Chesterfield (cigarette)
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Chesterfield is a brand of cigarette made by Altria. It was named for Chesterfield County, Virginia. It was one of the most recognized brands of the early 20th century, but sales have declined steadily over the years. Chesterfields were originally produced by the Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company. In 1999, Liggett sold the L&M, Lark and Chesterfield brands to Philip Morris Companies Inc. The brand is still being made today; it is still popular in Europe, but has been absent from U.S. advertising for many years.
In the 1930s and 1940s, Chesterfield sponsored a popular radio program, the Chesterfield Hour, which featured big bands such as those of Paul Whiteman, Glenn Miller and Harry James.[1]
Liggett & Myers sponsored Dragnet, both on radio and on TV, during the 1950s. The 1954 theatrical version of Dragnet also had Chesterfield product placements, such as advertisements in scenes taking place at drug stores and news counters, or cigarette vending machines. Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday was seen smoking Chesterfields in the movie and TV series. Also in the 1950s, Gunsmoke on both radio and TV was similarly sponsored primarily by Chesterfields and L&Ms. At the end of The Twilight Zone, for several seasons Rod Serling frequently smoked and promoted Chesterfields.
In the 1940s and 1950s Ronald Reagan, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Perry Como, and Arthur Godfrey were among Chesterfield's official spokesmen, Chesterfield being one of the primary sponsors of the radio and TV programs of these stars during that time.
In popular culture [edit]
When the novel version of James Bond-007 wasn't smoking a specially made Macedonian blend with three gold rings around the butt, from Morlands of Grovenor Street (Ian Flemming's real life Cigarette), he smoked King Size Chesterfields.[2]
Donald Fagen's 1982 Album The Nightfly title track features the lyrics "I've got plenty of Java and Chesterfield Kings". On the album cover, a pack of Chesterfield Regulars is sitting on the table.
In the Stephen King novel, Pet Sematary, 1983, the character Jud Crandall frequently smokes Chesterfield cigarettes.[3]
References [edit]
- ^ "Music: New King". Time. November 27, 1939. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
- ^ Live and Let Die, page 19, August 1954
- ^ "Chesterfield Cigarette Machine [[flickr]]". Wikilink embedded in URL title (help)
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