From: ???????????????????
Subject: Actors and Pipe Smoking

In the last digest I heard mention briefly of the notion that many times 
actors are playing a character who smokes a pipe, but he does not have 
the knowledge of how to realistically smoke a pipe.  I too have noticed 
this quite often.  Lee Van Cleef (mentioned last time) was either an 
excellent actor or he really knew and enjoyed smoking a pipe for his 
portrayal was realistic.  Watson seemed a more sincere pipe smoker than 
Sherlock himself in the black and white films from the 40's... even in 
television it is easy to spot.... If any of you watched Simon & Simon in 
the 80's, Gerald McRaney's character was far a far more realistic in 
using a pipe as a disguise (realistically) than was the actor who played 
his brother on the show.  They would regularly don pipes or cigars as a 
part of an undercover disguise.  It was easy to see Gerald McRaney knew 
his way around a briar or cigar, whereas the other one did not.
  
I guess I am just mentioning I also notice the true pipe smokers in the 
movies and tv.... and I look at them favorably.  The poor imposters... 
those that go through the motions in a contrived manner... actually 
detract from a flim or show and distract me.  I wonder if anyone else 
notices this same situation?
  
Ishmael


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