Charles Southwood
Charles Southwood born Charles Allen Southwood August 30, 1937 in Los Angeles, California, died April 8, 2009 in Grants Pass, Oregon was an American actor in Europe and the founder of Death Cigarettes.
Biography
Born in Los Angeles in 1937, his family moved to Oregon at the end of World War II. He earned a degree in philosophy at Oregon State University.
He travelled to Europe where he worked at a variety of jobs before becoming a stand in for Lex Barker on Woman Times Seven in 1966. He was spotted by an agent who led him into lead roles in spaghetti westerns.[1]
Returning to Oregon, he came up with the idea of "Death Cigarettes" in 1991. Deciding to be honest about the effect of cigarettes, Southwood, a smoker from age 13 to 40, decided to be brutally honest about his cigarettes. In addition to the standard warnings, Death Cigarettes were packed in their own coffin: a stark little black package bearing a skull and crossbones.[2] Southwood traveled to the Southern United States, where the major U.S. tobacco companies found his idea "antithetical to their interests." He found a small tobacco company in Holland that was willing to manufacture his cigarettes, and he briefly took up smoking again to get the blend of tobaccos just right, however he couldn't find a cigarette distributor willing to move his product into stores. "I think they're afraid of pressure from the major cigarette manufacturers".[3]
The idea of Death cigarettes was "borrowed" by BJ Cunningham for sales in England from 1991-1999.[4]
Personal life
Southwood was married to Anick, a University teacher and had two children a son, Chris and a daughter Amelie.[5]
Filmography
- 1967 Stranger Make the Sign of the Cross as a Bounty Hunter
- 1969 Three Silver Dollars as Alan Burton
- 1970 C'è Sartana... vendi la pistola e comprati la bara! as Sabbath
- 1970 Roy Colt and Winchester Jack as Winchester Jack
- 1971 They Call Me Hallelujah as Alexi
- 1971 Manhunt for Murder as Inspector Hobbart
- 1972 There Was Once a Cop as a Narcotics Agent
- 1972 She No Longer Talks She Shoots as a Beatnik
- 1973 Some Too Quiet Gentlemen as Charles
- 1973 Profession: Adventurers as Henry Ralstrom
- 1981 Documenteur as the Man on a Water Bed
References
- ↑ http://www.lesgensducinema.com/biographie/Charles[] SOUTHWOOD.htm
- ↑ Elliott, Stuart Death Cigarettes Carry Mixed Message: Don't Smoke, But Do Buy This Product New York Times May 12, 1993
- ↑ Krier, Beth Ann Here's One New Cigarette That's Death on Smoking Los Angeles Times May 08, 1991
- ↑ http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/poster-ban-on-death-cigarettes-1435491.html
- ↑ Bishoff, Don Will Company Make a Killing? The Register-Guard 6 November 1991