- Saturday, 28 November 2009
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Never let it be said that facts will get in the way of a fun story - Mike Magee
Hollywood stars paid to smoke
BEING PAID for smoking isn’t something you’d ever expect, but documents released in the wake of anti-smoking laws show stars from film's ‘Golden Age’ were paid over $3m to chuff away back in the day.
Research from the Tobacco Control journal shows film classics from the 1930s, '40s and '50s still help to promote smoking even now.
According to researchers from the University of California in San Francisco, nearly all of the biggest movie names from this time period were involved in paid cigarette promotion.
The documents include endorsement contracts signed at the time by the likes of Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy, Joan Crawford, John Wayne, Bette Davis and Betty Grable, as well as the amounts they were paid.
Lucky Strike was the biggest brand linked to Hollywood stars. Al Jolson had the words, "The good old flavor of Luckies is as sweet and soothing as the best 'Mammy' song ever written," put into his blacked-up mouth by a Madison Avenue copywriter.
Carole Lombard, Barbara Stanwyck, Myrna Loy, Clark Gable, Gary Cooper and Robert Taylor were handed the equivalent of $150,000 to endorse the Lucky Strike brand.
The researchers said that the effects of the millions poured into Hollywood by Big Tobacco could still be felt to this day, even with the widespread ban on smoking, as the imagery in films can easily influence youngsters into thinking sparking one up is cool.
The UK anti-smoking group ASH said that there was an argument for clearer warnings before films – we can see it now “This film is rated 18 as it contains strong language, nudity and smoking”. µ
|
Actor |
US$ paid (2008 equivalent) |
|
Gary Cooper |
10,000 (146,583) |
|
Joan Crawford |
10,000 (146,583) |
|
Henry Fonda |
3,000 (43,975) |
|
Clark Gable |
10,000 (146,583) |
|
Bob Hope |
2,500 (36,646) |
|
Gertrude Lawrence |
1,750 (25,652) |
|
Carole Lombard |
10,000 (146,583) |
|
Myrna Loy |
10,000 (146,583) |
|
Fred MacMurray |
6,000 (87,950) |
|
Ray Milland |
2,000 (29,317) |
|
George Raft |
3,000 (43,975) |
|
Edward Robinson |
3,000 (43,975) |
|
Barbara Stanwyck |
10,000 (146,583) |
|
Gloria Swanson |
1,500 (21,988) |
|
Robert Taylor |
10,000 (146,583) |
|
Spencer Tracy |
10,000 (146,583) |
L'Inq
Tobacco Control
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As long as mum and dad are doing their job, while junior is watching Bette Davis and Clark Gable light up (because we all know how popular those old movies are with the 15-and-younger crowd), the parent can speak up and say "See that. Might look cool, but remember that those people are DEAD!".
The author of this article is a damn moron! These people were NOT paid to smoke. They already smoked, and chose to be paid to endorse a particular brand. That's like saying Tiger Woods is being paid to drive, simply because he accepted an endorsement from Buick. Or Michael Jordan is paid to walk because he had an endorsement with Nike. This is journalism? Biased, closed minded articles? 

And No, I am not a smoker. Can't really stand the smell of tobacco.
and I’m for sale. Do you have a product or a business that needs promotion? Do you sell something worthless? Something no one would buy because it’s poorly built and doesn’t work properly, likely to come apart at high speeds, perhaps with toxic side effects? Well, I’m here to help you. I’ll take your product and I’ll sell it to them, because they trust me. That’s right. They trust me because... I’m a famous person.
The studios that owned these actors' contracts got tons of free advertising for their stars and their films, paid for by the tobacco companies. Oh, but they say the only thing motivating the smoking in today's films from the same studios is pure, innocent art. Do you believe it?
It's pretty obvious that you're not a smoker, actually :P
well if i was being paid 150,000 dollars to walk, i wouldn't give up walking ...
Did you lot know that the classic 50s film 'War of the Worlds' was the first film not to endorse smoking?

The main lead Scientist Dr. Clayton Forrester aka - Gene Barry actually turned down a ciggy! Shock Horror.

Seemingly the Cigarette and Lighter manufacturers which had advertising during the film were most annoyed and the film almost never got distributed.