Reefer Madness (1936) - full transcript

It must be stopped.

You and all the school-parent
groups about the country,

and you must stand united on this,

and stamp out this frightful
assassin of our youth.

You can do it by bringing
about compulsory education

on the subject of
narcotics in general,

but reef marihuana in particular.

That is the purpose of this
meeting, ladies and gentlemen,

to lay the foundation for a
nationwide campaign by you

to demand by law such
compulsory education,

because it is only
through enlightenment



that this scourge can be wiped out.

Out of the traffic in these drugs,

a lawlessness that we
can scarcely estimate

has grown and is now flourishing.

It exists in almost every
city and hamlet in the country.

It might be interesting

and important for you to know

some of the methods used

in bringing these
drugs into the country

and the work of the
forces of law and order,

which are daily
combating the traffic,

always at the risk
of life by their agents.

This ceaseless fight
against the drug traffic

is directed by the Department
of Narcotics, Washington.



I have received a
letter of vital importance

from a member of
the Narcotics Bureau.

I'm going to read this letter to you.

"My dear Dr. Carroll,"

"the suppression of
the use of marihuana"

"and of the forces lurking behind it"

"are the most important jobs"

"this department is now engaged in."

"At the outset of this letter,"

"there is one vital fact
I would like to submit."

"There is a powerful agency."

"I speak of the
school-parent associations"

"of this country, which
can be invaluable"

"in stamping out this scourge."

"Their help, their eternal vigilance"

"could be the deciding
factor in our fight against it."

"The weed marihuana is
grown in every state in the Union."

"Recently, in the city
of Brooklyn, New York,"

"a field of marihuana was
found behind a tenement court."

"The weed was here being cultivated,"

"regularly stripped, and
dried and sold in schools"

"and at government army
posts in and around New York."

"The dried leaves and
berries are ground up"

"and made into cigarettes
by a simple hand machine."

"The deadly narcotic is that quickly"

"and easily prepared for its market."

"The sale of marihuana
is even more difficult"

"to detect and halt
than the traffic in drugs"

"such as opium, morphine, and heroin."

"They are hidden in
fake jewelry cases,"

"in the heels of shoes,
women's shoes especially,"

"because the drugs
can be secreted in."

"Hollowed shaving
brushes are another medium."

"Books with false
centers are often used."

"Watch cases are
convenient hiding places."

"The value of drugs
thus seized is enormous."

"Recently, a huge supply
of heroin was taken."

"It was concealed in an
apparently harmless shipment"

"of 35 barrels of olive oil."

"The deadly drug was
burned in the incinerator"

"of the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing."

"And more vicious, more
deadly even than these"

"soul-destroying drugs is
the menace of marihuana."

No doubt, many of you do not believe

that these things do happen,

that they cannot happen to you.

You may also believe that the
facts have been exaggerated.

Let me tell you of something

that happened right
here in our own city.

You probably read
about it in the papers.

However, I'll give you the
real facts behind the case.

There was an apartment
near one of our high schools.

It was run by a woman
known as Mae Coleman.

Hey.

Come on, Mae, get up.

What time is it?

Time to get up and give
this place a going over.

It looks like the marines had landed.

That bunch last
night was high enough

to take over the
marines and the navy.

You better get on the job.

Some of the kids may
be up this afternoon.

Oh, Jack, we can get
along without dragging

those young kids up here.

Oh, why don't you
button up your lips?

You're always squawking
about something.

You got more static than a radio.

Ah, greetings.

Well, hello, fella, how are you?

Fine, how are you?

Come in, come in.

Glad to be here.

Is the Mae in?

She'll be right here.

Just sit down, make
yourself comfortable.

Hey, what kind of
a joint is this, Eddie?

Oh, it's all right, Gwen.

See, they probably
had a party last night.

Ah.

A couple of your customers, Mae.

Yeah?

They're old enough to
know what they're doing.

Not like those young
kids you bring up here.

All right, all right.

Listen, I'm gonna blow.

Where are you going?

I gotta make some deliveries

and I'll probably drop by Joe's place

and bring back a couple of the kids.

Oh, I wish you'd
lay off those kids.

Oh, why don't you
get over your complex?

Oh, by the way, Ralph,

I'm sort of giving a little party

Saturday afternoon
over at my grandmother's.

You know the place
with a swimming pool?

Like to come?

Thanks, Eddie, maybe I will.

I should like to have you.

Okay, I'll probably drop over.

- So long, Ralph.
- See you later.

Hey, Ralph.

Hi, kid.

- Hi, Jack, and you?
- Oh, great.

Where you headed?

Hey, how do you like that?

That's the one I
was telling you about.

Very nice.

I don't know why you wanna make

such a fuss over that Ralph Wiley.

Oh, he's a swell swimmer.

He made the freshman team at college.

Yeah, and that let him out.

My dad knows his family.

None of them are any good.

Father and mother just
got a divorce in Paris.

Yeah?

You know, Ralph runs
around pretty much on his own.

He's been in a couple of jams.

Well, I only kind
of say hello to him.

I don't go around with him.

Well, you better know

that he's a little too old for us.

That's what my dad said.

Hello, Mary.

- How are you, Bill?
- How are you, Ralph?

Hey, hello, Ralph.

You know my brother,
Jimmy, don't you?

- How are you?
- Swell.

I'd like you to meet a
friend of mine, Jack Perry.

Mary, Bill.

- How are you?
- How do you do?

Glad to know you.

We're going over to Joe's place.

Why don't you come along?

We have a date to
play a set of doubles.

Or you can play any time.

Come on, we'll have some laughs.

Oh, we can't today, Ralph.

Some other time.

- Can I go along with you?
- Sure.

Hey, I'll see you at dinner, sis.

- Don't be late, Jimmy.
- I won't.

- Jimmy, Jimmy.
- Hi, Agnes.

Hey, he ain't no paper man.

Why, don't you know him?

That's Hot Fingers Pirelli.

Boy, he really swings
out hot with a mess of jive.

- Do you wanna dance?
- Do I?

Mae is expecting us at
the apartment a little later.

Any new prospects?

Maybe.

Oh, Jimmy, you're wonderful.

You're just finding that out?

- Why can't we go now?
- Hmm, good.

Say, kids, we're
having a little party

at my girlfriend's apartment.

Wouldn't you like to come?

Oh, I'd love to.

You wanna come, don't you, Jimmy?

Oh, sure.

Any place with you.

Oh, come on, we
can all go in my car.

See you later, Joe.

It's sweet of you to help me, Bill.

I'll show you anything
except domestic science.

I see, don't you
wanna learn something

about running your own home?

The answer is no.

You know, after that
session we had yesterday,

I went home and told Mother

that the trouble with
her pot roast gravy was

she hadn't added three
heaping teaspoonfuls of olive oil.

What did she say?

She didn't say anything.

She just threw me out of the kitchen.

I don't wonder.

Hello, children.

- Hello, mother.
- Hello, Mrs. Lane.

That was sweet of you, mother.

Gosh, hot chocolate!

Thanks, Mrs. Lane.

I know you can't
study on empty stomach.

Go on and enjoy yourselves.

- He will.
- She will, too, Mrs. Lane.

May I?

Oh, thank you, kind sir.

You're so very, very kind.

Mary, before we do that math,

how about reading some of this?

It's swell.

Romeo and Juliet?

- Don't you like it?
- Uh-huh.

You know, when I study
this, I kinda think of you.

I just thought I feel as
though you're there beside me.

Listen.

It is my soul that
calls upon thy name.

How silver-sweet sound
lovers' tongues by night.

Like softest music to attending ears.

- Romeo!
- My dear?

What o'clock tomorrow
shall I send to thee?

- By the hour of nine.
- I will not fail.

'Tis 20 years till then.

Well, I'll see you tonight, Mary.

Bye, Mrs. Lane.

- Goodbye, Bill.
- So long.

Oh, Bill!

I guess I'm all right.

Bye, bye.

- Hey, Daddy.
- Oh, Junior.

Hey, Dad, you got anything for me?

Don't bother your
father every night.

Have you?

There you are.

What made you so late, Bill?

I was getting worried.

Oh, I had to study, Ma.

He was not.

I saw him, Ma, walking with his girl.

Bill's got a girl.

He's got a girl.

- Ma, make him cut it out.
- Junior!

- Well, Bill has got a girl.
- Quiet.

And put that candy
away till after dinner.

Henry, you shouldn't
have given it to him.

Well, I haven't got a girlfriend

and the name is Mary.

I'll shut you up.

Bill, Junior, quit
that carrying on.

Junior!

Oh, let them alone.

They're all right, they're young.

Mary's little lamb.

Mary's little lamb.

I didn't mean it,
Bill, honest, I didn't.

Oh, well, what I'm
burned up about is that

you didn't say Bill has a swell girl.

Gee, it must be love.

She has to be swell
for you to like her.

Uh-huh, sounds like
you want something.

Come on, what is it?

Well, it's my model airplane.

It won't work.

Gosh, Bill, you could fix it.

You can fix anything.

Okay, I'll fix it.

Hey, dad, read me the
funny papers, will you?

Got it, you got it.

Hey, Bill.

Oh, hello, Jimmy.

Mary told me to wait and tell you

she's got to go home.

Her mother wanted her to
go to the dressmaker with her.

Oh, thanks, Jimmy.

Hmm, must be getting grown up.

I see Mary let you have the car.

Yeah.

Can I take you any place?

I wasn't going any in particular.

Well, then, how about driving over

to Joe's the place with me?

I'll buy you a soda.

I never drink that stuff.

Okay, I'll buy you something else.

Okay, you're on the
hook for one root beer.

Swell.

Hi, Bill, hi, Jimmy.

What'd you have?

Hey, Jimmy.

Hello, Jimmy, hello, Bill.

Come on, slide in.

Hello, Blanche, hello,
Ralph, how are you?

Two sodas, no, I mean
one soda and one root beer.

How's Mae?

Oh, she's fine.

We're going up to
her apartment later.

- Couldn't Bill come along?
- Mmm-hmm.

- I don't know...
- Come on, Bill,

you'll get a kick out of it.

- Thanks, but...
- Oh, come on, Bill.

Mary won't be jealous.

Why, sure, a lot of the kids

will be there entertained.

I don't know, I really shouldn't.

Well, okay.

- Hi, kids.
- Hello, Jack.

What do you say?

Yeah, come on in.

Hi, Agnes.

Come on, Bill, don't stand there.

Hillbilly, hillbilly, hillbilly.

Hi, kids.

Mae, this is Bill Harper.

He's okay.

Hello.

Well, if you say so,
he's all right with me.

I'll be back in a minute.

Hiya, kids, how ya doing?

Okay, hiya, Mae.

There's a new one in today.

Yeah, Bill Harper.

He's all right.

Blanche has got herself
quite a yen for him.

Hmm, not bad.

I didn't think she
had that much taste.

She knows what she's doing.

She got Ralph not to bother her

and now she's got her
hooks out for this new kid.

Hey, we haven't many more smokes.

You'd better go on over and get some.

Why couldn't you find that out

when I was here this morning?

Now I've got my car in the shop.

Well, I was.

That kid out there, Jimmy.

He's got a car, he'll take you.

Come on, get going, hurry up.

- Hey, Jimmy.
- Yup?

I've got to run over to
Cedar Avenue for a minute.

You've got a car, haven't you?

Why, yeah, my sister's.

Mind giving me a lift?

- Why sure, come on.
- Okay.

No, thank you.

- Well, here we are.
- Oh, thanks.

Oh, Mae, don't forget me.

I never forget you.

Oh dear, if you want a good smoke,

try one of these.

I thought you were a sport.

Of course, if you're afraid.

That's better, that's more like it.

I know you'll like it really well.

Just take a puff of it.

Just be a minute, kid.

Hey, Jack, give me a
cigarette before you go, will you?

- Hello, Jack.
- Hiya, Boss.

How's business?

Getting better everyday.

Those kids sure go for it.

Swell.

Had to run over for
a couple more cartons.

Ran short today.

All right.

Danny?

Pack 10 gross for Jack Perry.

Who?

Pete Daley?

All right, send him in.

It's all right, stay where you are.

I wanna talk to you.

All right, go ahead, Jack's okay.

What's the beef?

Listen, you never heard no beef

when I had to sell that rotten gin.

Right for the dough, aren't you?

Yeah, but I don't
need dough that bad.

Taking two-bit pieces from kids.

There are millions
of two-bit pieces

just begging to be taken.

Don't be a dope.

I'm just doped
enough to draw the line

selling after kids.

All right, Pete.

You know what my
policy has always been.

If the boys are not satisfied,

I'm always glad to have them retire.

Retire permanently.

So long.

I only wish you
had a couple of kids

- so I could...
- Get out!

All right, Jack, pick up
your stuff from Danny.

It'll be ready by then.

Okay, boss.

Let's go, Jack, I'm red-hot.

Better be careful how you drive

or the first thing you
know you'll be ice cold.

Take it easy, kid.

Slow down, you'll kill somebody.

Mary, you're not eating
your breakfast again.

Bill Harper hasn't
been around lately.

Anything wrong between you two?

Why should there be anything wrong?

There shouldn't be, I'm sure.

And whatever it is
isn't serious, I know.

I'm sorry, mother, for
snapping at you like that.

Don't worry about it, dear.

Why don't you speak frankly to Bill?

He'll be honest,
whatever the trouble is.

I'm sure Bill Harper
never lied about anything.

Yes, that's right.

Bill's mother says he never lies.

There, you see?

You think it'd be all right if,

if I speak to him about it?

Why, of course.

Oh, Jimmy.

Hello, Ma.

Sit down, darling, and
I'll have your breakfast

for you in a moment.

Jimmy, there's
something worrying you?

What have I got to worry about?

Why don't you tell me?

Oh, for Pete's sake, don't start

to cross-examine me, will you?

I'm all right.

Jimmy!

Don't let Mother see you like that.

There is no doubt that
there is an organized gang

distributing the
narcotic to students,

not only in my school,
but all over the city.

You government men have got to find

some way to put an end to it.

Of course, I agree
with you, Dr. Carroll.

But do you realize that marihuana

is not like other forms of dope?

You see, it grows wild in
almost every state in the Union.

Therefore, there is practically

no inter-state commerce in the drug.

As a result, the
government's hands are tied.

And frankly, the only sure cure

is a widespread
campaign in education.

Oh, it's all right to talk
about education, Mr. Wyatt?

But we educators can't do anything

until the public is
sufficiently aroused.

Let me show you something.

In 1930, the records on marihuana

in the Washington office
of the Narcotics Division

scarcely filled a
small folder like this.

Today, they fill cabinets.

All of these, devoted
to marihuana records.

Here is an example.

A 16-year-old lad,

apprehended in the
act of staging a holdup,

16 years old and a marihuana addict.

Here is the most tragic case.

Yes, I remember.

Just a young boy.

Under the influence of the drug,

he killed his entire
family with an axe.

Then there is the
most vicious type of case.

Here.

In Michigan, a young
girl, 17 years old,

a reefer smoker, taken in a raid

in the company with five young men.

Here is a particularly flagrant case.

Yes, I remember.

The newspapers
made quite a play of it.

In West Virginia, wasn't it?

Yes, and there are
hundreds of them coming up,

new ones everyday.

I'd like to take
these records, if I may.

I feel they would be of
invaluable assistance to me

in combating the evil in my school.

You're very welcome, Dr. Carroll.

Thank you.

Sit down, Bill.

There seems to be something wrong.

What is it?

You were always a fine student.

You always had excellent grades.

I guess the work is getting
a little harder, Dr. Carroll.

No, no, it isn't that.

Bill, I'd like to help you.

But of course, I can't
unless you let me.

You're undermining your health.

There's nothing,
Dr. Carroll, really there isn't.

I'll study harder, honest.

Honest?

If you were being honest with me

and honest with yourself,

I'm afraid you'd tell me
an entirely different story.

Bill, I'm going to ask you
a straightforward question,

and I'd like to have a
straightforward answer.

Yes, sir.

Isn't it true that you
have, perhaps unwillingly,

acquired a certain harmful habit

through association with
certain undesirable people?

Well?

No, sir, I haven't, Dr. Carroll.

Well, that is, you see, I'm...

I'm worried about something at home.

All right, my boy.

We'll just have to let it go at that.

But remember, if you
ever want to confide in me,

no one will ever be the wiser.

Thank you, Dr. Carroll.

Hello, Mary, want to play a set?

Thanks, Teddy, but
I'm waiting for someone.

Look, if you're waiting for Bill,

he hasn't been here for weeks.

Come on, Jimmy, play something hot.

Okay.

Come on, Billy!

Dance with me!

Didn't take that
kid long to catch on.

Don't take any of them long.

Hey, don't you ever get fed?

You're feeding me, can't you see?

Give me a knife and fork, will you?

Get it yourself.

Come on, Bill.

Come on.

Good morning, miss, we're
with the police department.

Good morning.

We're tracing a hit-and-run driver.

Someone caught the license number

at the place of the accident,

but the didn't get it quite right.

So we're checking all numbers like it

and yours is one of them.

Well, I'll try to help you.

Do you remember what you
did on the 29th of last month?

That was the day
before mother's birthday.

Oh, yes, I remember
that because I left school

and went directly to the
dressmakers with mother.

I was there all afternoon.

Did you happen to loan
your car to a couple of men?

No, no, I had the car
all afternoon myself.

Thanks, Miss, sorry to trouble you.

Tell me, did they,

was the person killed?

Fortunately, he
wasn't, but that's still

no excuse for hit-and-run driving.

Has Jimmy Lane been here today?

He was in.

He went over to Mae's place.

You know where that is.

Well, he was gonna
wait for me here,

so he didn't give me Mae's address.

Are you sure Jimmy didn't leave

any message for me, Mary?

No, he didn't.

But I guess you're okay.

I'll write it down for you.

Mary, come right in.

Is Jimmy here?

Oh, why, he is around somewhere.

I think he went out
to take Agnes home.

But he'll be right back.

Come in and sit down, Mary.

And let me take your coat.

Who's the new kid just came in?

Oh, it's that gal that
Ralph's gone overboard for.

Funny, we've never been
able to get her up here before.

Hey, hey, scram, will ya?

Smoke, Mary?

Thanks.

Are you sure Jimmy will be back soon?

Sure, any minute.

Say, what's the matter?

Am I an orphan?

Where do you put it?

You got a hollow leg?

Thanks, dear.

Here, Mary.

- Oh, Mary, give me a kiss.
- Don't.

- Mary.
- No, don't!

Please help me.

Oh, Mary.

You leave me alone.

Go away!

Mary, everybody's...

Leave me alone.

Oh, leave me alone!

Please!

- Everything's over.
- Leave me be!

Romeo.

What o'clock tomorrow
shall I send to thee?

Bill's got a girl.

It's sweet of you to help me, Bill.

- Bill's got a girl.
- Oh, thank you, kind sir.

Leave me alone!

Oh, leave me alone!

Ralph!

Ralph!

Look.

Jack, is she all right?

She's dead.

Mae, get me some water.

Now listen, you two.

I want you to get out of here.

Get out of here and forget

you were ever in here today.

I'll handle this.

Now get going.

Give it to me.

Here.

Mary.

Mary.

Mary!

What happened?

You killed her.

Mary.

Oh, Mary.

Look, after I scram,
you call the cops.

And this is your story, remember it.

These two kids came up
here for a couple of beers.

You're up in the kitchen,
you heard the shot.

When you got in here,
that's what you found.

Just stick to that story.

Mary.

Mary, speak to me.

Mary.

Hello, Jack.

I was just talking
to a friend of mine.

A cop.

Sergeant on the homicide squad.

The guy you hit that day died.

Died?

- You, I mean you didn't...
- No.

I didn't crack, and I'm not going to.

Nobody will ever know
you were driving that car.

Thanks, Jack.

After this moment,
you keep you mouth shut

that you were ever
up in Mae's apartment.

Why sure, Jack, sure.

Okay.

Your honor, I'd like to recall.

Dr. Alfred Carroll to the stand.

Call Dr. Alfred
Carroll to the stand.

Dr. Carroll, as principal
of the Lakeside High School,

did you, during the
last three months,

notice any changes in
the demeanor and attitude

of your student, William Harper?

Yes, in a number of things.

For example, at times,
disassociation of ideas.

In another instance,
I happened to attend

the recent inter-scholastic
tennis matches.

And while Bill Harper
had been considered

an exceedingly good player,

I saw him miss the ball

by as much as three or four feet.

This, I understand,
could be attributed

to the use of marihuana.

It causes errors in time and space.

Objection, your honor!

The witness isn't qualified
to express opinions

upon the effects of narcotics.

Sustained.

Dr. Carroll has been called
merely as a character witness.

Well then, although you didn't know

to your own knowledge

that the defendant
was using marihuana,

did you notice any changes

that would lead you to
believe, as an educator,

that he was under some
severe mental strain

which might possibly have
been induced by some drug?

Yes, I recall distinctly,
a few weeks ago.

It was during a class
of English literature.

There was a serious discussion

of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet,

when he suddenly burst into

an uncontrollable fit
of hysterical laughter.

Oh, by the way,
Dr. Carroll, six months ago,

what would have been your opinion

regarding the character of my client?

He was a fine,
upstanding American boy,

a good scholar, a good athlete,

and representative of
the caliber of young men

we are proud to
graduate from our school.

Oh, snap out of it, will you?

It's not our fault.

Why'd I ever bring
him up there, anyway?

He's just a kid.

They can't hang him.

Shut up, shut up!

Why don't you let yourself go?

Talk.

Go off your nuts and
have me that way, too.

It's his own fault, wasn't it?

Shut up!

They've got us hidden
out, haven't they?

The cops can't find us.

Jack, Jack, I wanna
get out of this place.

You're gonna stay here
as long as we have to keep

those two out there under cover.

Till the trial's over,

or the boss gets a better idea.

But they're getting on my nerves.

It can't last much longer.

I'm not worried about her.

We gotta keep him gagged.

He's about ready to crack.

What you're gonna do is keep him

from having too many reefers.

Any day now, that
punk will get hot.

He'll probably spill
and tell all he knows

if he gets the chance.

I don't think he'll get it.

I'll see you later.

Where are you going?

I'm gonna see the boss.

- Hello, Jack.
- Hello, Boss.

What are we gonna
do about that Wiley guy?

Still jittery, huh?

I don't know what
the punk's gonna do.

Keep feeding him with hot sticks.

That's what Mae's been doing.

That's no good.

I got a hunch that he's due to crack

when that Harper verdict comes in.

He's down the tee, he's
about to take a powder on us

and blow his topper to the D.A.

You mean you think
we'd all be better off

if he never heard the verdict?

Well, what are you waiting for?

You, ladies and
gentlemen of the jury,

have a duty to perform,

a duty to yourselves
and to our community.

Mary Lane is dead.

The evidence you've
heard at this trial

could not have failed to convince you

of the guilt of the defendant.

By his own admission,

he pressed the trigger of the weapon

that sent lovely and
innocent Mary Lane

to a tragic and untimely death.

We are not so much concerned

about the motives behind the deed

as to the deed itself.

While the defendant has told you

that he saw someone
attacking Mary Lane,

and that his mind went
blank from that moment on,

the defense has been
unable to produce

one witness to
substantiate that statement.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,

you've heard able
men testify at this trial,

men who have tried
to bring out the fact

that the defendant might have
become momentarily insane

when he fired the shot
that killed Mary Lane.

But the defense has been
unable to prove that he was insane.

William Harper was sane
when he visited the apartment

where the tragedy occurred.

He was on the habit
of visiting the place.

He was sane when he went to a bedroom

with another young woman.

You all heard what
went on in that room.

You heard it from the
defendant's own lips.

Involved as he was
in a tawdry love affair,

Mary Lane was in the way.

She had found him out.

In a moment of anger,

he deliberately and
willfully killed her.

If such deeds are
permitted to go unpunished,

this community would cease
to be a decent and safe place

for us or our children to live.

I do not believe I have
to plead, or even demand,

that you bring in a verdict
to punish the defendant

for the crime that he has
committed against society.

You are upright citizens.

That is why you were
chosen to judge another.

And as honest, upright citizens,

there is only one verdict
which you can find.

And that is a verdict of Guilty.

And this court will be adjourned

until the jury's verdict is reached.

I suppose you all feel
the same about this case.

But he might have
been insane while he did it.

No, he wasn't, he
knew what he was doing.

But supposing he was insane?

You can never make me
believe it or anybody else.

We'll take a first vote.

11 for conviction, one for acquittal.

But there's a reasonable doubt

about the boy's sanity.

We can't...
No doubt about the fact

that he murdered her.

He admitted it himself.

That wasn't the first
time he was there.

We gotta make an example

before boys like that
contaminate all of our children.

We can't have every murderer hiding

behind the gag that he's insane.

Sure, they see red
before they kill somebody.

But whose fault is it?

Have you reached a verdict?

We have.

The defendant will rise.

What is your verdict?

We find the defendant
guilty as charged.

No!

Stop that racket.

Stop it!

What's the matter with you?

You give me the creeps.

Mae.

Mae!

What do you want?

Bring me some reefers.

They're going to hang him.

Blanche, they're going to hang him.

Oh, come on, get
a hold of yourself.

Here you are.

Well, cut that crazy laughing.

Where's Jack?

I wanna get out of here.

They'll pick you up and hang you

if you don't pipe down.

I wanna see Jack.

Jack.

I wanna see Jack.

Jack.

You'd better quiet him.

I can't do anything with him.

I've got to see Jack.

We can't let that kid hang.

He'll be here, don't worry.

He'll be here in a little while.

I've got to see him.

I've got to.

Come on, darling.

Everything will be over soon.

You want me to play
something for you?

Yeah, yeah, that's it.

Play something.

All right.

Come on.

Sit down.

Honey, give me a smoke, will you?

Faster.

Faster!

Play faster!

Faster.

Play faster.

Faster.

I know what you want.

You wanna kill me.

You're crazy.

Take it easy, kid.

I just wanna talk to you.

Hurry, hurry!

There's a terrible fight going on.

Yes, yes, apartment 32.

Stop it, stop it!

Let go of me!

Take your hands off of me.

Stop it.

Take your little dick.

Stop it!

No.

Who hired you and Jack Perry?

Are you ready to tell what you know?

Yes.

I'm fucked.

If we can gain some measure
of leniency for my client,

she's prepared to
enter a plea of Guilty,

and in addition, turn state evidence

in the case of William Harper.

I regret that this
court is not prepared

to bargain with justice.

I'll tell anyway.

I was there, I saw it.

I know who killed Mary.

And I'll tell you who
killed Mary Lane.

It wasn't Bill.

It was Jack.

Jack Perry.

He shot Mary Lane and
he put the gun in Bill's hand.

We were all at the
apartment one afternoon.

And Mary came in
looking for her brother.

Bill and I, we'd been
in another room.

And Bill came in, he
caught Ralph with Mary.

Then they started to fight.

But it was Jack who had the gun.

He was going to hit
Bill over the head with it

to make him stop.

And then, then the gun went off.

I saw it.

I can see it now.

It was horrible!

Before we knew it, Mary,

Mary was dead.

But you see, Judge,

Bill didn't know he
hadn't killed Mary.

He was so doped up,
they made him think he had.

Ralph wanted to tell you, too.

Oh, if they'd only let him.

But this is the truth, Judge.

I'm telling you the truth.

After Jack saw that Mary was dead,

he put the gun in Bill's hand.

It was Jack's fault.

And it was my fault, too.

I got all of them to come
up to the apartment.

I'm just as much to blame.

I am.

I am.

Do I understand
you wish to plead guilty

to a charge of fostering
moral delinquency

in the case of William Harper?

Yes, yes, I'm guilty, I am.

Prepare a statement for signature,

and also an order setting
aside the jury's verdict

in the case of the People
versus William Harper.

In the interest of justice,

I shall direct a
verdict of Not Guilty.

Sign here, please.

You shall be brought into
court on Thursday, the 17th,

when sentence will be pronounced.

Meanwhile, you will be
held as a material witness

in the case of the People
versus Ralph Wiley.

We have come in the
hearings before this court today

to what I hope will
be the final actions

revolving about an unhappy
and unfortunate case,

one whose horrible tragedy
will forever remain with me.

I am happy to have been enabled,

before it was too late,

to order the verdict of the jury

in the case of the People
versus William Harper

to be set aside.

But, young man, although
this court is convinced

that to declare you
guilty would have been

a gross miscarriage of justice,

we cannot condone your acts.

And we can express only
the hope that your experiences

may not alone keep you,
but thousands of others,

from the vicious
pitfalls of marihuana.

Thus, I am ordering
you to remain in this court

during the next case,

so that you will be
obliged to witness

what you yourself
so narrowly escaped.

Call the case of the
People versus Ralph Wiley.

Bill.

Bill.

Your honor, in this case the State

waives trial of the
defendant, Ralph Wiley.

It is recommended, your
honor, that the defendant

be placed in an institution
for the criminally insane

for the rest of his natural life.

The defendant's counsel
joins the State in this request.

Since counsel for the defense

as well as counsel for the State

seem to agree on this,

I see no reason why the
request should not be granted.

That happened right
here, to your neighbors.

It is not too much to
say that in your hands

lies the possibility of
averting other tragedies like it.

We must work untiringly
so that our children

are obliged to learn the truth,

because it is only through knowledge

that we can safely protect them.

Failing this, the next tragedy

may be that of your daughter,

or your son,

or yours,

or yours,

or yours.