Zippo in the Movies: Star of Stage, Screen, and CD

When Arnold Schwarzenegger terminated the T-2000 in Terminator 2, he blew him off with "Hasta la vista, baby" and a Zippo lighter. Michael Douglas' Zippo ignited a hundred-dollar bill to make a fiery point in Black Rain. A Zippo lighter served as the penultimate weapon in Bruce Willis' one-man war on terrorism in Die Hard, and worked so well that he used it again in Die Harder. And it was a Zippo that provided a hair-raising escape from a certain and horrible demise for Harrison Ford and Sean Connery in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Zippo lighters have an entertainment resume and career longevity that a superstar would envy. They were de rigeur for film noir heroes of the '30s and '40s, as much a part of the costume as the trench coat and fedora. American GIs have been equipped with Zippos both on and off screen since the early days of World War II. The familiar shape and distinctive click are as instantly recognizable as Groucho's moustache, the Duke's drawl, or Julia Roberts' smile.

Zippo's rise to prominence during World War II is reflected by the large number of films that feature Zippo lighters, both those made during that period and afterward. Whether it's Donna Reed lighting Montgomery Clift's cigarette in From Here to Eternity or Errol Flynn wielding his Zippo with characteristically suave leading-man style in Objective Burma, a Zippo lighter provides an instant air of authenticity. Director George Stevens was captured using his Zippo during the making of his documentary D-Day to Berlin. In 1945, Vincent Minelli's The Clock used a lighter to bring Judy Garland and Robert Walker together for a whirlwind courtship. The dialogue indicates that the lighter is a Zippo, but the shortage of civilian Zippos forced the use of a stand-in.

The military connection extends through films about the Korean War and Vietnam. A Zippo linked Karl Malden and Richard Widmark in Sergeant Terror, while Gregory Peck counted on his Zippo for moral support in Pork Chop Hill.

The Green Berets, starring John Wayne, was extremely popular. So is the camouflage model the Duke used is one of Zippo's most sought-after collectibles. Apocalypse Now director Francis Ford Coppola set the haunting tone of his film in the opening scenes with Martin Sheen's Colt revolver and a Zippo lighter. Sometimes a theme song sets the tone for a film. A Zippo lighter was literally instrumental in creating the mood for Lethal Weapon II, starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. Working on the song that eventually became "It's Probably Me", singer/songwriter Eric Clapton absentmindedly clicked his Zippo in creative cogitation. The rhythmic sound finally captured his attention and provided the inspiration for the staccato melody. The Zippo also plays a part in the music video as it clicks in time with, and becomes part of, the musical background.

An innovative group of British performers have completed the Zippo's transformation to musical instrument. In "STOMP", the eight-person troupe combines percussion, dance, and unlikely objects to produce amusing and infectious musical numbers, one of which is performed entirely with Zippo lighters. Co-founder Luke Creswell explains the genesis of the Zippo number: "I was in Glasgow for a big outdoor extravaganza. Everyone in the bars I went to did tricks with their Zippos. . . Fans of Zippos know they have a distinctive ping when they're opened - and I started thinking of that." "STOMP" has been an enormous success in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Australia.

Meanwhile, Zippo fans need only tune in their TV or rent a movie from the video store to catch the Zippo in performance. Fans of classic TV re-runs will notice the Zippo "Lady Bradford" table lighter proudly gracing the coffee table in the Ricardo's living room in the '50s comedy "I Love Lucy." Super fans have even counted the number of times the Lady Bradford is used in various episodes.

Whether setting spooky events in motion in Hocus Pocus with Bette Midler or providing a clue to Gerard Depardieu's character in Green Card, the Zippo fills its role with unobtrusive professionalism. It holds its own with, and never upstages, such luminaries as Robert DeNiro (Midnight Run), Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn (Bird on a Wire), and Chevy Chase (Fletch). In films as diverse as The Thomas Crown Affair, Jurassic Park, The Right Stuff, JFK, and Top Gun, the Zippo lighter has proven its versatility and enduring appeal. But then, reliable performance is a Zippo hallmark.

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