By Diane M. Jarrett
When she was a teenager in the 1940s, Marie loved going to the neighborhood theater to gaze in rapture at Gene Tierney, her favorite actress.
Marie watched Gene smoking in movie after movie. Glamorous, exotic, daring. She excitedly bought her first pack of cigarettes.
Gene died of emphysema. Marie died of throat cancer. The End.
Dr. Diane Jarrett is the Director of Education and Communications in the UAMS Department of Family and Preventive Medicine. In her personal life she enjoys writing about vintage stars such as Gene Tierney (1920-1991), a popular actress who unfortunately inspired “Marie” (not her real name) to begin smoking cigarettes.