MovieChat Forums > Bordertown (1935) Discussion > Marijuana Reference

Marijuana Reference

posted 18 years ago by Harold_Robbins
3 replies | jump to latest

Although BORDERTOWN was passed by the folks at the Production Code (Certificate #299, according to the film's opening credits), they left in a reference to marijuana early in the film, when "La Cucaracha" is sung with its line "Por que no tiene, por que la falta, marijuana que fumar..." Perhaps they felt that since it was used in an apparently innoccuous song it wasn't worth bothering over, or perhaps they thought that mainstream America's movie-going public wasn't sophisticated enough to pick up the reference in a song sung in Spanish, or even to recognize the word.

Those of you who think you know everything should politely defer to those of us who actually do!

[–] Local Hero 15 years ago

perhaps they thought that mainstream America's movie-going public wasn't sophisticated enough to pick up the reference in a song sung in Spanish, or even to recognize the word.

That would be my guess.

[–] DwightFry 10 years ago

Probably the script only specified "They sing La Cucaracha" and the censors just didn't know the lyrics.

This is not my signature. This is IMDb's automatic translation of my signature.

[–] Popcorngal (4347) 2 years ago

Is the weed referenced in the traditional lyrics? I have not heard the song in a long time. I took Spanish in HS, and never knew the song was about a nasty cockroach. Although I am familiar with the slang term "roach" for the drug. I have heard about the movie for years, I hope to see it.