# Cowboy strikes match on his stubble - did this actually happen in a film? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 5, 2018, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboy-strikes-match-on-his-stubble-did-this-actually-happen-in-a-film/825610 "2018-12-05T13:21:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboy-strikes-match-on-his-stubble-did-this-actually-happen-in-a-film/825610/1 "2018-12-05T13:21:48Z")
It’s a hoary old cliché - grizzled cowboy strikes match nonchalantly on his stubbly chin and lights up a cheroot - but is it actually from a real scene in a film? Lots of pages state without evidence that Clint Eastwood did it in the Man With No Name films, but the closest actual scene I can find is when Mortimer (Lee van Cleef) [strikes a match on Juan Wild’s hunched back](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7Awv1n438I) in a bar. Inquiring minds need to know. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboy-strikes-match-on-his-stubble-did-this-actually-happen-in-a-film/825610/2 "2018-12-05T14:30:32Z")
In Stalag 17, Sefton (William Holden) strikes a match on the beard of another prisoner. It was kind of a dominance (pecking order) kind of thing. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboy-strikes-match-on-his-stubble-did-this-actually-happen-in-a-film/825610/3 "2018-12-05T14:42:37Z")
[Previous thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=552160) (2010) Basic conclusion: likely not possible with current strike anywhere matches, might have been possible with really old time strike anywhere matches. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboy-strikes-match-on-his-stubble-did-this-actually-happen-in-a-film/825610/4 "2018-12-05T14:48:26Z")
Ooooh, I’ll have to try it on my brother! 😃 Thing is, though, that there is a window for “optimum coarseness”. He has to go a day and a half to have stubble that literally hurts if you hug him and rub cheeks. That would be the time to try it. It actually starts to soften as it gets longer than that. ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboy-strikes-match-on-his-stubble-did-this-actually-happen-in-a-film/825610/5 "2018-12-11T15:26:47Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > [Previous thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=552160) (2010) > Basic conclusion: likely not possible with current strike anywhere matches, might have been possible with really old time strike anywhere matches. That would have been a fun Mythbusters. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboy-strikes-match-on-his-stubble-did-this-actually-happen-in-a-film/825610/6 "2018-12-11T15:38:42Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > In Stalag 17, Sefton (William Holden) strikes a match on the beard of another prisoner. It was kind of a dominance (pecking order) kind of thing. Oh, man, I’d forgotten about that. Holden was so cool in that movie. I tried striking a match on my stubble one night (alcohol was involved). I couldn’t get it to work. If it had worked, I’m sure it would have burned the shit out of me, so I was probably lucky. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboy-strikes-match-on-his-stubble-did-this-actually-happen-in-a-film/825610/7 "2018-12-11T18:12:00Z")
I have a vague memory of seeing a cartoon cowboy (Looney Tunes?) lighting a match on face. Unfortunately my google fu is weak today, Or it doesn’t exist. ---
**Author:** ![2Bits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e95f7d/32.png) [@2Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Bits)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboy-strikes-match-on-his-stubble-did-this-actually-happen-in-a-film/825610/8 "2018-12-11T18:43:58Z")
More on this subject: [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-552160.html](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-552160.html) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboy-strikes-match-on-his-stubble-did-this-actually-happen-in-a-film/825610/9 "2018-12-11T19:38:11Z")
There’s a place on my wood stove that is for striking matches. It doesn’t work with the matches you get today. I try it every now and then to see if something has changed. ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboy-strikes-match-on-his-stubble-did-this-actually-happen-in-a-film/825610/10 "2018-12-11T23:15:15Z")
You can light a match with your thumbnail, but you’ll never do it again after you get burning sulphur under your nail. ---
**Author:** ![BobBitchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@BobBitchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobBitchin)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboy-strikes-match-on-his-stubble-did-this-actually-happen-in-a-film/825610/11 "2018-12-12T00:21:46Z")
> [@seal\_cleaner](#): > > You can light a match with your thumbnail, but you’ll never do it again after you get burning sulphur under your nail. Same with your teeth, till you pop the burning matchhead off on your tongue…and it sticks:eek:. When I saw the OP I thought of lighting matches off a zipper fly.🆒😃 ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboy-strikes-match-on-his-stubble-did-this-actually-happen-in-a-film/825610/12 "2018-12-12T01:10:01Z")
I think I have lit a match off my zipper before. I can’t recall for sure though. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboy-strikes-match-on-his-stubble-did-this-actually-happen-in-a-film/825610/13 "2018-12-12T03:27:27Z")
I think Moe struck a match on Curly’s shaven head, but I can’t give any specific short title where it happened. ---
**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboy-strikes-match-on-his-stubble-did-this-actually-happen-in-a-film/825610/14 "2018-12-12T06:32:55Z")
Not exactly what you’re looking for, but there is a guy in a cowboy hat. @1:07 [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/kLiJAX-MXcM/hqdefault.jpg "That's right..We bad.We don't take no shit.....") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLiJAX-MXcM)