Movie review: "Marihuana" (1936)

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“Ice queen of the snow country” is smarmy drug dealer Tony’s description of good girl gone bad Burma in “Marihuana,” the second of three notorious drug exploitation movies released in 1936. Along with “Reefer Madness” and “The Cocaine Fiends,” “Marihuana” is still around today for its appalling and hilarious awfulness elevating the movie to bizarre camp classic status. This is a movie so bad you cannot stop watching. These movies were produced outside the Hollywood system (pioneer independents or merely sleaze merchants) made under the guise of being “educational” but were actually cheaply done titillation fare. There is female nudity in “Marihuana.” Imagine screen nudity in 1936. To justify its “educational” value, the movies begins with a long and rambling forward discussing the “narcotic menace” and blaming marihuana cigarettes as the cause of juvenile crime. Talk about political incorrectness, check out this statement: “Asiatic countries attempt to rid themselves of drugs curse and attribute their lack of failure to lack of education” while “We consider ourselves enlightened.” Say what? What follows is an actual case study?!?! “Marihuana” opens with some jazzy jive dancing at a club where the high school characters are introduced. Always looking for new customers, that corrupter of American youth Tony moves in and invites them to a party at his beach house. Later, Burma is parked with boyfriend Dick who attempts shoving his hand down her blouse. Burma fends off his advances with “No honeymooning until after we’re married.” The movie is not exactly a psychological study of motivation but Burma’s problematic nature is due to her resenting all the attentions given to older sister Elaine’s wedding to wealthy Morgan. It never occurs to these kids that they are the only people attending the party with Tony and his henchman. The booze flows and Tony slyly sets out some marihuana cigarettes. The girls sample the “funny” cigarettes and quickly turn giddy. Puffing away, Burma cannot stop laughing which puzzles Dick. Now we witness the first ill effects of the demon weed. It causes young girls to strip and skinny dip. The actresses are unattractive but one can imagine the cheap thrill back in 1936 of seeing all those bare breasts and buns. One girl accidently drowns prompting a coverup. Then it is revealed Burma and Dick were honeymooning after all since she is pregnant and Dick is forced to work for Tony with dire results. Tony gets Burma out of town, handles the baby situation and forces her into dealing. Burma bitterly wants to get back at her sister and is so good pushing dope that Tony comments how great “Blondie” is on getting them hooked on “H” and “C.” Everything builds to tragic consequences and Burma giving herself a hot shot. Badly acted, directed, written and made. What more could be asked of a legendary turkey? Simplistic and naive concerning a serious issue but “Marihuana” was never really meant to educate.