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| Assassin of Youth | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | Elmer Clifton |
| Written by | Charles A. Browne Elmer Clifton |
| Produced by | Charles A. Browne Leo J. McCarthy |
| Starring | Luana Walters Arthur Gardner Fay McKenzie Michael Owen Dorothy Short |
| Edited by | Rose Loewinger |
| Distributed by | BCM Roadshow Productions |
Release date |
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Running time | 80 minutes |
| Language | English |
Assassin of Youth is a 1937exploitation film directed byElmer Clifton.[1] It is a pre-WWII film about the supposed ill effects ofcannabis. The film is often considered a clone of the much more famousReefer Madness (sharing cast memberDorothy Short). Thethriller reflects the antidrugpropaganda of its time.
The journalist Art Brighton goesundercover to investigate the granddaughter of a recently deceased rich woman, killed in a drug-related car crash. The girl, Joan Barrie, will inherit the fortune of her grandmother if she is able to fulfill amorals clause in the will. Joan's cousin Linda Clayton and her husband Jack will try to frame Joan to acquire the fortune themselves.
The journalist tries to save Joan and dismantle the criminal gang of marijuana-dealing youths to which Linda belongs. While the newspaper tries to show the horrible dangers of marijuana to the general public, violence scales in the town in the form of obscene all-night drug parties where anything can happen.
A key concluding scene in a courtroom involves the prosecution of Joan. Just as the judge is about to pass sentence, the journalist Art Brighton rushes in with evidence exposing Linda's involvement in the drug distribution. The film ends announcing Joan's engagement to Art.
The film's title refers to an article of the same year by U.S. "drug czar"Harry J. Anslinger that appeared inThe American Magazine and was reprinted inReader's Digest in 1938. That article briefly mentions several stories from his "Gore file" of tragedies allegedly caused by marijuana. The movie's tone echoes those of Anslinger's cautionary tales.