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Brigham Young UniversityUp In Smoke (1960)

Dramatized portrait of greedy tobacco company executives who put money over health concerns.


This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Producer: Brigham Young University
Sponsor: LDS Department of Education
Audio/Visual: Sd, C
Keywords: Substance abuse: Tobacco

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: uncleslappy38 - - September 8, 2008
Subject: smoke 'em if ya get 'em
the film starts with an old steamboat going down river leading one to think that this film is going to be pretty dry. for god's sake, keep watching!

the film gets nuttier as it goes along and every scene with JB, the tobacco tycoon is pure gold. who knew boss hogg went to the strasberg school?

the guy's pretty hard core about getting people to smoke his brand of cigarettes. even taking out ads in high school papers.

this is a must watch if depictions of southern good 'ol boys tickle your fancy and of course if you like dream sequences of baseball players using a giant cigarette as a bat.

"don't rile me, boy!"

classic.

Reviewer: SirJekyllAppliance - - October 11, 2007
Subject: That crrraaaazzzyyy Brigham Young!
Mormons, eh? Don't you just love 'em?

Reviewer: GE_Pretzel - - December 30, 2005
Subject: Comedic anti-smoking message
Though this production is roughly twice as long as many of the films featured in the archives, don't be reluctant to have a look. There's some corny actors and reams of goofy dialogue, but the film is successful in illustrating tobacco companies' efforts to establish brand loyalty and get, as JB, the bald-headed boss in the film proclaims, "every
man, woman and child in the country" smoking heavily.

Up in Smoke does show its age, but its concerns are still relevant. One of the best films I've discovered in the archives.

I like the music that accompanies the scientist who is constantly trying to make a real research breakthrough!

Reviewer: Spuzz - - August 23, 2005
Subject: Smoke that Cigarette! But Not With my Son!
Quite a bizarre little anti-smoking movie that, Gee! The Tobacco giants are greedy, market their products to little kids and manipulate the public!

"The Boss" is the CEO of the ÃÂHumbarÃÂ cigarette company. When he sees his profits drop, he has a fit and sends the marketing people out too woo every Tom, Dick and Harry and their children to smoke, smoke smoke! His son, who is supposed to inherit the factory, isnÃÂt too keen on this though, and when he visits his Dad at the offices, the advertising people quickly thrust him with a model, and take pictures. Dad doesnÃÂt like this! I mean, thereÃÂs deceptive advertising.. But not with his son! Oh Brother.

Filled with corny lines and actors who look darn familiar, this one is ok, but itÃÂs not going to change the world.

Reviewer: Red Right Hand - - May 12, 2003
Subject: A Few Good Laughs
This is kind of a screwballcomedy about tobacco industry. But but... gags are no good and - of course - only un-intentional stuff is funny. Some good scenes here and there but genarally this film is just poor acting, poor dialogue etc.
Up In Smoke is way too long and gets boring in middle, but the last scene is so good that it makes the whole film worth watching. Nicely tinted colour too. ***/*****

Shotlist

This film starts with a steamboat gliding along a Southern river. What follows is a parody of a cutthroat Southern tobacco company. "The Boss" (the head of the tobacco company) is a Huey Long character unconcerned with people's health. He (and all of his stereotypically foolish southern cohorts) want to sell sell sell. His son (an outstanding athlete and a southern gentleman) eventually changes his father's greedy attitude to one of respect for human lives.
This bizarre film plays like a 1960s TV sitcom.


Danger Lurks Safety cigarettes tobacco anti-smoking antismoking