Starts at 2:36

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOACAfnPlDQ

A Thirties thread!



The clip posted by DML contains an interview with Gertrude Michael discussing a scene from the film (1934) Murder at the Vanities.

There's a musical number in that film where Gertrude sings the song "Marahuana". I'm curious, did the song exist before the film or was it written for the film?

(1934) Murder at the Vanities - Full Marahuana Scene

My apologies, the interview is not with Gertrude Michael, but with Kitty Carlisle Hart, the Lead actress for the film.

(1933) International House [1]
(1933) International House [2]
(1933) International House [3]
(1933) International House [4]
(1933) International House [5]
(1933) International House [6]
(1933) International House [7]

Cab Calloway Performs Reeferman

(1936) Reefer Madness

Reefer Madness (aka Tell Your Children) is a well known 1938 American exploitation film revolving around the tragic events that ensue when high school students are lured by pushers to try "marihuana": a hit and run accident, manslaughter, suicide, attempted rape, and descent into madness all ensue. The film was directed by Louis Gasnier and starred a cast composed of mostly unknown bit actors. It was originally financed by a church group and made under the title Tell Your Children.[1][2]

The film was intended to be shown to parents as a morality tale attempting to teach them about the dangers of cannabis use.[1] However, soon after the film was shot, it was purchased by producer Dwain Esper, who re-cut the film for distribution on the exploitation film circuit.[1] The film did not gain an audience until it was rediscovered in the 1970s and gained new life as a piece of unintentional comedy among cannabis smokers.[1][3] Today, it is in the public domain in the United States and is considered a cult film.[3] It inspired a musical satire, which premiered off-Broadway in 2001, and a Showtime film, Reefer Madness, based on the musical. Source: Wikipedia

Note the film was released under the name "Tell Your Children" in 1936 Source: IMDB Entry for "Tell Your Children"

(1936) Marihuana: The Weed with Roots in Hell

Marihuana is a 1936 exploitation film directed by Dwain Esper, and written by Esper's wife, Hildegarde Stadie.

Plot:

Burma is a good girl who goes to a party, smokes marijuana, and winds up going skinny-dipping with her girl friends. When one of the girls drowns, the dope pushers come up with a plan to hide the body. A turn of events leads up to Burma being pregnant and unmarried. She is forced to give the child up for adoption and become a drug dealer. In the film's ending, Burma hatches a plan to kidnap her sister's adopted daughter, but the child is, in fact, her own.Source: Wikipedia

(1928) Louis Armstrong - Muggles

"Muggles" is the title of a recording by Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra, recorded in Chicago on December 7, 1928. The title refers to the use of the word "muggles" as a slang term for marijuana amongst jazz musicians of the 1920s and 1930s. Armstrong was an enthusiastic user of marijuana, which was legal in most American states at the time.

The personnel of this recording were, in addition to Armstrong on trumpet, Fred Robinson, trombone; Jimmy Strong, clarinet; Earl Hines, piano; Mancy Carr (not "Cara" as his name has been too often misspelled) on banjo, and Zutty Singleton on drums.

"Muggles" is in the 12-bar blues form. It starts out with some rather modernistic piano work for the time with Singleton playing sensitively on the brushes. Robinson then takes a gutsy lead without breaking the mood, followed by a chorus by Strong showing the influence of Jimmie Noone. The rest of the band then stops for 2 measures while Armstrong starts a chorus on an adventuresome break subtly playing with the rhythm. The horns then play chords behind Armstrong's excellent 2 choruses of solo. The rhythm gently suggests double-time on the first chorus, giving a sense of acceleration without actually speeding up the tempo, then returns to the dreamy feel of the tune's beginning for the final chorus, with Hines creating fills behind Armstrong.

This was the only side issued from the recording session that day. It is one of the last 4 sides Armstrong made before moving to New York City where, while Armstrong remained magnificent, the bands backing him up were often less interesting, and he switched from recording original compositions to covering popular songs.

"Muggles" is regarded[by whom?] as one of Armstrong's masterpieces. It was originally issued on Okeh 8703, a 78 RPM disc in Okeh's race record series. The recording has been reissued numerous times, and is available on compact disc. "Muggles" has been covered by later jazz musicians, including Nicholas Payton.Source: Wikipedia