The World Health Organisation would like to see all films that feature smoking given an adult rating. In its survey of films released in the US between 2002 and 2014, smoking was present in 60% of films rated PG-13 (parental guidance, particularly for children under 13) and in 25% of films rated PG or for all ages. Some films popular with older children and teenagers, such as Lord of the Rings (Gandalf and his pipe) or X-Men (Wolverine and his cigar) would be affected if they were released now, as would dozens of children’s classics familiar to generations. What else would have been snuffed out?
Pinocchio, 1940
The high-tar benchmark of all kids’ smoking movies. Gepetto smokes, and so do lots of the baddies. Pinocchio reclines while smoking a cigar, but his ne’er-do-well friend Lampwick tells him he’s not doing it right. “Take a big drag. Like this.” The effect suggests many Disney animators were familiar with a bong. Educational.
Peter Pan, 1953
More cig-spiration for the nascent smoker. Captain Hook has a special cigar holder that allows him to smoke two at the same time and, in another scene, the sight of a Native American’s pipe being passed around the Darling children is the only thing that distracts you for a moment from the appalling racial stereotyping. Wendy manages to wrest the pipe from toddler Michael’s hands but John takes a puff and goes green. Peter Pan is clearly experienced and able to blow smoke “triangles”.
101 Dalmatians, 1961
Perhaps the reason Cruella de Vil insisted on her coats being made from puppies was worries over the inflammability of faux fur. Rarely seen without a fag on the go.
The Little Mermaid, 1989
Newly be-legged ex-mermaid Ariel looks delighted when Grimsby the butler sparks up his pipe as they sit down to dinner, and makes a grab for it. Not a successful first smoking attempt, but raises the possibility that the real reason she doesn’t want to return to her underwater world is the difficulty of lighting up under the sea.
Alice in Wonderland, 2010
Featuring the hookah pipe-smoking caterpillar. An improvement on the 1951 cartoon, in which other smoking characters appear. They must have given up.
Rango, 2011
The western town features smoky saloon bars and a cigar-smoking villainous reptile. Rango, the chameleon hero, doesn’t smoke – he eats a cigar instead.
