Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > Tell Your Children (1936)
Tell Your Children
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Tell Your Children (1936) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 21 | slideshow) Videos (see all 2)
Tell Your Children (1936) -- Young people go from marijuana to wild piano playing, hysteria and death.
Tell Your Children (1936) -- 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.

Overview

User Rating:
3.3/10   3,158 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 9% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Louis J. Gasnier
Writers:
Lawrence Meade (original story)
Arthur Hoerl (screenplay)
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Tell Your Children on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
1938 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama more
Tagline:
SEE youthful marijuana victims - what actually happens! more
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. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
User Comments:
The Gone with the Wind of 30's Exploitation Films more

Cast

  (Complete credited 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
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

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)
more
Runtime:
66 min | France:63 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Canada:G (Nova Scotia/Quebec) | USA:PG (1973) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | UK:15 (video rating)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Although produced as a serious anti-drug exploitation film, it became a cult comedy hit during the late 1960s and 1970s. It was one of the earliest hits during the golden age of the "midnight movie" in which theaters, especially those near colleges, would run the film at special screenings late at night during weekends. more
Goofs:
Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Jimmy falls into the Lane's fountain and Mrs. Lane helps him out of it, he says "It's all right, I'm fine," etc., without moving his mouth. more
Quotes:
Jimmy: How about driving over to the... Joe's place with me? I'll buy you a soda!
Bill: I never drink the stuff!
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in How High (2001) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
33 out of 38 people found the following comment useful:-
The Gone with the Wind of 30's Exploitation Films, 28 August 1999
10/10
Author: Cindy Collins Smith from Falls Church, VA

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.

Made over the course of 3 weeks (most Exploitation films were shot in a few days), using an experienced director and a couple of talented actors who went on to have respectable careers in Hollywood, Reefer Madness is quite simply the finest Exploitation film to come out of the 30's.

The film's funny, is it? Well, the folks who made it thought so too. And they laughed all the way to the bank.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Tell Your Children (1936)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Watch/Download Reefer Madness for Free! mrreece5
Funniest Moment of the Movie! preming1
Blog on Exploitation Scare Tactic Films maren-solheim
Thoughts on the film's message (SPOILERS INCLUDED) petekrug17
ummm hellokittyspeedboat
Legalization XLCH1000
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical Grandma's Boy City of Shoulders and Noses Pineapple Express Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
IMDb Drama section IMDb USA section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.