Anita O'Day

O'Day writes in her autobiography High Times, Hard Times, "One day weed had been harmless, booze outlawed; the next, alcohol was in and weed led to 'living death.' They didn't fool me. I kept on using it, but I was just a little more cautious."

Read more:
Cannabis Culture Magazine: Anita O'Day: Indestructibly Good - by Ellen Komp

woops, I filled that last one under the wrong decades... should have been in the Twenties and earlier thread. My bad.

(1948) To the Ends of the Earth

Based on the files of the United States Department of Treasury. Commissioner Michael Barrows is an American Government Agent. On board a Coast Gaurd boat off the California coast he chases a ship. The Captain of the ship, the Kira Maru, panics and ruthlessly sends 100 Chinese slaves to a watery death. Barrows recovers a live preserver that tells him the ship is out of Shanghai. He travels there to track down the ship's captain and discovers that these deaths point to a huge drug smuggling operation. In Shanghai, while searching for the captain of the Kira Maru, he becomes suspicious of a women, Ann Grant, believing she's Jean Hawks the narcotics ringleader. He follows the narcotics trail "to the ends of the Earth" taking him from Shanghai to Cairo, Beirut and Havana to stop the drugs and the jean Hawks ring at the US border. Source

The opening scene of this film features The Federal Bureau of Narcotics, Harry J. Anslinger himself, and opium poppies; the main subject of this film.

(1932) Stupéfiants

When an up-and-coming singer's career is jeopardized by morphine addiction, her brother takes on the ruthless dope pushers who are intent on keeping her hooked.

(1933) The Narrow Corner

In his efforts to find interesting roles to play during his contract days at Warner Brothers Pictures Douglas Fairbanks Jr. chose the part of Fred Blake, the troubled repentant hero of W.Somerset Maugham's novel 'The Narrow Corner'. As adapted by Robert Presnell and directed by Alfred E.Green, the story has young Doug,a former playboy pressured by his wealthy father to escape a manslaughter charge in Australia until the heat is off.The young man is spirited away aboard a disreputable schooner captained by an even less reputable skipper who has been paid to keep him distant from the law and further involvement with troublesome females.But,as fate would have it,after surviving a typhoon,the little ship puts in for repairs at an island paradise peopled by Danish settlers. Through the kindness of the inhabitants and particularly by the innocence of lovely Patricia Ellis and the comraderie of Ralph Bellamy,Fairbanks Jr. begins to mature as a responsible adult.However, tragedy lurks just around the corner.

The essential philosophy and moral of novelist Maugham is retained throughout this wonderful film.In great supporting roles are Arthur Hohl as the coarse,vulgar skipper,Reginald Owen as the girl's eccentric father, and Dudley Digges as the world-weary,opium-addicted physician.The film was remade with plot differences a few years later as 'Isle of Fury' with Humphrey Bogart!Source


Opiates and Prohibition Beer.

Larry Adler - Smoking Reefers 1938

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbtCBr2-Cpc&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsKYmK-0z1Y&feature=related

Gene Krupa & his Orchestra - I'm Feeling High & Happy (1938)

Oh, very nice. Here's a few more I may not have posted before.

(1931) Don Redman & Orchestra - Chant Of The Weed
(1935) Willie Bryant & Orchestra - A Vipers Moan
(1930)Memphis Jug Band - Cocaine Habit Blues
(1949)Lalo Guerrero - Marihuana boogie
(1936) Cedar Creek Sheik - Don't Credit My Stuff 1936 Philip McCutchen May not be drug related though the descript claims it is.
(1925) Richard Jones & his Jazz wizards - Blue Reefer Blues Not likely to be from 1925, The earliest attributed "reefer song" recording is (1927) Willie the Weeper. Also, this song has a big band backing which only appeared in the early 30's. I might be wrong.
(1927)Frankie 'halfpint' Jaxon - Willie The Weeper
(1927)Victoria Spivey & Lonnie Johnson - Dope Head Blues
(1935) Cleo Brown - The Stuff is HereLikely prohibition beer.
(1938)Slim & Slam - Dopey Joe
(1934) Cab Calloway - Zaz Zuh Zaz (Smoky Smokey Joe Version)

Ah, I wish I could take a time machine and witness the cannabis culture first back in then. These recordings and artifacts are all we have left to remember those cats by.

--Corrections
"Ah, I wish I could take a time machine and witness the cannabis culture first hand back then. These recordings and artifacts are all we have left to remember those cats by."

(1935) Richard Jones & his Jazz wizards - Blue Reefer Blues It was not released in 1925, but 1935.

Check out this other one I found:
(1935) Richard Jones & his Jazz Wizards - Muggin The Blues.

Have you heard these versions before?
(1932) Earl Hines and his Orchestra - Blue Drag
(2010) New Orleans Jazz Vipers - Blue Drag From the HBO series Treme
(2004) Wiyo - Blue Drag