EPISODE 97 - “BEHIND THE GLAMOUR: DRUG USE IN OLD HOLLYWOOD” - 7/21/25

As the Roaring 1920s kicked in, America’s backlash against prohibition brought forth a boozy, fun-loving era where alcohol and the use of recreational drugs like cocaine and opium became a fashionable part of the hedonistic lifestyle. This was never more true than behind the hallowed gates of old Hollywood’s studios. In fact, drugs became a common tool of the studio systems to keep exhausted actors working and impossible production schedules on track. After the deaths of prominent film stars WALLACE REID and ALMA RUBENS, Hollywood had a chance to change things, but they didn’t. This week, we explore the rampant drug use that permeated the film industry during Hollywood’s infancy.

SHOW NOTES:

Sources:

Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood (2015) by William J. Mann;

Wallace Reid: The Life and Death of a Hollywood Idol (2013), by E.J. Fleming;

“The Most Tragic Details Of Old Hollywood Stars' Lives,” June 30, 2025, by Acacia Deadlock, TheList.com;

“Hollywood’s Dark Secret: Drug Abuse in the Golden Age,” February 17, 2025, hollywoodlandnews.com;

“Golden Age Hollywood Had a Dirty Little Secret: Drugs,” May 27, 2025, by Erin Blakemore, History.com;

“The Buyers -- A Social History of America’s Most Popular Drugs,” PBS.org;

Wikipedia.com;

TCM.com;

IBDB.com;

IMDBPro.com;

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