Tell Your Children
Tell Your Children

Movie spotlight

Tell Your Children

1938
Movie
66 min
English

High-school principal Dr. Alfred Carroll relates to an audience of parents that marijuana can have devastating effects on teens: a drug supplier entices several restless teens, Mary and Jimmy Lane, sister and brother, and Bill, Mary's boyfriend, into frequenting a reefer house. Gradually, Bill and Jimmy are drawn into smoking dope, which affects their family lives.

Insights

IMDb5.9/10
Director: B. Reeves EasonGenres: Drama, Film-Noir

Plot Summary

A young man, on the run from the law after being framed for murder, tries to prove his innocence. He finds himself entangled with a dangerous gangster and a troubled woman who may hold the key to his freedom. The film explores themes of corruption, desperation, and the struggle for survival in a gritty urban landscape.

Critical Reception

Upon its release, 'Tell Your Children' received mixed reviews, with some critics praising its fast-paced narrative and dark atmosphere, while others found its plot convoluted and its characters underdeveloped. It has since gained a cult following among film noir enthusiasts for its early example of the genre's conventions.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its gritty atmosphere and suspenseful plot.

  • Criticized for a sometimes predictable storyline.

  • Noted as an early example of film noir aesthetics.

Google audience: Audience reception for 'Tell Your Children' is largely unavailable due to its age. However, its status as an early noir film suggests it would have been appreciated for its dramatic tension and moral ambiguity by those who followed the genre.

Fun Fact

The film was originally intended to be a more straightforward melodrama but was re-edited and given a darker tone to capitalize on the emerging popularity of the crime thriller genre.

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