You'll never realize just how popular pipe smoking was until you've spent an evening or two watching old movies on TCM. Pipe smokers were abound in old classic movies from the 30s', 40s' and 50s'. Doctors, lawyers, policemen and detectives, priests, fathers and grandfathers,fishermen and lighthouse keepers, aristocrats and peasants, and English pubs were filled with pipe smoking patrons. They smoked all manner of pipes - briars, cobs, and clay depending upon their station in life.
And another thing I learned after a week long marathon of old 40s' and 50s' sci-fi and horror films - men wearing rimmed dress hats was quite the fashion statement. Even in crowd scenes as the masses were running down the streets to escape some rampaging giant monster you'll find the men neatly dressed in suit and tie - all wearing hats. Hats that must have been glued to their heads, because they seldom lost a hat unless they tripped and were trampled underfoot. And should the hat fall off you'll notice the man had a full head of hair - and was not using the hat to conceal thinning hair or a pesky bald spot - the main reason men wear hats or baseball caps today.
Pipes and brimmed dress hats ... two once popular items that have all but vanished from the American landscape. Oh sure, you might happen upon a hat wearer now and again ... PappyJoe immediately comes to mind. But for the most part the baseball cap has all but replaced the rimmed dress hat as head wear of choice for the modern man.
Hmm, pipe smokers, straight razors, pocket watches, well made writing instruments, ham radios, non-baseball/trucker hats, classic movies, history buffs, writers, facial hair......all seem to “go together”. I know these are generalizations, but they seem to fit. Any others with similar observations?
Ah, I miss TCM. When I had it on cable, I'd often turn it on when nothing else caught my interest. I love watching old movies from the 30's-60's, and there's a good chance I'll find at least one pipe smoker in it. There's just something classic about that time period that I wish I could see for myself.
@thebadgerpiper Me Too!!! The rat bastards at Comcast moved TCM into a sports package with no notice. Screw the seniors to push expensive sports package,WTF.
I going to have a come to Jesus conversation with one of their retention specialist next week.
If that does not go well, I plan to switch to streaming and maybe an antenna though I have little use for the big three networks.
I love TCM, I’m not sure what package, it comes with on Dish Network though. I get the Western channel and a few movie channels. I wish I could trade all the dang sports channels for commercial free channels.
@mapletop I wish you luck. I know I wouldn't be happy if TCM was locked behind a bunch of sports channels.
My wife and I cut cable years ago and went with Netflix and Hulu. While I certainly miss some cable channels, I've learned to live without them. It helps that channels like the History channel went down the drain a long time ago.
What is it about the History channel and Science channel that allows fiction (freak'in aliens in the past?-not that I am a 100% non-believer in complete non-existence, just not proven and convinced they exist 100% either) and "sketchy" science (crypto-zoology-really?). These channels seem like they are touted as educational and most of the garbage on them now is utter BS.
Know what'cha mean. For instance, whatever channel it was on, that last reboot of "In Search Of…" was more a knockoff of "Ripley's Believe It or Not" than anything resembling the original In Search Of… hosted by Leonard Nimoy.
My problem with the History Channel is more about their reality tv programs, like Ice Road Truckers and Pawn Shop. While I enjoy some competitive reality tv (Survivor and The Amazing Race), that's not what I want out of a history network. I don't mind that these shows exist, but it on something else.
As for the fringe stuff, I'm of two minds about it. On one hand, I don't care for Ancient Aliens, as it doesn't fit with my interests. Yet, some of my all time favorite programs are stuff like Histories Mysteries, classic In Search Of, and Haunted History. I find stuff like the missing Roanoke colony, Amelia Earhart, the Voynich Manuscript, the Lost Dutchman Mine, and the Mary Celeste fascinating. It's programs like this that gets me interested in history. As for the ghost stuff, I enjoy it when the program really goes into the history of a place and the legends behind it.
As for the crypto-zoology stuff, I can go either way on it. I can see how it would be frustrating if you want to learn about actual science and history. Then again, I've always loved stuff like the Loch Ness Monster, and I even did a little Nessie hunting when I got to see Loch Ness for myself. As long as there's history behind it, like with Nessie and the Jersey Devil, then I'm into it.
A recent Japanese Anime Heavy Object is a science-fiction/action story. The major commanding their unit has her kiseru pipe in hand in almost all of her scenes. There are 24 episodes, and apparently the writers know little about military organization.
Warfare in this "future" is done mainly by huge war machines they call "Objects." No crew, just a pilot?
Kinda reminds me of Mack Reynolds stories with city-block sized nuclear powered tanks, which he called Bolos, but without much sense.
Was going through an oriental detective movie phase the past few weeks, watching movies from the Charlie Chan, Mr. Wong, and Mr. Moto series - and once again there are pipe smoking detectives and villains abound. Pipe smokers were so commonplace in the flicks of the 30s' and 40s' that its more unusual not to see a lead character or at least someone in the cast or background with a pipe in their mouth. And you'll usually find a handful of pipes in a pipe rack with a tobacco canister on a desk.
Had the grandkids overnight Saturday (ages 5 & 8). They decided to watch Shrek 1. I popped the DVD in and we all settled down in my movie room. The opening screen comes up, you know the screen that gives you all the options? Anyway, it's filled with all these fairytale characters. Right in the middle is Papa bear with a pipe in his mouth! He also shows up later in the movie sporting that same pipe! Just thought it was cool...
The wife and I decided to watch an old classic last night, "Donovan's Reef" - John Wayne, Lee Marvin, Dorothy Lamour, etc. Anyway, the Padre sported a smooth meerschaum bent throughout the movie. The captain (skipper) of the ship sitting in the bar was toking on a pipe, and in a near closing scene, the Padre and doctor were cruising in his jeep, both with pipes being clenched between their teeth... If course, Lee Marvin's character was doing cigars...
@RockyMountainBriar You could tell the Padre (can't remember the actor's name) smoked a pipe in real life the way he handled it and "sipped" on it. Not to mention the obvious use reflected in that pipe...
I posted this in a different discussion but I'll put it here also. I found a documentary on Netflix about some of the great classic film directors in Hollywood who served during WWII. - Frank Capra, John Ford, John Huston, George Stevens and William Wyler. There is a lot of pipe smoking in the first two parts (I haven't watched the last two parts yet).
RockyMountainBriar; You mentioned Pocket Watches in one of your posts. I have carried a pocket watch since the early 70's, after I destroyed a couple of wrist watches as a firefighter. My wife gave me my first. I now have 3 more. One was my great-grandfather's (which works, but I never wear) and one for dress and the other for everyday (both are over 100 years old and still work). Occasionally, if one needs repair, I've found a local jeweler that does excellent work and has a supply of extra parts.
@opipeman Thanks for the info. I finally got my grandfathers Columbus repaired correctly. I went to a jewelry store here in Billings, and they sent it to their watch repair person in North Dakota. It ticks off the time now🙂
Jack Palance was an American actor and singer. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, all for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, winning in 1992 for his role in City Slickers.
We have been binge watching Midsommer Murders on Amazon Prime. In season 19, episode 1, in a village abandoned since WWII one of the buildings has a Capstan Navy Cut sign on the outside.
Comments
My wife and I cut cable years ago and went with Netflix and Hulu. While I certainly miss some cable channels, I've learned to live without them. It helps that channels like the History channel went down the drain a long time ago.
As for the fringe stuff, I'm of two minds about it. On one hand, I don't care for Ancient Aliens, as it doesn't fit with my interests. Yet, some of my all time favorite programs are stuff like Histories Mysteries, classic In Search Of, and Haunted History. I find stuff like the missing Roanoke colony, Amelia Earhart, the Voynich Manuscript, the Lost Dutchman Mine, and the Mary Celeste fascinating. It's programs like this that gets me interested in history. As for the ghost stuff, I enjoy it when the program really goes into the history of a place and the legends behind it.
As for the crypto-zoology stuff, I can go either way on it. I can see how it would be frustrating if you want to learn about actual science and history. Then again, I've always loved stuff like the Loch Ness Monster, and I even did a little Nessie hunting when I got to see Loch Ness for myself. As long as there's history behind it, like with Nessie and the Jersey Devil, then I'm into it.
Tnx, that is a GREAT scene!
😂
The opening screen comes up, you know the screen that gives you all the options?
Anyway, it's filled with all these fairytale characters. Right in the middle is Papa bear with a pipe in his mouth!
He also shows up later in the movie sporting that same pipe!
Just thought it was cool...
Anyway, the Padre sported a smooth meerschaum bent throughout the movie.
The captain (skipper) of the ship sitting in the bar was toking on a pipe, and in a near closing scene, the Padre and doctor were cruising in his jeep, both with pipes being clenched between their teeth...
If course, Lee Marvin's character was doing cigars...
“Donovan’s Reef” is one of my favorite movies.
I found a documentary on Netflix about some of the great classic film directors in Hollywood who served during WWII. - Frank Capra, John Ford, John Huston, George Stevens and William Wyler. There is a lot of pipe smoking in the first two parts (I haven't watched the last two parts yet).
You mentioned Pocket Watches in one of your posts. I have carried a pocket watch since the early 70's, after I destroyed a couple of wrist watches as a firefighter. My wife gave me my first. I now have 3 more. One was my great-grandfather's (which works, but I never wear) and one for dress and the other for everyday (both are over 100 years old and still work). Occasionally, if one needs repair, I've found a local jeweler that does excellent work and has a supply of extra parts.
Thanks for the info. I finally got my grandfathers Columbus repaired correctly. I went to a jewelry store here in Billings, and they sent it to their watch repair person in North Dakota. It ticks off the time now🙂