Rushton Journal of Undergraduate Humanities Research
Abstract
During the 1930s, New York City stood at the center of media innovation and cultural influence. It was also the center of the continuing opioid epidemic and a pivotal site for the reception and promotion of addiction films. This article argues that Depression-era films, The Struggle (1931), Narcotic (1933), and Assassin of Youth (1938), reflected economic, political, and moral anxieties surrounding drug abuse. Using National Board of Review records, studio pressbooks, and contemporary periodicals, this study examines how cinematic portrayals of addiction influenced ideologies, criminalized users, and deepened social stigma.
Recommended Citation
White, Simone
(2025)
"Under the Influence: New York’s Crisis of Addiction, Exploitation, and Drug Policy within Depression-Era Films,"
Rushton Journal of Undergraduate Humanities Research: Vol. 3, Article 1.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/rushton/vol3/iss1/1
