I've been interested in finding out something about the Baltimore-raised singer and bandleader, Cab Calloway, during Prohibition. Unfortunately, I haven't discovered anything along the lines of what I had in mind. Of course, the Jazz Age took place simultaneously with the Prohibition era so one would think it wouldn't be so hard. Well, I did find a song that he recorded called "The Prohibition Blues" and it is featured at the beginning of this Betty Boop cartoon, which is one of my favorites. I found a website that talks about the cartoon:
The cartoon begins with actual film footage of Cab Calloway dancing a slow and sensuous dance in front of his orchestra, the former Missourians, while they perform the Prohibition Blues. This is the oldest known film footage of Cab. His attire is uncharacteristically casual, and we never get a good look at his face. We suspect that Cab wasn't aware that the Fleischers were going to use the actual footage. Cab was well-known for his love of good clothes and his high standards for professional dress...
The haunting and beautiful instrumental, Prohibition Blues, is an old Missourians piece that was recorded by them in early 1930, right before Cab took over as leader of their band. This cartoon has the only recording of the piece with Cab Calloway. By early 1932, when this cartoon was produced, the group had been renamed "Cab Calloway and His Orchestra," but in this film, they are still wearing their old Missourians uniforms. We can see the drummer, Leroy Maxey, playing with his drumsticks in the background.
I highly recommend watching this cartoon! I think the animation is pretty fantastic (and kind of disturbing) in the cave scene towards the end. One part to note is the three skeletons standing at a bar at about 4:40. As they sing their Ho-De-Ho-De-Ho's, they drink bottles (presumably alcohol) from a bar and then collapse to the floor and then their ghosts rise up.
Unfortunately "The Prohibition Blues" has no lyrics, but it got me thinking... Cab Calloway did a song called "The Reefer Man" and I wondered if maybe I was searching in the wrong direction when it came to Cab and Prohibition. Regrettably, I lost the main article that I would use for my next argument, which is that the use of "dope" increased during Prohibition. But I did find some other articles that cover that topic. Now, it has to be clear what "dope" is exactly, especially in the 1920's, which is why I consulted The Internet Guide to Jazz Age Slang. According to the website, dope is drugs, especially cocaine or opium. Well, now that that's settled, on with my research.
In the article, "GROWTH OF THE DOPE HABIT ALARMS OFFICIALS," the Afro-American reported of some dope peddlers, two men and two women, getting arrested. The article stated, "According to officers, the illegal trade in narcotics is becoming more and more in evidence among colored people and the majority of the arrests being made are among this group."
Also from Afro-American, a piece called "The Evil of Narcotics" said
It used to be said that prohibition would drive all the old soaks to the use of opium, but statistics show that while there has been an increase in the number of habitues a large percentage of them are young boys and girls under twenty who could not have been long addicted to whiskey habit if at all.
Here we see that rather than using opiates as a last resort for not having booze, it started to become the first thing young people looked for. I think it is worth investigating- the rise of drug use in Baltimore city starting with Prohibition.
Megaera and Brenna Lorenz, "Betty Boop in Minnie the Moocher", http://www.heptune.com/minnbett.html
"GROWTH OF THE DOPE HABIT ALARMS OFFICIALS" Afro-American (1893-1988), September 21, 1923, ProQuest Historical Newspapers Baltimore Afro-American (1893-1988) pg. 7.
"The Evil of Narcotics"Afro-American (1893-1988), January 10, 1925, ProQuest Historical Newspapers Baltimore Afro-American (1893-1988) pg. 16.
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