Cocaine Fiends (1936)

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Often compared to Reefer Madness, this low-budget exploitation melodrama features Lois January as Jane Bradford, a small-town coffee-shop waitress falling in love with smooth-talking city hoodlum Nick Brogan (Noel Madison), who gets her hooked on cocaine. While Jane goes from pretty ingénue to a… More Often compared to Reefer Madness, this low-budget exploitation melodrama features Lois January as Jane Bradford, a small-town coffee-shop waitress falling in love with smooth-talking city hoodlum Nick Brogan (Noel Madison), who gets her hooked on cocaine. While Jane goes from pretty ingénue to a hardened nightclub habitue known as Lil, her brother Eddie (Dean Benton), a waiter in a drive-in restaurant, is persuaded by co-worker Fanny (Sheila Manners) to enjoy a night on the town. They both become addicts and Fanny is reduced to walking the streets for money. Pregnant and rejected by the hopped-up Eddie, she finally kills herself. Nick, meanwhile, attempts to seduce Dorothy Farley (Lois Lindsay), a bleach-blonde debutante, but the girl is saved in the nick of time by Jane/Lil, who shoots and kills their tormentor. The police arrive to arrest not only Jane but also the mysterious Mr. Big, who turns out to be Dorothy's father (Frank Shannon). Cocaine Fiends also features well-known character actress Fay Holden ("Hasn't he told you yet? Those headache powders are dope!"), who hides behind her original stage moniker of Gaby Fay, and a full-length floor show that includes gawky singer Nona Lee performing "All I Want Is You." The film was a remake of Willis Kent's silent The Pace That Kills (1928), footage from which is used throughout. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi