Over the past few months, I have been watching many old black-and-white films. The style and manners depicted in old films from the 1940s often reflect the cultural norms and values of that era. Here are some of the common characteristics that delight me:
Elegance & Sophistication: Many films from the 1940s portray an air of elegance and sophistication, especially in how characters dress and carry themselves. Men often wore tailored suits, while women modelled glamorous dresses, reflecting the fashion trends of the time. This is one of the primary reasons I love old films so much.
Polished Conversation. Dialogue in these films tends to be well-crafted and often delivered with a certain formality. Witty banter and clever wordplay are common, adding to the graceful charm and sophistication of the characters.
Romance and Intrigue. Romance plays a major role in many films from this era, often accompanied by elements of mystery and intrigue. Love interests are portrayed with a sense of longing and passion, and romantic gestures are often grand and dramatic, sometimes too dramatic.
Male & Female Roles. Gender roles in 1940s films tend to be traditional, with men portrayed as strong, confident, and often stoic, while women are depicted as elegant, nurturing, and often reliant on their male counterparts. However, there are exceptions when female characters exhibit independence and resourcefulness as shown by Eve in the film, All About Eve, which is one of my favourite films that I have watched many times.
Moral Clarity. Try not to be surprised that many of the old films have a strong sense of moral clarity, with clear distinctions between good and evil. Heroes are often portrayed as being virtuous and heroic, while bad people or villains are cunning and deceitful. Themes of redemption and justice are a major part of the old films.
Great Music. The musical scores in black-and-white films from the 1940s often add to the atmosphere and emotion of the scenes. From sweeping orchestral arrangements to jazzy tunes that often make me jump up to dance, music plays a crucial role in setting the tone for telling the story.
Beautiful Visuals: Despite being in black and white, these films often feature striking visual compositions, with attention to lighting, shadow, and camera angles. Film noir, a popular genre of the time, is known for its distinctive visual style characterised by high-contrast lighting and atmospheric settings.
Do you have a favourite black-and-white film from many years ago? Here are several of my favs, and to my surprise, many I have never seen or heard of before until the past few months.
All About Eve - 1950
Casablanca - 1940
Citizen Kane - 1941
Double Indemnity - 1944
Rope - 1948
Maltese Falcon - 1941
Rebecca - 1940
Laura - 1944
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington - 1939
Psycho - 1960
Think Fast Mr. Moto - 1937
Auntie Mame - 1958
Now Voyager - 1942
Sudden Fear - 1952
One evening, it felt like someone turned the lights on in my brain. It suddenly dawned on me how all the actors were smoking non-stop and lighting the next cigarette with the previous one smoked. I have never understood the amount of smoking in films and is it really necessary for the storyline? Many years ago, in the mid 1990s I worked for an innovative project ahead of its time called, Tobacco Free Bay Area Regional Project (TFBA) and it changed my life and taught me many marketing techniques to use when dealing with the Tobacco Industry and other organisations that use their money to manipulate communities all over the world. The project was responsible for creating awareness in 9 San Francisco Bay Area Counties that included Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma, and San Francisco.
This was a time when smoking was accepted in restaurants, bars, hospitals, airports, offices, grocery stores, night clubs, airplanes, hair salons, nail shops, and in almost every business. When I met with key players in the tobacco industry it became clear that we were at war with a multi-million-dollar business with a goal of recruiting young people to become smokers since many of the older, lifetime smokers were dying from cancer and other diseases associated with tobacco use. It was also a time when it was discovered that second hand smoke was equally as bad for non-smokers and small children. My team members taught me how to lace up the boxing gloves for a real fight to educate the public and create public awareness campaigns that involved our priority audiences.
In old films (1930s - 1960s) smoking was incredibly common along with elegant looking cocktails, with characters frequently lighting up cigarettes or cigars. It was portrayed as a normal and even glamorous activity, with leading actors and actresses frequently seen smoking on screen. Smoking was often used as a symbolic element to convey a character's personality traits, such as sophistication, rebelliousness, or stress. Characters who smoked were often perceived as confident, suave, or troubled, depending on the story.
The tobacco industry has been very clever in negotiating with Hollywood to always demonstrate the elegance and love of alcohol and tobacco in films. As a young boy I thought smoking and drinking would make me the coolest person. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me. I hated the taste of tobacco after one puff of smoke and detested alcohol until I was about 24 years old. They were exceptional in product placement in films with characters seen smoking certain brands, such as, Lucky Strike, Camel, Marlboro, Chesterfield, Pall Mall, Benson & Hedges, and many others. This contributed to the normalisation and glamorisation of smoking in popular culture. During this period, smoking was more socially acceptable and fewer regulations regarding tobacco use in public spaces.
In the late 20th century to the present, the awareness of the health risks associated with smoking increased, attitudes towards tobacco use shifted, both in society and in the Hollywood film industry. Smoking began to be depicted more cautiously with filmmakers sometimes choosing to omit or minimise smoking scenes altogether. In many countries, including the United States, regulations were introduced requiring films that depict smoking to include health warnings. The sole purpose was to educate viewers about the dangers of smoking and discourage tobacco use, especially among younger audiences.
Nevertheless, when smoking is portrayed in newer films, it's often used to highlight specific character traits. For example, films set in the mid-20th century may accurately portray characters smoking to reflect the social norms of that era. Unlike in the old films where smoking was often portrayed as glamorous or sophisticated, newer films are more likely to show the negative consequences of smoking, such as addiction, health issues, or social.
There are several reasons why smoking has been prevalent in movies throughout history:
Smoking has been a common social behaviour for centuries, and its portrayal in movies reflects its prevalence in real life, especially when smoking was more socially acceptable and even considered glamorous.
Tobacco companies have historically engaged in extensive marketing and product placement in films as a way to promote brands and increase consumption and sales. As a result, characters in films, especially older ones, being portrayed as smokers, often as a form of subtle advertising. Often smokers may be perceived as rebellious, sophisticated, stressed, or mysterious, depending on the context of the story.
Filmmakers often defend the inclusion of smoking in movies as artistic freedom and creative expression. They argue that restricting or censoring smoking in films would be a form of censorship that could limit their ability to tell stories authentically while promoting tobacco companies and their brands.
In recent years, there has been growing awareness of the health risks associated with smoking, as well as increased scrutiny of tobacco industry marketing practices. Today, regulations and guidelines in many countries require movies that feature smoking to include health warnings or disclaimers. The relationship between smoking scenes in films and the action of young people regarding smoking and/or vaping is a topic of ongoing debate and research.
Individuals learn behaviours by observing and imitating others, including those shown in media such as movies and television series, especially if they are shown in a positive or glamorous light. The goal is to get young viewers to perceive smoking as desirable.
As youth vaping persists at alarming levels – over 2.5 million middle and high school students used e-cigarettes in 2022, according to the National Youth Tobacco Survey, research shows onscreen tobacco imagery is directly contributing to the crisis.
As a young boy, I would always get into trouble for asking too many questions of my parents, siblings, and my teachers. Over the past few weeks I started chatting with young and older people about their habit of smoking cigarettes or vaping. When asked why they started smoking or vaping, young people all said that it's fun and makes them look really cool. When I asked older people, men and women, their response was slightly different. Some said they started smoking because their parents or grandparents always smoked, but most people, regardless of their age commented how much they hated the taste and the smell of tobacco. Growing up, my older aunts and uncles used tobacco and would often blow smoke into the face of children to get them to fall asleep or to relax. At that time, most people were unaware of second-hand smoke and the damages that could occur.
Several evidence-based strategies can help prevent and reduce tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke. These include smoke-free policies, price increases, and health education campaigns that target large audiences. Young people are still smoking. Every day in the U.S., about 2,000 teenagers smoke their first cigarette, and over 300 of them become daily cigarette smokers or start vaping. Here are 4 facts to know:
Children & young people are still smoking. Every day in the U.S., about 2,000 teenagers smoke their first cigarette, and over 300 of them become daily cigarette smokers or vapers.
Smoking is dangerous. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, 5.6 million Americans younger than 18 today will die early from smoking-related diseases.
Most smokers start young. If young people don’t start using tobacco by age 26, they almost certainly will never start.
It’s not just cigarettes. Kids today are exposed to cigars, cigarillos, e-cigarettes (vaping and juuling), hookah (water pipe) and smokeless tobacco (snuff, chew and dissolvable tobacco). Several of these forms of tobacco are “flavoured,” increasing their appeal to young people and communities of colour.
Often telling our children or young people not to do something can be a challenge to try whatever parents may be against. Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them. Accelerated progress is needed to protect young audiences. The entertainment industry should not be complicit with the tobacco industry in normalising and glamorising the use of tobacco, ultimately helping addict a new generation of young people to nicotine. Images have impact. It's time to change the picture.
What can be done to decrease tobacco use? We can raise cigarette prices. Most teens are sensitive to pricing. Higher prices can deter would be smokers. Restricting access worked in the early days. After working with teens for many years, they have developed ways to work around the restrictions by getting an older friend or relative to make the purchase for them. During my tenure with Tobacco Free Bay Area Regional Project, we worked hard to limit tobacco marketing. Regulatory initiatives that ban young, focused marketing efforts has helped to curb the smoking appeal to young people. Developing innovative and creative media campaigns can start the process, if the Tobacco Industry is not pulling the strings and using funds to alter opinions of policy makers and politicians. Awareness campaigns can help young people to understand how tobacco companies exploit them. These campaigns can be even more effective when supported by school-based and family-based programs.
So, are you a smoker? Can you please share when you started smoking and why? What do you think can be done to better educate and create awareness about the risks of tobacco use? Mark your calendars to participate in the World No Tobacco Day on May 31, 2024.
