''Marihuana'' is a 1936 exploitation film directed by

Dwain Esper Dwain Atkins Esper (October 7, 1894 – October 18, 1982) was an American director and producer of exploitation films. Biography A veteran of World War I, Esper worked as a building contractor before switching to the film business in the mid-19 ...

, and written by Esper's wife, Hildagarde Stadie.

Plot

Burma is a confused girl who likes to party. One day she meets some strangers in a bar who invite her and her group to a party. At the party everybody drinks

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of se ...

and the girls unknowingly smoke

marijuana Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various ...

, which keeps them laughing. Burma and her boyfriend have sex on the beach while her friends go skinny-dipping. One of the girls drowns at the skinny-dipping party and all her friends must keep the details of the party a secret. When Burma tells her boyfriend she's

pregnant Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops ( gestates) inside a woman's uterus (womb). A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Pregnancy usually occurs by sexual intercourse, but ca ...

from their beach encounter, she pressures him to marry her. He says everything will be fine and turns to the strangers who threw the party for a job to support his family-to-be. The stranger gives him a job unloading smuggled

drugs A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalati ...

from a secret shipment to the docks. The police find out about this shipment, chase the smugglers, and shoot and kill Burma's boyfriend. After Burma finds out about this news, she runs away from home, is forced to give her baby up for adoption, and becomes a drug dealer. She moves on to harder drugs, including injecting

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brown ...

into her body. In the film's ending, Burma hatches a plan to

kidnap In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/ asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the ...

and ransom her sister's adopted daughter for $50,000, then finds out that the child is actually her own.

Production and release

The film's screenwriter, Hildagarde Stadie, appears as an extra in the beginning of the film. The original trailer showed a girl being brutally attacked, but this scene does not appear in the final film. In 1938, Roadshow Attractions packaged ''Marihuana'' with the short film ''

How to Undress in Front of Your Husband How may refer to: * How (greeting), a word used in some misrepresentations of Native American/First Nations speech * How, an interrogative word in English grammar Art and entertainment Literature * ''How'' (book), a 2007 book by Dov Seidma ...

''. In an April 13, 1938, the poet

Elizabeth Bishop Elizabeth Bishop (February 8, 1911 – October 6, 1979) was an American poet and short-story writer. She was Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1949 to 1950, the Pulitzer Prize winner for Poetry in 1956, the National Book Aw ...

details a Key West, Florida screening of ''Marihuana'': "We have settled down to the summer session of banned movies — I went to 'Marihuana' last night. Several thousand Negroes, Cubans, and I, fought our way in, and then we were all very disappointed—even the two (2) thrills of the pre-view were not repeated, and the whole production was staged in what looked like a dentist's office (the 'lavish apartment of a dope-fiend'). The poor, wrecked 'high-school set' were all Hollywood matrons of at least 40, and at one point the corrupted darlings went for a ''nude swim''—you saw little white specks way, way out in the ocean, then 'What's going on here?' and the bedraggled matrons were shown covering themselves with blankets, etc. Even from descriptions of marihuana, I thought there’d be some slow-motion work, at least."

References

External links

* * * * 1936 films 1936 drama films 1936 in cannabis American exploitation films American black-and-white films Articles containing video clips American social guidance and drug education films 1930s exploitation films American films about cannabis Films directed by Dwain Esper Anti-cannabis media American drama films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films {{exploitation-film-stub

Plot

Production and release

See also

References

External links