Author Topic: Game shows and smoking (Read 13997 times)

johnnya2k3 · « **on:** August 12, 2005, 07:36:17 PM »

Peter Jennings' death from lung cancer early this week sparked a new interest in awareness to the Hollywood/smoking connection. We know cigarette ads on TV have been banned since 1971, but back in the '50s and '60s there was a LOT of smoking on television...especially during game shows!

I've Got A Secret was proudly sponsored was Winston cigarettes, while Salem and Camel footed the bill on some nighttime Password episodes in the '60s. I believe Winston also sponsored the Bill Cullen TPIR. Of course, Winston, Salem, and Camel all fall under the R.J. Reynolds banner, and while in Winston-Salem a few weeks ago I didn't see their two plants, but the buildings where they make Hanes underwear as well as Krispy Kreme headquarters.

As for game show hosts, the only time Jack Barry puffed away on Joker's Wild was when the camera wasn't on him. He must've had an ashtray under his podium. But it was Bill Cullen that succumed to lung cancer in the summer of 1990.

I'm sure there have been other relations with smoking and game shows like the ones I mentioned.

Jonathan Allen

Chief-O · « **Reply #1 on:** August 12, 2005, 09:22:04 PM »

Two for the Money = sponsored by Old Gold

zachhoran · « **Reply #2 on:** August 12, 2005, 09:29:39 PM »

[quote name=\'johnnya2k3\' date=\'Aug 12 2005, 06:36 PM\']Peter Jennings' death from lung cancer early this week sparked a new interest in awareness to the Hollywood/smoking connection. We know cigarette ads on TV have been banned since 1971, but back in the '50s and '60s there was a LOT of smoking on television...especially during game shows!
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I'm sure there have been other relations with smoking and game shows like the ones I mentioned.

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Smoking was still seen on MG7x/PM/Syndie and the original Squares through their demises in the early 80s. The only smoking on game shows I can recall since then was on MTV: Colin Quinn on Remote Control c. 1987-89 and that angel character puffing on a cigar on Singled Out during the mid 90s cigar craze.

gwarman2005 · « **Reply #3 on:** August 12, 2005, 10:15:04 PM »

Was it on I've Got A Secret where the contestents would get the money they earned plus a carton of Winstons? I remember seeing that and being blown away. Also it was funny watching Jackpot Bowling and seeing Uncle Miltie giving a box of Phillies away and telling the bowlers, "Happy Smoking"

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #4 on:** August 12, 2005, 11:26:36 PM »

[quote name=\'gwarman2005\' date=\'Aug 12 2005, 07:15 PM\']Was it on I've Got A Secret where the contestents would get the money they earned plus a carton of Winstons?[/quote]
Yep. Except the episode I have on tape has Salem, not Winston.

FOXSportsFan · « **Reply #5 on:** August 13, 2005, 10:51:53 AM »

Sorta shell shocks ya these days, but again even in the '60s the information wasn't as prevalent. It was, dare I say, hip to smoke on TV. It's a generational thing, I suppose.

And, yeah Bill died of lung cancer in 1990, but Jack's years of smoking aided in his passing if you think about it as well.

chris319 · « **Reply #6 on:** August 13, 2005, 05:58:42 PM »

My father died of metastatic lung cancer in 1989 at age 59. He was a heavy smoker. He died a slow and very, very painful death. The cancer consumed him like so many piranha fish. No one deserves to die that way.

To anyone reading this who smokes: quit now. Do whatever it takes. Use whatever modern-day gimmick at your dipsosal to do so, be it patches, gum, hypnosis, black magic, whatever, but quit and quit now.

MyCapableAssistant · « **Reply #7 on:** August 13, 2005, 07:18:41 PM »

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Aug 13 2005, 02:58 PM\']My father died of metastatic lung cancer in 1989 at age 59. He was a heavy smoker. He died a slow and very, very painful death. The cancer consumed him like so many piranha fish. No one deserves to die that way.

To anyone reading this who smokes: quit now. Do whatever it takes. Use whatever modern-day gimmick at your dipsosal to do so, be it patches, gum, hypnosis, black magic, whatever, but quit and quit now.

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Gee, Chris, that sounds horrible. I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope whoever's reading your post and IS a smoker heeds your sage advice and does so NOW. I think there are too many smokers anymore!

Back to the subject at hand, most likely because I'm NOT a smoker, I have always found it disgusting to see these game shows where the panelists and sometimes host and moderator light up. I understand now that it was the "sociably acceptable" thing to do back then, but I just cannot tolerate it.

A game show which comes to mind which WASN'T sponsored by a cig company is "What's My Line?." In the early days of the run, I have seen (and sat thru), watching Daly and Francis smoking a cig. And I will say that seeing Daly and KNOWING Arlene was smoking probably has contributed to a lack of enjoyment in my watching the show. I can't put a finger on WHY, but shortly after those early eps, I've stopped watching the show. I know, silly reason, but ... oh well.

My question has always been, if folks smoke in their personal life, why can they not go THIRTY minutes out of ONE WEEK without finding the need to do so? I know Dorothy and Bennett both have found the discipline to NOT smoke on TV, so why couldn't Daly and Arlene do so as well??

I used to always love to watch Peter Lawford when he appeared on Password. I thought he was a very good player. I thought Sammy Davis, Jr. was too, and he and Lawford when teamed together were a brilliant pair. But for some reason, whenever the two were together, they usually began smoking. And I *hated* that. I don't believe Lawford would sit there and smoke if he was appearing on the show himself. At least I have never seen that on any of the clips I have -

(I'm referring to the B&W episode here ^^^)

clemon79 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 13, 2005, 07:45:03 PM »

[quote name=\'MyCapableAssistant\' date=\'Aug 13 2005, 04:18 PM\']I don't believe Lawford would sit there and smoke if he was appearing on the show himself. At least I have never seen that on any of the clips I have -
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Wasn't he puffin' away on that awful Monday Night Quarterback pilot?

(Mind you, after watching that dog, I wished I'D smoked something to make it more tolerable.

MikeK · « **Reply #9 on:** August 13, 2005, 07:55:31 PM »

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Aug 13 2005, 05:58 PM\']My father died of metastatic lung cancer in 1989 at age 59. He was a heavy smoker. He died a slow and very, very painful death. The cancer consumed him like so many piranha fish. No one deserves to die that way.

To anyone reading this who smokes: quit now. Do whatever it takes. Use whatever modern-day gimmick at your dipsosal to do so, be it patches, gum, hypnosis, black magic, whatever, but quit and quit now.[/quote]What Chris said. My grandfather died of the same cancer in 1989 as well, at 67. He smoked for 57 years. My grandfather went through a type of hell during his last 6 weeks of life, punishment I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

PYLdude · « **Reply #10 on:** August 13, 2005, 08:09:06 PM »

[quote name=\'hmtriplecrown\' date=\'Aug 13 2005, 07:55 PM\'][quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Aug 13 2005, 05:58 PM\']My father died of metastatic lung cancer in 1989 at age 59. He was a heavy smoker. He died a slow and very, very painful death. The cancer consumed him like so many piranha fish. No one deserves to die that way.

To anyone reading this who smokes: quit now. Do whatever it takes. Use whatever modern-day gimmick at your dipsosal to do so, be it patches, gum, hypnosis, black magic, whatever, but quit and quit now.[/quote]What Chris said. My grandfather died of the same cancer in 1989 as well, at 67. He smoked for 57 years. My grandfather went through a type of hell during his last 6 weeks of life, punishment I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

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Reading those two comments on smoking really makes me glad I quit when I did- I got two brothers who are smoking, and I've been trying to convince my parents to quit (as well as them, of course). It's to no avail, naturally.

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #11 on:** August 13, 2005, 08:19:25 PM »

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Aug 13 2005, 05:58 PM\']To anyone reading this who smokes: quit now. Do whatever it takes. Use whatever modern-day gimmick at your dipsosal to do so, be it patches, gum, hypnosis, black magic, whatever, but quit and quit now.[/quote]
Keith Olbermann is setting aside a bit of Countdown each night in the foreseeable future for a segment on ways to quit smoking. He's personalized it a bit with talk of his own recent cancer scare. Oddly, he seems to have ticked off his boss in the process.

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/335982p-286995c.html

chris319 · « **Reply #12 on:** August 13, 2005, 09:14:46 PM »

Funny how in the TV industry, the mentally ill gravitate toward management. IMO.

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My grandfather went through a type of hell during his last 6 weeks of life, punishment I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

Hell is nicer -- they serve ice water there.

What you describe devastates the cancer patient's family and friends because all they can do is wait around feeling totally, abjectly helpless.

The Pyramids · « **Reply #13 on:** August 13, 2005, 09:38:28 PM »

Years of smoking seemed to have taken a toll on Richard Dawson's voice & delivery in the Nineties shows. Unrelated, but I believe that Dorothy Jo Barker died of lung cancer but I could be mistaken.

Steve Gavazzi · « **Reply #14 on:** August 13, 2005, 10:35:06 PM »

Wow...I don't think I've ever heard Clementson be so totally serious about something. (Not that I'm saying he shouldn't be, mind you.)

One of my grandfathers died of lung cancer, too. I'm glad to say I don't remember it well, as I was 6 at the time, but I understand that for the last several days of his life, he wasn't even able to talk.