Smoking in Monster Movies

[horrorhunter]

When we watch our old monster movies one theme is always present- smoking. Cigarettes, cigars, pipes...smoke, smoke, smoke. Most of us smoked at some point during our lives, and if we didn't actually smoke, we breathed second-hand smoke constantly. No wonder people seemed to age faster decades ago when smoking was more prevalent. They were slowly killing themselves breathing smoke all the time. The tobacco companies did an unfortunately effective job getting people hooked on their product. I still love my monster movies, but I recognize the smoking as being of its time and something to be avoided now.

I smoked in my 20s. My parents smoked, I was in the Army for 3 years and everybody smoked. My friends smoked, people at work smoked, people in restaurants smoked, even people in hospitals smoked. Doctors smoked, and our scientist heroes in monster movies smoked. They discovered a way to stop the monster and save the world while smoking like a chimney. Smoking killed my dad and grandfather and made my mom's health issues much worse. I quit smoking about 33 years ago so maybe I ducked the reaper when he offered me those last few cigarettes years ago.

Enjoy the old movies but identify the smoking as what it is. It isn't cool, just unhealthy.

[GeekDragon]

I totally agree.  Smoking is a disgusting habit.  I never smoked, but had family members who did and grew up around second hand smoke.  I lost both my grandmothers due to smoking and my brother has a nasty cough, even though he never smoked.   I still love the classics and understand, during this time, smoking was the thing to do.  That's the way it was back then.

[Rex fury]

I've been watching Alfred Hitchcock Presents lately. One episode, about a hired gunman trying to retire, had the character lighting a smoke in every scene!
RF

[horrorhunter]

I've been watching Alfred Hitchcock Presents lately. One episode, about a hired gunman trying to retire, had the character lighting a smoke in every scene!
RF

Yeah, in some old shows the chain smoking was rampant. It almost looks like a comedy routine.