Breaking the Habit PSA

Genre: public service announcement

Year Published: 1964

Creator: John Korty, American Cancer Society

Credits: The voices are by Henry Jacobs and Chuck Levy.

Description: Directed by John Korty and released by the American Cancer Society, "Breaking the Habit" is a 1964 animated short documentary film about cigarette smoking and lung cancer. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short. The voices are by Henry Jacobs and Chuck Levy. The dialogue centers on a man who claims he has quit smoking but immediately contradicts himself by taking cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and explaining away every relapse as a test of self-control. The humor comes from his denial: he insists smoking is no longer a habit while lighting cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and even admitting he recently drank martinis after supposedly giving up drinking too. George plays the straight man, gently questioning him while the man keeps rationalizing his behavior. At the end of the cartoon, an animated hearse drives away, reminding us that all smokers quit eventually. 00:00 - Two men begin a casual conversation as one asks George if he can take a cigarette. 0:36 - The man explains that he has supposedly quit smoking after years of smoking two packs a day. 0:48 - He says he is not touching cigarettes out of habit, but only lighting one occasionally to prove he can leave smoking alone. 1:02 - George points out that he has not really taken a puff yet. 1:05 - The man explains that he has been chewing tobacco during the day, claiming that chewing makes cigarettes taste worse and is cheaper. 1:29 - He admits that smoking and chewing at the same time looks like overindulgence, but uses this as proof that smoking itself is foolish. 1:41 - George mentions the man’s success in giving up drinking. 1:49 - The man undercuts this by admitting he had a martini before arriving, supposedly just to prove drinking no longer affects him. 2:04 - He then admits he took a second martini after being dared. 2:12 - George says he looks better, and the man insists he feels better than the day before. 2:24 - The man accepts another cigarette while still trying to present himself as someone who has quit. 2:32 - George suggests he finish the first cigarette before lighting another. 2:44 - The man now has two cigarettes and is chewing tobacco too, but insists it is not a habit because he could stop whenever he wanted. 2:54 - He emphasizes that he had been smoking for 10 years and once smoked three packs a day. 3:03 - He admits he used to be “a slave” to cigarettes. 3:07 - He offers George chewing tobacco, and George cautiously tries some. 3:22 - The man describes chewing tobacco as a cleaner habit. 3:29 - George jokingly connects chewing tobacco with baseball and tennis players. 3:43 - The dialogue loops back to the beginning, repeating the man asking to take a cigarette after supposedly quitting. 4:00 A hearse appears on screen, reminding the viewer that all smokers quit eventually. Text on screen: Breaking the Habit is not easy. (The only thing that's easy is not starting.) Nevertheless your chances of lung cancer, heart disease and emphysema decrease whenever you stop smoking regardless of your age or the time you've been smoking.

Online Copy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNTINrmcwkw

Metadata Source:YouTube