Produced in 1968 by the Cinema Verite Co., in cooperation with NBC News, “From Runaway to Hippie” presents a critical view of the “drop-out” society. The film includes a report on drug abuse among American youth. These juvenile delinquents and their attraction to anti-establishment communities — such as San Francisco’s hippies — are shown as an example and a warning. The film intended to present itself as a cautionary tale, demonstrating to young people the dangers of taking drugs. The film was researched and photographed by Johann Rush, written and narrated by Jack Perkins, with title music by The Truth. (The song used by the Truth was covered by Kenny & the Kasuals on the album Shades of Night, titled “Chimes on 42nd Street.”)
The film begins showing signage for Haight and Ashbury street (0:09). The following film was first shown on the NBC News Huntley/Brinkley Report as a three part special news feature (1:03). Reporter Jack Perkins appears on screen, describing what people call “hippies” (1:20). Perkins describes that the Hippie movement is mainly about: drugs, it can start with glue, and can happen quite young (1:48). A girl, Debbie is shown sniffing glue inside a brown paper bag (1:55). Debbie’s mother is shown (2:32). Debbie is shown donning a pair of old pilot goggles (2:58). A communal apartment occupied by boys for glue sniffing is shown (3:29). Perkins describes the negative effects of sniffing glue (3:53). Two of the teenagers are shown debating about what God is (4:58). One of the teens is shown crashing from glue (5:56). Perkins appears back on screen (7:23). Sniffing glue in the apartment in Dallas, Texas was the beginning for Donnie, Chuck, and Voyage, a man offered them LSD and got them addicted to it (7:50). People are shown gathered on Hippie Hill in San Francisco (8:04). Perkins states the best known brand of LSD is called Owsley, after Augustus Owsley Stanley, nicknamed the Acid King (8:38). Perkins states that San Francisco is the world’s acid market (9:02). Donnie and Chuck are shown sharing a cigarette (9:41). An old Mercedes Benz car is shown on the street (10:36). The store E.H. Vamos is shown on the screen (11:02). A wedding between two hippies is shown in a park (11:17). The preacher is a man called “Teddy Bear,” he is also a dope dealer (11:22). Perkins appears on screen again, he reads a statement on hippies by Nicholas Von Hofmann, a White House reporter (12:48). Perkins describes that hippies sometimes need to get away, to study, meditate or take dope (14:08). A commune in a cabin in the countryside, the Ben Lomond Hippie Commune, is shown (14:17). A visiting rock band (the name is never given) is shown (15:37). Drop City in Chicago is shown on screen (16:20). Perkins appears back on screen and states that “some hippies believe that the greatest allies they have in spreading dope throughout this country, is the mass media of this country” (17:22). The radio plays drug music everyday, Day Tripper by the Beatles and Little Green by Joni Mitchell (17:28). Teenagers say that the messages that people give on the media is that drugs are fun (18:08). The film ends (18:32).
Jack Perkins was an American reporter, commentator, war correspondent, and anchorman. He was dubbed “America’s most literate correspondent” by the Associated Press. One of the works he is known for is Sapporo 1972: XI Olympic Winter Games, he also voiced himself as a reporter in a Family Guy titled “Da Boom” in 1999.
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