Ukrainian-born American singer and actress Sophie Tucker (1886-1966) endorses Old Gold in this advertisement at the age of 43. She jokes about her age, “I’ve been singing about love ever since…oh, well, never mind.” Like many stars of the time, she got her start in the Ziegfeld Follies in 1909. Famous for her vaudeville acts, especially in blackface, Tucker was nicknamed “The Last of the Red Hot Mamas” for the voracious sexual appetite she portrayed in her tunes. Though it is not mentioned in this advertisement, Tucker was just as popular at 43 years old, starring in her first film, “Honky Tonk” (1929). In this ad, Tucker provides comical advice to “earnest Lotharios,” including the wise observation that “no one wants to be loved by a sea lion.” She also advises these would-be Romeos to “leave barking to Rin-Tin-Tin,” a German shepherd film star (1918-1932) also mentioned by Charlie Chaplin in another 1929 Old Gold ad. Tucker passed away from lung cancer at the age of 80.
Cough, Health, Throat
