Q: Growing up with Disney from the ’50s to the present, we often saw Walt with a cigarette burning or a pack in his pocket. I have read a few of the books pertaining to Walt, but can’t ever recall anything ever being said about his brand of cigarettes or how much he smoked. Can you shed any light on this? Just curious, as almost everything has been asked over the years, but I never saw this question.
Ron, Ocoee, Florida
A: Walt Disney smoked Lucky Strikes in the 1940s and French cigarettes, Gitanes, later in his life, but he never wanted to be photographed with a cigarette as he felt it set a bad example for children. He was a heavy smoker, and, in fact, died of lung cancer.
Dave Smith