# Chuck Connors ....off character



## Pappy (Oct 31, 2017)

A heavy smoker, up to three packs a day, did him in at the age of 71. According to the article I read, he only smoked one time on the Rifleman.


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## Smiling Jane (Oct 31, 2017)

Celebrities who smoke are usually surprising because most of them are careful not to be photographed smoking. 

I think the heavy smoker who surprised me most (don't know why, now that I think about it) was Jackie Kennedy. I read she was rarely without a cigarette but I never saw a photo of her smoking until after she was dead.


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## Meanderer (Oct 31, 2017)

Chuck used to light up a cigar, on a number of episodes.


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## Aunt Bea (Oct 31, 2017)

I always enjoyed Chuck Connors.

If Chuck Connors enjoyed his life then dying at 71 was not a bad thing, if he had regrets then I'm sad for him.  

I smoked for many years and eventually quit, for me it was the right choice but I still miss it.


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## Falcon (Oct 31, 2017)

3 packs a day  AND  cigars! ??   It's a wonder he lived as long as he did.


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## Pappy (Oct 31, 2017)

Aunt Bea said:


> I always enjoyed Chuck Connors.
> 
> If Chuck Connors enjoyed his life then dying at 71 was not a bad thing, if he had regrets then I'm sad for him.
> 
> I smoked for many years and eventually quit, for me it was the right choice but I still miss it.



I quit 20 years ago, aunt Bea. Missed it for the first ten and can’t stand the smell of one now.


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## CeeCee (Oct 31, 2017)

Aunt Bea said:


> I always enjoyed Chuck Connors.
> 
> If Chuck Connors enjoyed his life then dying at 71 was not a bad thing, if he had regrets then I'm sad for him.
> 
> I smoked for many years and eventually quit, for me it was the right choice but I still miss it.




I quit 9 years ago and still miss it....the smell of smoke doesn't bother me at all unfortunately.


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## Pappy (Oct 31, 2017)

Watched a couple Dean Martin shows recently and he had a butt going constantly.


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## CeeCee (Oct 31, 2017)

Pappy said:


> Watched a couple Dean Martin shows recently and he had a butt going constantly.



Yes, it was very common to see everyone smoking on the late night talk shows.  Was watching "Merv Griffin" the other day and most of his guests smoked.

Phyllis Diller had one in a cigarette holder in her hand in her stand up acts...don't know if it was real though.


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## tnthomas (Oct 31, 2017)

Just my view but Chuck Connors was a rare 3 pack-a-day smoker to reach age 71.

RIP Chuck.

I quit 6 years ago at age 59, after smoking at least a pack or more a day, for 45+ years.   I don't miss it at all.

Every day that I get by without a cancer diagnosis I am truly blessed.


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## Smiling Jane (Oct 31, 2017)

I quit 37 years ago, after smoking 4+ packs a day. I believe what saved me is that I didn't smoke American cigarettes with all of the chemical additives.

I never missed it because I went through a long process of getting myself ready to quit. By the time I did it, smoking was over and I wanted no part of it. I think it's harder to quit when you feel coerced in any way, by a doctor, spouse or whomever. When you decide on your own you're ready to quit, it's much easier. The smell of smoke itself doesn't bother me much, but I'm very aware of that terrible acrid smell of nicotine or whatever it is that lingers on smokers' bodies.


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## oldman (Nov 1, 2017)

One of the best moves the airlines ever did was to ban smoking.


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## Pappy (Nov 1, 2017)

oldman said:


> One of the best moves the airlines ever did was to ban smoking.



I agree oldman. In 1956 when the Army flew me to CA, we were allowed to smoke and most everyone did.


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## oldman (Nov 2, 2017)

Pappy---We weren't supposed to smoke in the cockpit, but if you really had to have one, most Captains looked the other way. When I made Captain, I had a steadfast rule, "No smoking in the cockpit, period."


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