Roadshow Rarities (June 30 – July 6) In the old days of theatrical releases some of the more lavish movies would be promoted by holding limited screenings in large cities. These roadshow releases would generate hype before the nationwide release and allow producers to tweak the film to the audience’s reaction. This model also worked for low budget productions that may have had no intention of a wide release. These explo roadshows traveled an informal circuit of theaters, churches, revival tents, high school auditoriums and anywhere else they could run a projector. They frequently promised more than they delivered and left town before the angry audience could catch up to them. Through the restoration efforts of SWV many of these movies have survived to piss audiences off to this very day!

According to the Hash, Marihuana & Hemp Museum of Amsterdam and Barcelona, “On September 1, 1948, LA police entered the luxurious home of actress Lila Leeds, investigating an alleged “marijuana party.” Along with her roommate Vicki Evans, actor Robert Mitchum and his friend Robin Ford, the young actress was arrested for marijuana possession. At the time, this was a felony in California. They were released from jail after posting bail of $ 1,000 each, but Lila Leeds’s life had changed forever. After her release, the only acting job she could get in Hollywood was the role of a ‘stoner girl’ in the movie She Shoulda Said No!”

Also known as The Devil’s Weed and Wild Weed, it’s based on her life. It was originally distributed by Eureka Productions who lost money and sold it to Kroger Babb. He originally tried the title The Story of Lila Leeds and Her Exposé of the Marijuana Racket, but that didn’t do well. Babb never gave up and re-released it as She Should Said No. With the tagline, “How Bad Can a Good Girl Get… without losing her virtue or respect???” and telling local governments that this movie was made under the orders of the United States Treasury Department.

The final reel even thanks the government for their help — they gave none — saying that the producers “publicly acknowledge the splendid cooperation of the Nation’s narcotic experts and Government departments, who aided in various ways the success of this production…. If its presentation saves but one young girl or boy from becoming a dope fiend – then its story has been well told.”

Babb also booked Leeds to show up with the film, which I can only assume made the midnight showings a bigger deal.

She plays Anne Lester, who is trying to raise money to put her brother Bob (David Holt) through school. This means that when she meets the drug dealer Markey (Alan Baxter) she easily falls for marijuana and promiscuity. When her brother discovers what his sister is doing, he hangs himself and she goes to jail. Drugs are bad!

Jack Elam is in this, as is Leo Gorcey’s brother David. There’s also Lyle Talbot, who never turned down a role and was one of the first actors to play Superman’s arch enemy Lex Luthor.

You can watch this on Tubi.