Famous pipe smokers

[JimVH]

Jerry Lee Lewis

[Sir Moose]

Left to right: Frank James, Fletch Taylor, Jesse James

[sweetandsour]

Left to right: Frank James, Fletch Taylor, Jesse James

Wow, Jesse James! A long time treasurer for the state of Texas was named Jesse James.

[A_Morley]

Left to right: Frank James, Fletch Taylor, Jesse James

Wow, Jesse James! A long time treasurer for the state of Texas was named Jesse James.

Fascinating. I never knew that he was a pipe smoker.

[dennisthemenace]

Left to right: Frank James, Fletch Taylor, Jesse James

Wow, Jesse James! A long time treasurer for the state of Texas was named Jesse James.

Fascinating. I never knew that he was a pipe smoker.

Ah, yes. In the best movie about Jesse James, The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid, Robert Duvall as Jesse smokes a pipe. The man does his research! He looked like photos of Jesse from the era too, down to the goatee.

He smoked a pipe as Dr Watson in The Seven Percent Solution too. He did his homework; but Nicol Williamson as Sherlock did not. Nicol had an obviously unsmoked ever calabash in his mouth once; never filled or lit it. Duvall is also a lifelong non-smoker & non-drinker. He had an excellent drunk scene in The Great Santini.

[A_Morley]

Left to right: Frank James, Fletch Taylor, Jesse James

Wow, Jesse James! A long time treasurer for the state of Texas was named Jesse James.

Fascinating. I never knew that he was a pipe smoker.

Ah, yes. In the best movie about Jesse James, The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid, Robert Duvall as Jesse smokes a pipe. The man does his research! He looked like photos of Jesse from the era too, down to the goatee.

He smoked a pipe as Dr Watson in The Seven Percent Solution too. He did his homework; but Nicol Williamson as Sherlock did not. Nicol had an obviously unsmoked ever calabash in his mouth once; never filled or lit it. Duvall is also a lifelong non-smoker & non-drinker. He had an excellent drunk scene in The Great Santini.

Odd thing for Nicol Williamson. He was a smoker and rather a heavy smoker in real life. I've seen him smoke a pipe in other roles.

[dennisthemenace]

Left to right: Frank James, Fletch Taylor, Jesse James

Wow, Jesse James! A long time treasurer for the state of Texas was named Jesse James.

Fascinating. I never knew that he was a pipe smoker.

Ah, yes. In the best movie about Jesse James, The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid, Robert Duvall as Jesse smokes a pipe. The man does his research! He looked like photos of Jesse from the era too, down to the goatee.

He smoked a pipe as Dr Watson in The Seven Percent Solution too. He did his homework; but Nicol Williamson as Sherlock did not. Nicol had an obviously unsmoked ever calabash in his mouth once; never filled or lit it. Duvall is also a lifelong non-smoker & non-drinker. He had an excellent drunk scene in The Great Santini.

Odd thing for Nicol Williamson. He was a smoker and rather a heavy smoker in real life. I've seen him smoke a pipe in other roles.

Then I shall blame the director. Much more satisfying!

[Tatanka]

I have yet to see a western movie or photo from actual western history where a man on horseback had a pipe in his mouth! My teeth would have been broken off or jarred loose had I tried it.

[durangopipe]

I have yet to see a western movie or photo from actual western history where a man on horseback had a pipe in his mouth! My teeth would have been broken off or jarred loose had I tried it.

You could do a lot of packing on horseback with a pipe in your mouth. Mostly, you're just riding at a walk.
Of course, that wouldn't be very exciting in a movie.

[Tatanka]

I have yet to see a western movie or photo from actual western history where a man on horseback had a pipe in his mouth! My teeth would have been broken off or jarred loose had I tried it.

You could do a lot of packing on horseback with a pipe in your mouth. Mostly, you're just riding at a walk.
Of course, that wouldn't be very exciting in a movie.

With a pipe in the mouth is a different story! In camp; or riding in the night around the herd, THAT would be possible! But riding? I can't imagine a pipe in the mouth! In the cattle round-up and drive and branding I participate in - outside of Sheridan, WY, I could not have held, NOR wanted to hold a pipe in 'me mouth!" :_

[Tatanka]

Riding at a walk does not work when rounding up - in a "round-up" .... you Quarter/Arab mix mare sees a doggie "over there!" And off she jumps to go corral it back into the herd. Kinda like the Holy Spirit pulling you back into the fold.

[durangopipe]

Riding at a walk does not work when rounding up - in a "round-up" .... you Quarter/Arab mix mare sees a doggie "over there!" And off she jumps to go corral it back into the herd. Kinda like the Holy Spirit pulling you back into the fold.

I hear you, Tatanka.
I never had to do that kind of riding.

[Tatanka]

Riding at a walk does not work when rounding up - in a "round-up" .... you Quarter/Arab mix mare sees a doggie "over there!" And off she jumps to go corral it back into the herd. Kinda like the Holy Spirit pulling you back into the fold.

I hear you, Tatanka.
I never had to do that kind of riding.

It sounds like you may have had horses. My wife was raised with horses from babyhood. I had to wait until we lived in WY and MT. One grand memory I have is being asked by a neighbor cattle-man to help him with other volunteers and his family; and I helped to round up his cattle, drive them to his place for branding and castrating, and helped with that - a dirty, dusty job; but I did it. I even took my rope and tried to rope the next doggie and ended up getting the rope around my OWN HORSES front legs!

[A_Morley]

Sheer, abject rage.

[dennisthemenace]

Off hand I can only think of two Westerns that had a character riding a horse and smoking a pipe. One was a TV movie about Chief Joseph, James Whitmore was the cavalry officer in pursuit and he smoked a briar pipe most of the time he was riding. Also The Scalp Hunters; Burt Lancaster smoked a short briar apple bowled pipe in many scenes including on horseback.

[A_Morley]

Off hand I can only think of two Westerns that had a character riding a horse and smoking a pipe. One was a TV movie about Chief Joseph, James Whitmore was the cavalry officer in pursuit and he smoked a briar pipe most of the time he was riding. Also The Scalp Hunters; Burt Lancaster smoked a short briar apple bowled pipe in many scenes including on horseback.

Yes, as did Sam Eliot in the film Gettysburg. Of the people mentioned, I believe only James Whitmore smoked a pipe in everyday life. James Whitmore: there's an actor I'd like to be when I grow up.

[durangopipe]

Extraordinary actor, and a fascinating life.

Not a rich kid, he went to Choate on a football scholarship, subsequently graduated Yale, joined the Marines - saw action in the South Pacific, studied acting on the GI Bill, then a storied acting career.

Here's a bit of weird trivia:

His family owned a small farm in upstate New York. Apparently, one of his Roosters won a prize at an agricultural fair of some sort. I never got a lot of details, but the friend who shared this with me grew up near the Whitmores' property.

I only know this because years ago this friend circulated among a group of us a photo taken of the award Whitmore had won for his Rooster which he'd posted on a fencepost near the entry to the farm. I can't remember all that was written on the award, but it was hard too miss and would be impossible to forget the giant letters which proudly announced of James Whitmore that he had been awarded the prize for BEST COCK.

Apparently, in addition to being a terrific actor, he had quite the sense of humor.

I've emailed the friend to ask if he has a digital copy of the photo. If he sends it, I'll post it.

[dennisthemenace]

Off hand I can only think of two Westerns that had a character riding a horse and smoking a pipe. One was a TV movie about Chief Joseph, James Whitmore was the cavalry officer in pursuit and he smoked a briar pipe most of the time he was riding. Also The Scalp Hunters; Burt Lancaster smoked a short briar apple bowled pipe in many scenes including on horseback.

Yes, as did Sam Eliot in the film Gettysburg. Of the people mentioned, I believe only James Whitmore smoked a pipe in everyday life. James Whitmore: there's an actor I'd like to be when I grow up.

I've owned the dvd for Gettysburg for several years, but have never watched it. I need to remedy that. I loved Gods and Generals.

[dennisthemenace]

Oh, and I looked up the tv film about Chief Joseph. It was I Will Fight No More Forever. Whitmore played Gen. O.O. Howard, known as the Christian General. I wonder if Gen. Howard actually smoked a pipe. If he did we should make him an honorary member here.

[Jester]

Orson Welles