Bone Shards:
Looks like Marie McMillin was a real person and so is the story. (The actual dialogue might’ve been altered somewhat for marketing purposes.)
And the Internet being the Internet, somebody asked if it’s possible to smoke a cigarette while skydiving.
The ad copy:
Stepping Into Thin Air
4 Miles up!
How a former information clerk jumped 20,800 feet to a new record
Marie McMillin, record-holding woman parachute jumper
Marie McMillin was on her job at the information counter of a Columbus, Ohio hotel when…
Marie, here’s that inquiring reporter again. What’s the question for today?
Well, I’ll ask the young lady. What would you like to do that’s different?
Oh-h-h_I’d like to fall out of an aeroplane. Ha! Ha! Ha!
Oka-a-y_I’ll fix that right away. We’re running a stunt promotion at the airport tomorrow. You go up for a parachute jump
Next morning_Marie felt pretty scared but_ _
Oh-h_I just can’t go through with this
Too late now_ Up we go
_And she looks so nice, too!
3000 Ft. Up_Marie is terrified_ _
Get going_ We can’t disappoint two thousand people
Oh_Oh, I tell you I can’t do it!
Don’t forget the rip-cord!
O-O-O-O-H-H
Marie makes a perfect landing
Wonderful, Marie_ You’re a born parachute jumper
Who’s got a Camel?
Bravo!
Two Years Later
Here I go!
20,800 feet. Ship won’t go any higher. But you’ll make a new record from here!
Marie jumps for a women’s record at 4 miles up (note curve of earth)
Marie lands 13 miles away
Congratulations, Marie_ A four mile jump must be a big sprain on the nerves
Yes, long parachute jumps are rough on the nerves, but I dodge nerve tension by letting up_ lighting up a Camel whenever I can. I find camels so soothing!
(left) When busy, strenuous days put your nerves on the spot, take a tip from the fire fox terrier pictured here. Despite his almost humanly complex nerve system, he quickly halts in the midst of any activity, to relax—to ease his nerves. So often, we humans ignore this instinctive urge to break nerve tension. We may even take pride in our will to drive on relentlessly, forgetting that tiring nerves may soon be jittery nerves! yet the welfare of your nerves is vital to your success, your happiness. Make it your pleasant rule to pause regularly—to let up — light up a Camel. Start today—add an extra comfort to your smoking with Camel’s costlier tobaccos.
Costlier Tobaccos
Camels are made from finer, more expensive tobaccos… Turkish and comestic
Let up_Light up a Camel!
Smokers find camel’s costlier tobaccos are soothing to the nerves
1939 R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. Winston-Salem, N.C.