The Terrible Truth (1951)

★★★★★ · A Sid Davis classic · SteveGus · 2004-03-07

What makes Sid Davis films so refreshing compared to their competition was their ever-present pessimism. None of the troubled youths they feature ever come to a good end. The junkie Svengali in a jacket and tie adds a nice William S. Burroughs note to the film, even if the scenes depicting the horrors of heroin withdrawal seem less than convincing.

★★★★★ · The Judge is still correct · EWKEANE · 2003-04-22

At the end of the film he says "Use Good Sense" This is true. For the pot user, it says "smoke the best pot". It also says (to the dope feind) "dont use this stuff irresponsibly" and "Use pot when you feel sad,in a social setting for maximum effect". Also, to the pot user, it says "if you use pot, you must know that there is a difference between 'how you feel' and 'how you actually are'". This is because we live in a world of perception, as opposed to a world of matter, and mass. Of Motion, and speed. We can tell the difference between terrible fantacy, and honest truth. This is because we…

★★★★★ · Youthfulness leads to JAIL · coffeebot · 2004-06-13

If you are afraid of everything and have no backbone you're gonna become an addict. But not to worry: drugs are the 20th century make-over. Phyllis doesn't want to talk about being an 'H' junkie but does a good job spilling the whole story. 'Hype' Husband Joe tells her, "you should use heroin 'cuz it'll make ME feel better." Fortunately for spineless, hooked Phyllis, the humanitarian police stuff her in a jail cell to rehabilitate for "FIVE DAYS... five days..." I see 'pot' (that's JIVE TALK for reefer) everywhere I go but I've never even seen a heroin needle: I must not be living in America.…

★★★★★ · Thank You Mr Mckesson! · Spuzz · 2005-02-03

A wild romp through what makes a dope fiend, made surprising this time as the victim is a woman. This is a pretty standard story, you can tell the woman is going to hell in a handbasket because of the unkemptness of her hair. Having said that, this film is an absolute technical mess. When Mr. Mckesson comes on and starts narrating, I thought my audio was out of whack, then I thought the film download's audio was out of whack. I am quite certain now it's the film ITSELF doing it. Like it's the most laughable dubbing job EVER. I like how Mckesson barely moves his lips up and down! Newspapers…

★★★★ · It's not that funny · OneTime99 · 2006-11-09

As campy as this film is, it is mostly accurate. Sure alcohol is the biggest gateway drug, so all you have to do is replace pot with alcohol in this film. The truths are timeless. Everybody starts with some substance in the company of a bunch of friends and it's fun. They think they can control it and take it or leave it. Then if they've got the desease it becomes a bigger and bigger part of their lives until it becomes a part of them and they search for bigger and better highs. For many it ends up just like this film shows. Strung out, dreams lost, lives and relationships ruined. I've seen…

★★★★ · The Terrible Truth · Christine Hennig · 2002-12-20

This 50s anti-drug film was made by the same company as Name Unknown, and has much the same feel. The same stern judge appears and introduces us to Phyllis, a recovering teenage heroin addict. Her story is essentially the same story of experimentation leading to addiction leading to crime leading to hitting bottom leading to kicking the habit leading to warning others that is seen in practically every film of this type. As you would expect of an early 50s film, misinformation is rampant (a pot high is described as "everything speeds up to 100 miles per hour," every kid who experiments with…