Search - Narcotic on DVD

The biography of William Davies - physician, inventor, addic

Annie Van Auken | Planet Earth | 08/25/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"NARCOTIC was scripted by Hildegarde Stadie (she's an extra in the waiting room scene) from events in her own life. As a youngster, Stadie toured as part of a medicine show where her great uncle, Dr. William Davies sold a tonic called Tiger Fat. Uncle Bill was an addict himself, as we learn in this story of his sad life. Davies' promising medical career was ruined by addiction to heroin, pills and weed; his downward spiral ended only with suicide by pistol.



The elixir Davies created and sold on the street (to raise money for his ever-increasing habit) contained an opiate that turned those who ingested it into addicts, too. There's graphic scenes here of opium and cocaine preparation and use, including via injection. Stadie's husband, drector Dwain Esper employs some unusual camera angles, and edits in occasional bizarre stock footage (a car crash, snakes, etc.) to tell a sometimes pro- sometimes anti-drug story.





Freaks (1932) is probably the best known movie Dwain Esper was associated with.





Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 viewer poll rating found at a film resource website.



(2.9) Narcotic (1933) - Harry Cording/Joan Dix/Patricia Farley/Jean Lacy/J. Stuart Blackton Jr./Paul Panzer/Miami Alvarez"