Subject: Narcotics (1951) User Reviews

Since this wasn't meant to be seen by the general public, it's hard to rate this one.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 23 June 2009]

This is an anti-drug lecture that has been put on film along with film of actual drugs and drug users. Some of the addicts show might have been actors, but showing the collapsed veins and people going through withdrawal looked pretty real. The purpose of the film is NOT to persuade the general public but it was made for police and other public service organizations. As such, it does achieve its goal of educating and the usual hyperbole you might expect from anti-drug films of the era is missing. Instead, the film seems reasonably fact-based but is also not intended as entertainment but education.

This film was shown on Turner Classic Movies recently and the quality of the print is pretty poor. It's badly faded and the print is very scratchy. It's obvious the film has seen better days.

This film is an ephemeral piece of our history--one most people would not think of preserving. In addition, due to its age, there are a lot more drugs out there than just barbiturates, pot and heroine like you see in the film.

Amazing How Little Has Really Changed in Almost 60 Years

[verbusen · 9/10 · 21 October 2009]

I also saw this on Turner Classic Movies and I'm looking out for other shorts they are showing as this stuff is very interesting.

I can attest through personal experience's (I dated a female junkie as a teen in New York in the late 70's-early 80's), that the concept of a shooting gallery is realistic, so kudo's for that. Overall you would expect a film from 1951 labeled Narcotics would resemble something like out of Reefer Madness or some of those Ed Wood movies he made but this is a straight forward educational film and I would say most of it is truthful including the 99 out of 100 junkies go back after being clean, but that's just my opinion on that part (I would never trust a junkie, ever).

I could also agree with the films premise on pot as being a gateway drug as it's not a stretch to say many people who used pot first did other drugs later. One could also make the case for booze though as they probably tried booze before they tried pot. I also wonder though, if pot were made legal, if that would help to isolate that illegal underworld of society so that now "normal" people could get their pot in a store (and pay taxes on it), and not have to deal with the shady characters and thus not be tempted to try something else they are offering. Just a thought. I mean pot was legal until prohibition and the country got along OK. If I were a liberal voter I'd be pretty po'd that it's not legal already as I remember the legalization marches in the 70's and we are still at the same place pretty much today (except if you live in California, lucky bastards). I rate this film 9 of 10 for showing what a group of heroine junkies do together realistically and for it only being made in 1951. Stay off that smack!

Decent Drug Short

[Michael_Elliott · 17 May 2009]

Subject: Narcotics (1951)

** (out of 4)

This short was produced to teach new cops in Los Angeles what to look for but it eventually leaked out to the general public and recently had an airing on Turner Classic Movies. This 20-minute short talks about various drugs on the streets and what type of effect they have on the user. We learn about various sleeping pills, pot and of course heroin. The interesting thing about this short is that a lot of the "dangerous" drugs talked about are now available on store shelves everywhere. Overall this short is pretty entertaining and it's done is a straight, non-humor way. Most of these types of films are over the top and campy but that's not the case here as the film-making is certainly better than normal. This was director Denis Sanders first film and he would later make SHOCK TREATMENT, ELVIS: THAT'S THE WAY IT IS and the cult INVASION OF THE BEE GIRLS as well as winning two Oscars.