijuana. Instead the over exaggeration of the side effects of weed become un-intentionally and absurdly funny. I smoked grass in my day but I sure haven't killed anyone yet. This movie is legendary. Anyone who has ever smoked should view this. Just if only to see how this whole silly "war on drugs" thing got started. Is pot ever to be legalized? Probably not so long as there are people who take this movie seriously. As for the rest of us laugh yourself into hopeless and incurible insanity for 67 minutes.