SEX MADNESS (1938) Vivian McGill, Rose Tapley & Al Rigali | Exploitation | B&W

Sex Madness is a 1938 exploitation film directed by Dwain Esper, along the lines of Reefer Madness, supposedly to warn teenagers and young adults of the dangers of venereal diseases, specifically syphilis.

The film has fallen into the public domain.

SYNOPSIS
The film centers on Paul Lorenz, a "concerned citizen" alarmed at the spread of venereal diseases such as syphilis and gonorrhea. However, at a New York City burlesque show, several protagonists are more intent on engagement in sexual pleasure, regardless of the subsequent costs. They include Paul's own son Tom, burlesque dancer Sheila Wayne (who has syphilis), and two secretaries, lesbian Peggy and Betty, whom she is trying to seduce. However, one figure is not amongst them—Millicent Hamilton, a reformed former burlesque dancer. Millicent won a beauty contest in her hometown, which led her to New York, but she contracted syphilis after a "casting couch" sexual encounter. Millicent's physician, Dr. Hampton, tells her that her condition can be cured, but only after slow and painstaking treatment; she should reject quick "quack" pseudo-cures. She consents to this, eager to return to her hometown and marry her boyfriend Wendel, but will she heed the doctor's warnings? And what will the consequences be if she does not?

Wild parties, lesbianism, and premarital sex are portrayed or heavily implied in various scenes. The promotion of the film for "educational" purposes allowed it to portray taboo subjects that were otherwise forbidden by the Motion Picture Production Code of 1930, especially after those restrictions were strictly imposed on Hollywood productions after July 1934.

NOTES
This exploitation film belongs to the social guidance genre of quasi-documentary narratives, which exhort young adults to follow particular moral and social prescriptions related to sexuality and drug use.