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Ole Opry Scripts from the Files of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company,
1948-1959,
apear online at the
Legacy
Tobacco Documents Library,
University of California, San Francisco. A
selection of the scripts cited
in a recent Southern Cultures article on the
Opry and Big Tobacco by historian
Louis M. Kyriakoudes appear below.
A Sample from the Opry Scripts
"Have a Cavelier"
Typically,
each half hour national broadcast of the Opry opened with a pre-recorded
advertisement for Cavalier cigarettes. “Have a Cavalier” exhorted
the radio on August 20, 1949, as Opry announcer Grant Turner declared,“Its
Grand Ole Opry Time—Another big Prince Albert show with Ernest
Tubb.” Tubb offered “a great big howdy to all our good
friends and neighbors of Prince Albert Smokin’ Tobacco’s
Grand Ole Opry.” Turner replied that “whether
you roll your own or smoke a pipe, you get more real smoking enjoyment
from Prince Albert Smoking Tobacco!” Click
here to read the complete script.
"Kind to Your Tongue"
In September
1949, Hank Williams made an appearance on the Opry, performing “Lovesick
Blues”.
Before introducing him, Ray Foley pitched Prince Albert by telling the
audience that the
tobacco
was “kind to your tongue” because it was “specially
treated to insure against tongue bite. . . and smoke cool.” Foley,
Turner, and the other performers mentioned the sponsor’s products
about every three minutes on that particular broadcast. Click
here to read the complete script.
Family and Home
Sponsoring the Opry allowed
RJR to connect their products with the family and the home, to project
a
wholesome,
domestic image
for their products, as this exchange between Grant Turner and Ray Price
reveals:
Grant: Ever notice that when parents get together, you can expect them
to take out pictures of the youngsters?
Price: Yep, just like when pipe smokers get together, you see them take
out those tins of Prince Albert!
Or this exchange connecting smoking and marriage:
Grant: Ray, can you think of things that go together like love and marriage?
Price: Well, there’s horse and carriage. And then, there’s
Prince Albert Smoking Tobacco and O.C.B. papers! THAT combination adds
up to perfect makin’s cigarettes.
Click here to read complete script.
For more information, including a complete list of scipts
sponsored by the tobacco company, click
here to contact Louis Kyriakoudes.
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