When Hollywood Smoked - Celebrity Cigarette Ads

Times definitely have changed. Do you remember Yul Brynner's public service announcement against smoking that aired after he died from lung cancer? Here's a link:

http://www.headandneck.org/psa.htm

Good list!

interesting! i love the artwork....are these photographs of celebrities? or drawings of photographs? paintings?

I think most of these are photographs - old printing processes make them look more "painterly" I guess. I love the ad with Ronald Reagan - do you really think they gave all his friends cartons of ciggies for Christmas? Ha!

wow. what a list. I wonder how many of them died of cancer or related illnesses. They sure tried to make them glamourous.

Actually, I believe most of these are black and white photos (they didn't invent color print film, or at least commonly use it, until the late 40s. They would take a black and white photo and then "colorize" it with oil paint. Look at #10; only Dick Powell and the people and plants are in color; everything else is black and white. My mother had a set of paints for colorizing photos, and she was pretty good.

And everyone gave their friends cartons of cigarettes for Christmas; they cost $2.00, and everyone smoked!! I have the COPD to prove it.

Actually, I believe most of these are black and white photos (they didn't invent color print film, or at least commonly use it, until the late 40s. They would take a black and white photo and then "colorize" it with oil paint. Look at #10; only Dick Powell and the people and plants are in color; everything else is black and white. My mother had a set of paints for colorizing photos, and she was pretty good.

And everyone gave their friends cartons of cigarettes for Christmas; they cost $2.00, and everyone smoked!! I have the COPD to prove it.