How big tobacco bought the big screen

[Roger Macy]

Does anyone know if there is any smoking gun connecting the tobacco industry with Japanese cinema?
I noticed this report about Hollywood in the Guardian on-line
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/sep/26/tobaccoindustry.smoking
and it is, doubtless, reported elsewhere.

I've been watching as many films as I can of the 'Japan in Black' season here at San Sebastian.  The 'noir' elements of many of the films are debatable (as the organisers readily admit).  Femmes fatales are passing rare, along with private detectives, etc. etc.  Train scenes figure strongly and memorably, but all the films share two elements: they were popular films that featured well-photographed scenes of stars, smoking (or was it " stars' smoking ").
Roger
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