Marihuana, Exploitation drug culture film poster, 1936

Even in its earlier years, the movie industry was based around spectacle. Exploitation posters, especially those depicting drug culture, were often designed with shocking imagery and attention-grabbing taglines: Horror! Shame! Despair! Weed with roots in hell! Weird orgies, wild parties, unleashed passions! Films advertising the treachery of drug use were shown in classrooms and movie houses, providing as much titillating entertainment as they did scenes meant to inspire abstinence. Original lithographic one-sheet poster for Marihuana, printed in 1936. Film posters created at this time were printed with lead inks, which yielded vibrant, saturated color and density, unachievable with the non-metal inks used today. Paper measures 27 3/4 x 41 1/4 inches. Very minor discoloration and very minor chipping along some edges. Extremely minor horizontal fold lines. Image very clean with dense, bold inks. Will display beautifully. This artwork arrives accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.