Classic exploitation

Classic Exploitation films, the earliest form of exploitation films, are films that were pitched as sensationalist exposés of some drug or sex-related scandal in the 1930s and 1940s. Today, however, they are valued by aficionados for their nostalgic and ironic value. Perhaps the most famous example of these is the cautionary tale Reefer Madness.

A particularly important type of exploitation film of this era was the "sex hygiene" exploitation film, a remnant from the social or mental hygiene movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These films featured white-coated "doctors" describing the how-tos of sex education to the fascinated and naive audience. Often the film would be attended by another "doctor" in a white coat selling sex-hygiene booklets in the lobby after the film screening. This type of film was also known as a "road show," because it was shown from town to town and was promoted in advance like a circus or carnival.