sex madness

sex madness (1938)

Runtime: 57 min Do not compare with actual sex movies (uncensored)

This is a typical sex exploitation film from the 1930s - complete with wild parties, sex out of wedlock, lesbianism, etc. A chorus girl's exposure to the "casting couch" also exposes her to syphilis.

Exploitation filmmakers hoped to capitalize on the taboo subjects of venereal disease, sex before marriage, lesbianism, etc. while skirting the Motion Picture Production Code of 1930 which forbade a film from containing such content. Films like this would tour the United States for years - mostly being shown in rundown, skid row theaters. This film has been re-edited and re-titled ("Human Wreckage", "They Must Be Told", "Trial Marriage", "About Trial Marriage") many times to attract the same audience to film, to take advantage of a taboo subject which may have gotten press recently or to appease local censors who disapproved of the film's content.

Also, if you are interested in the rich, uniquely American history of exploitation films, there are two excellent books on the subject:

"Forbidden Fruit - The Golden Age of the Exploitation Film",

Author: Felicia Feaster and Bret Wood, Midnight Marquee Press, 1999.
Buy New: $25.00

Bold! Daring! Shocking! TrueA History of Exploitation Films, 1919 - 1959"
Author: Eric Schaefer, Duke University Press, 1999.
Buy New: $24.95

Reviewer: LaMarr Bruister -

- January 2, 2006
Subject: Sex Madness

A very bad exploitation film directed by Dwain Esper attempting to deal with the controversial issue of syphilis.

While just as poorly made as "Reefer Madness" (which was released two years prior under the title "Tell Your Children"), "Sex Madness" isn't nearly as funny as that film, nor is it as funny as two other famous Dwain Esper exploitation films: "Marihuana" and "Maniac."

There are some moments of unintentional hilarity, but mainly, "Sex Madness" is a very dull and slow-moving film.

Check it out if you must, but I would recommend seeing "Marihuana" and "Maniac" instead, if you haven't already (by the way, why aren't these titles on the Internet Archive?)

Reviewer: DisguisedAsASquirrel -

- December 18, 2005
Subject: I can't stand up.

My wife will know I'm looking at porn online.

Get this!

Reviewer: Christine Hennig -

- November 14, 2005
Subject: How You Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm After They've Had VD?

This is more of a soap opera than an exploitation film. Small-town girl Millie wins a beauty contest and gets to go to New York City, leaving her fiance Wendell behind at home. After the contest is over, she has stars in her eyes and tries to Make It Big. Unfortunately, she quickly lands on the street with no job, no money, and no prospects, so she falls for the pitch of a 'theatrical agent,' lands on the casting couch, and ends up with syphilis. Now she can't go home and marry Wendell, so she must drown her sorrows in her job as a chorus girl in a burlesque show. Fortunately, a kindly doctor puts her in the hospital and gives her effective treatments for the disease.

Eventually, she is well enough to go home, but under strict orders to continue the treatments with a doctor at home and not marry Wendell until she is completely cured. She follows doctor's orders, going to a neighboring town for the treatments and keeping her condition a secret from her family and Wendell. But when Wendell pressures her to get married, she falls for the pitch of a quack doctor who promises to cure her in 30 days. She marries Wendell, and they have a baby, but soon the baby gets desperately ill, and Wendell discovers he doesn't see too good anymore. What's a poor girl to do? There is plenty of tear-jerking and scenery-chewing in this film, as well as uniformly bad acting, bottom-of-the-barrel production values, lots of preaching about the evils of 'social diseases,' a silly 'ironic' subplot involving the son of the local anti-sex crusader coming down with syphilis (d'oh!!), and a couple of creepy moments where lesbianism and child molestation are hinted at in leering ways.

Mostly, though, this is a real weeper, lacking the energy of Reefer Madness or the goofiness of Assassin of Youth, but making up for it in preachiness.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.

There is also another film with the same title from 1938, rthat created the dates confusion:

Sex Madness (1938) DVD [Remastered Edition]

Sex Madness Buy New: $19.95

From the Studio
A Wisconsin-born actor-turned-director, William Nigh was a specialist in directing action thrillers and mysteries. The Mystery of Mr. Wong, among his best feature films as director, is about a power-hungry Chinaman who is seeking to control a Chinese province by collecting twelve gold coins. A2ZCDS have brought this old Hollywood Classic feature films on DVD.

THE PLOT: Wong (Bela Lugosi), a greedy, power-hungry Chinese is after gold coins that are linked to the promise of great power. His henchmen go on a killing spree to collect the coins for their boss. Wong needs just one more coin to complete his tally of twelve when Jason Barton (Wallace Ford), a reporter for the local newspaper, is asked to cover the murders in Chinatown. Barton is hardly prepared for the mysteries that unfold in the ensuing few hours as he snoops around Chinatown with his girlfriend Peg (Arline Judge)..

Product Description
"In the 30s, sexually transmitted diseases were rampant among people in America. One in every 10 persons was affected with syphilis. Yet there was little awareness about the ravages of the disease. Medical science too, was inadequately equipped to test and treat the disease. Under these circumstances, prevention seemed to be the best cure. This film was made with a mission to educate youth about the dangers of pre-marital sex and the crippling effects of the dreaded diseases they could contract from their sexual partners. The story of a young man and a girl who became victims of the disease and the drastic effect the disease had on the whole family is told in a moving manner."