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You knew he'd die from them with every drag.  Yves Montand played one of the leads in the 1961 movie 'Goodbye Again', with Ingrid Bergman and Anthony Perkins.  (As I said, I have been low-grade sick for about 10 days and thus, movies are the extent of my pathetically limited agenda.) 

In the movie, Yves smokes or drinks or has affairs with other women throughout.  Typical Frenchman of the era -- even Ingrid accepted it.  "I told you what I was like," he admonishes when she has a bit of a breakdown.  "Paula, you know they don't mean anything to me.  It's you I love," he scolds.  Are Frenchmen still like that?  Probably.  Italians too. 

Yves would come home from the office, light up a fag and pour a drink.  He'd get out of the bed in which he was trysting with his latest mistress, light up a fag and pour a drink.  He'd be driving his sports car, light up a fag, but not actually pour a drink while driving -- although I am sure he would have if he could have.

I have to admit something shameful.  There was something extremely sexy about the way Yves smoked.  He'd drag hard on a cigarette with his thumb and forefinger, or keep it in his mouth.  It's shameful that I remain conditioned to thinking smoking in the 50s and 60s was sexy and masculine.  Now I find it horrifying and disgusting.  I mean who can even imagine kissing -- or even bussing -- anyone who smokes?  Smelly and gross come to mind.  And the way a smoker's clothes reek!  Makes me think of seedy barrooms from my university days in the late sixties, when we all frequented the grubby Hull haunts.

I find it astonishing that today's movies still feature smoking.  That's the kind of money tobacco companies are pouring into the industry.  The smoking in 'Mad Men' I don't find out-of-place because that's what all offices were like until 1984.  Everyone smoked everywhere all the time.  "Have you ever noticed that only losers smoke," observed my ancient mother back in the '90s as we drove by a local high school, young puffing baby students huddled outside.  I nearly drove off the road because "loser" was not a word she ever used, but that's how strongly she felt.

Google tells me Yves died of a heart attack at age 70, caused by smoking no doubt.  Why kids light up today baffles me?!  As Lillian said, "only losers smoke."

Epilogue:  It was weird to watch Anthony Perkins play the young lover, knowing he was gay.  It just did not work because he is definitely effeminate.  Funnily, I always bought Rock Hudson in romantic comedies, cavorting with Doris Day, because no one knew he was gay until he was dying.  And also, of course, because he was very masculine-looking.  But even more of a juxtaposition was a professor I dated at Carleton (against all the rules for a student), who was extremely effeminate, but anything but.  Looks belie.