Alexis Smith Explained

Alexis Smith
Birthname:Margaret Alexis Smith
Birth Date:8 June 1921
Birth Place:Penticton, British Columbia, Canada
Death Place:Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma Mater:Los Angeles City College
Awards:Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical
Yearsactive:1940–1993

Margaret Alexis Smith (June 8, 1921 – June 9, 1993) was a Canadian-born American actress, pin-up girl and singer. She appeared in several major Hollywood films in the 1940s and had a notable career on Broadway in the 1970s, winning a Tony Award in 1972 for the Stephen Sondheim-James Goldman musical Follies.

Early life

Smith was born in Penticton, British Columbia, the only child of Gladys Mabel Smith (Fitz-Simmons; a Canadian) and Alexander Smith (a Scot). Her family moved to Los Angeles when she was about a year old. Her parents both became naturalized U.S. citizens in 1939, through which she derived her United States citizenship.[1] She grew up in Los Angeles, attending Hollywood High School along with other future talents, including actress Nanette Fabray. Smith made her professional debut performing ballet at the Hollywood Bowl.[2] She was discovered in 1940 at Los Angeles City College, acting in a school production, by a Warner Bros. talent scout.[2]

Warner Bros

Early roles

After being discovered by a talent scout while attending college, Smith was signed to a contract by Warner Bros.[3] Her early film roles were uncredited bit parts in films like Lady with Red Hair (1940), She Couldn't Say No (1940), Flight from Destiny (1941), The Great Mr. Nobody (1941), Here Comes Happiness (1941), Affectionately Yours (1941), Singapore Woman (1941), Passage from Hong Kong (1941) and Three Sons o' Guns (1941). Her first credited role was in the feature film Dive Bomber (1941), playing the female lead opposite Errol Flynn. It was a "decorative" part but the film was very successful.[4] Warners decided to build her up as a star.[5] She had a support role in The Smiling Ghost (1941) and appeared with her future husband Craig Stevens in Steel Against the Sky (1941), the first time she was top billed.

Stardom

Smith co starred opposite Errol Flynn in Gentleman Jim (1942), one of the most popular movies of the year. Her lead appearance in The Constant Nymph (1943) was well-received and led to bigger parts.[6]

After a cameo dancing in Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943), Smith appeared opposite Fredric March in The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944), and starred alongside Ann Sheridan in The Doughgirls (1944). She had another cameo in Hollywood Canteen (1944) then co starred with Jack Benny in The Horn Blows at Midnight (1945).

Smith co-starred with Humphrey Bogart in Conflict (1945) and Robert Alda in the George Gershwin biopic Rhapsody In Blue (1945). She liked her part in the latter because "while a heavy of sorts I get to do the unexpected."[4]

She was reunited with Flynn in San Antonio (1945) in which she sang a special version of the popular ballad "Some Sunday Morning"; the movie was a huge hit.[7]

Smith appeared with Sheridan again in One More Tomorrow (1946) then Cary Grant in a sanitized, fictionalized version of the life of Cole and Linda Porter in Night and Day (1946); the latter was another box office success.

Smith appeared alongside Eleanor Parker and Paul Henreid in Of Human Bondage (1946), then did a second film with Bogart, The Two Mrs. Carrolls (1947); Hopper described the latter as "a typical Alexis Smith role".[4] She later said of her Warners years "more often than not I played the other woman."[8]

Smith made Stallion Road (1948) with Ronald Reagan and The Woman in White (1948) with Parker. She was top billed in The Decision of Christopher Blake (1948) which was announced as an attempt to change her image instead of being just "a mirror to reflect others' emotions".[9]

She co starred with Dane Clark in Whiplash (1948), was Joel McCrea's leading lady in South of St. Louis (1949) then worked with Zachary Scott in One Last Fling (1949). MGM borrowed her for a Clark Gable film Any Number Can Play (1950) then she made one last movie with Flynn, Montana (1950).[9]

In October 1949 Smith was granted a release from her contract with Warner Bros after refusing being loaned out to Universal for a role in Shoplifter (1950) (she was replaced by Andrea King).[10] She had been at the studio for nine years, having signed a four-year deal in 1946 that had the option of going to 1953.[11]

After Warners

Smith went to Universal to appear in Wyoming Mail (1950), a Western with Stephen McNally, and Undercover Girl (1950) a film noir. She played a shy aristocrat who is coached out of her staid shell by Bing Crosby to rival Jane Wyman in Paramount's Here Comes the Groom (1951), her favorite role.[12] At Universal she made Cave of Outlaws (1951) with MacDonald Carey then back at Paramount was in The Turning Point (1952) with William Holden.[13]

She received excellent reviews for playing Private Lives on stage with Victor Jory.[14]

Smith was in Split Second (1953) at RKO with McNally then went to England to star in The Sleeping Tiger (1954) with Dirk Bogarde for Joseph Losey.

In 1953 she appeared on stage in Bell Book and Candle with Victor Jory.[15]

She began appearing in television on shows such as The Star and the Story, Stage 7, The 20th Century-Fox Hour, , Robert Montgomery Presents, Lux Video Theatre, Schlitz Playhouse, and The United States Steel Hour.

At Republic she made The Eternal Sea (1955) with Sterling Hayden. She had no offers so signed to go on tour with her husband in a production of Plain and Fancy which meant she missed out on roles in the films Serenade and The Toy Tiger.[16]

Smith was in Beau James (1957) with Bob Hope,[17] This Happy Feeling (1958) with Curt Jurgens and The Young Philadelphians with Paul Newman (1959).

She also appeared on a Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis radio (NBC) broadcast on January 25, 1952.[18]

Stage career

While Smith was under contract at Warner Bros., she met fellow actor Craig Stevens; they wed in 1944. In her later years, Smith toured in several stage hits including the 1955 National company of Plain and Fancy, Jean Kerr's Mary, Mary, Any Wednesday and Cactus Flower, all co-starring her husband.

In the 1960s Smith continued to work on television with roles in Adventures in Paradise, Michael Shayne, The Defenders, The Governor & J.J., and Marcus Welby, M.D..

Smith appeared on the cover of the May 3, 1971 issue of Time as the result of the critical acclaim for her singing and dancing role in Hal Prince's Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim's Follies, which marked her long-awaited Broadway debut. In 1972, she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance.[18] [19]

Her stage career continued through the 1970s, with appearances in the 1973 all-star revival of The Women (1973), the short-lived re-working of William Inge's drama Picnic, re-titled Summer Brave (1975), and the ill-fated musical Platinum (1978), which earned Smith another Tony nomination for her performance but closed after a brief run.[20]

She starred in several regional productions of Applause and then toured for more than a year as the madam in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, including a seven-month run in Los Angeles.

She continued to appear on TV in movies like Nightside and shows such as The Lives of Benjamin Franklin. She also performed in nightclubs.[21]

Later work

Smith returned to the big screen with star billing at the age of 54 in Jacqueline Susann's Once Is Not Enough (1975) opposite Kirk Douglas, followed by The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane with Martin Sheen and Jodie Foster the following year and Casey's Shadow with Walter Matthau in 1978.[18] She and her husband appeared in Losey's The Trout (1982.

One of her later film roles came in 1986, again with Douglas when he reunited with frequent co-star Burt Lancaster for the comedy Tough Guys. Smith had a recurring role on the television series Dallas as the mentally unstable Lady Jessica Montford in 1984, and again in 1990.[22] She starred in the short-lived 1988 series Hothouse, and was nominated for an Emmy Award for her guest appearance on Cheers in 1990.[18] Her last film role was in The Age of Innocence (1993).

Death

Alexis Smith died of brain cancer in Los Angeles on June 9, 1993, the day after her 72nd birthday. She had no children; her sole survivor was her husband of 49 years, actor Craig Stevens. Smith's final film, The Age of Innocence (1993), was released shortly after her death. Her body was cremated and her ashes were scattered over the Pacific Ocean.[23]

Filmography

Film

Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
1940Alice in MovielandGuest at Carlo'sShort, Uncredited
Lady with Red HairGirl at WeddingUncredited
She Couldn't Say NoPhone Gossip #4Uncredited
1941Flight from DestinyGirlUncredited
data-sort-value="Great Mr. Nobody, The" The Great Mr. NobodyWoman in officeUncredited
Here Comes HappinessBlondeUncredited
Affectionately YoursBridesmaidUncredited
Singapore WomanMiss OswaldUncredited
Three Sons o' GunsActressUncredited
Passage from Hong KongNightclub dancerUncredited
data-sort-value="Smiling Ghost, The" The Smiling GhostElinor Bentleywith Wayne Morris and Brenda Marshall
Steel Against the SkyHelen Powerswith Lloyd Nolan and Craig Stevens[24]
Dive BomberMrs. Linda Fisher1 of 4 with Errol Flynn
1942Gentleman JimVictoria Ware2 of 4 with Errol Flynn
1943data-sort-value="Constant Nymph, The" The Constant NymphFlorence Creightonwith Charles Boyer and Joan Fontaine
Thank Your Lucky StarsHerself
1944data-sort-value="Adventures of Mark Twain, The" The Adventures of Mark TwainOlivia Langdon ClemensWith Fredric March
data-sort-value="Doughgirls, The" The DoughgirlsNan Curtiss Dillonwith Ann Sheridan and Jane Wyman
Hollywood CanteenHerself
1945data-sort-value="Horn Blows at Midnight, The" The Horn Blows at MidnightElizabethWith Jack Benny
ConflictEvelyn Turner1 of 2 with Humphrey Bogart
Rhapsody in BlueChristine Gilbertwith Robert Alda and Joan Leslie
San AntonioJeanne Star3 of 4 with Errol Flynn
1946One More TomorrowCecelia Henrywith Ann Sheridan and Dennis Morgan
Night and DayLinda Lee PorterWith Cary Grant
Of Human BondageNora Nesbittwith Paul Henreid and Eleanor Parker
1947data-sort-value="Two Mrs. Carrolls, The" The Two Mrs. CarrollsCecily Latham2 of 2 with Humphrey Bogart and Barbara Stanwyck
Stallion RoadRory TellerWith Ronald Reagan
Always TogetherThe BrideUncredited
1948data-sort-value="Woman in White, The" The Woman in WhiteMarian Halcombewith Sidney Greenstreet and Eleanor Parker
data-sort-value="Decision of Christopher Blake, The" The Decision of Christopher BlakeEvelyn Blakewith Ted Donaldson
WhiplashLaurie Durantwith Dane Clark
1949South of St. LouisRouge de Lislewith Joel McCrea
Any Number Can PlayLon KyngWith Clark Gable
One Last FlingOlivia Pearcewith Zachary Scott
1950MontanaMaria Singleton4 of 4 with Errol Flynn
Wyoming MailMary Williamswith Stephen McNally
Undercover GirlChristine Millerwith Scott Brady and Gladys George
1951Here Comes the GroomWinifred StanleyWith Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman
Cave of OutlawsElizabeth Trentwith Macdonald Carey
1952data-sort-value="Turning Point, The" The Turning PointAmanda WaycrossWith William Holden
1953Split SecondKay Garvenwith Stephen McNally and Jan Sterling
1954data-sort-value="Sleeping Tiger, The" The Sleeping TigerGlenda Esmondwith Dirk Bogarde
1955data-sort-value="Eternal Sea, The" The Eternal SeaSue Hoskinswith Sterling Hayden
1957Beau JamesAllie WalkerWith Bob Hope
1958This Happy FeelingNita HollawayDirected by Blake Edwards; with Curt Jurgens and Debbie Reynolds
1959data-sort-value="Young Philadelphians, The" The Young PhiladelphiansCarol WhartonWith Paul Newman
1974Intriga de otros mundos
1975Once Is Not EnoughDeirdre Milford GrangerWith Kirk Douglas
1976data-sort-value="Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane, The" The Little Girl Who Lives Down the LaneMrs. HalletWith Jodie Foster
1978Casey's ShadowSarah BlueWith Walter Matthau
1982data-sort-value="Trout, The" The Trout (aka La Truite)Gloriawith Isabelle Huppert and Craig Stevens
1986Tough GuysBelleWith Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas
1993data-sort-value="Age of Innocence, The" The Age of InnocenceLuisa van der LuydenDirected by Martin Scorsese (final film role)

Television

Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
1955Stage 7Caroline Taylor1 episode
1956data-sort-value="20th Century Fox Hour, The" The 20th Century Fox HourEmily Hefferan1 episode
data-sort-value="Joseph Cotten Show, The" The Joseph Cotten ShowLibby Wilson1 episode, "We Who Love Her"
1958Schlitz Playhouse of StarsVivian Braxton1 episode
1959Adventures in ParadiseLoraine Lucas1 episode
1960Michael ShayneNora Carroll1 episode
1965data-sort-value="Defenders, The" The DefendersCarol Defoe1 episode
1970data-sort-value="Governor & J.J., The" The Governor & J.J.Leslie Carroll1 episode
1971Marcus Welby, M.D.Evie Craig1 episode (co-starring Craig Stevens)
1972Bob Hope SpecialGuest Starairing October 5, 1972
1973NightsideSmittyTelevision movie
Alternative title: A Very Special Place
1982data-sort-value="Love Boat, The" The Love BoatSeason 6: Episodes 8 & 9. November 13, 1982
"The Spoonmaker Diamond"/"Papa Doc"/"The Role Model"/"Julie's Tycoon – Parts 1 & 2"
1984DallasLady Jessica Farlow MontfordSeason 7: Episodes 24–30
1984data-sort-value="Love Boat, The" The Love BoatAngela LovettSeason 7: Episodes 25 & 26. May 5, 1984
"Dreamboat"/"Gopher, Isaac & the Starlet"/"The Parents"/"The Importance of Being Johnny"/"Julie and the Producer – Parts 1 & 2"
1985data-sort-value="Death in California, A" A Death in CaliforniaHoney NivenTelevision miniseries
1985data-sort-value="Love Boat, The" The Love BoatJustina DowneySeason 9: Episodes 4 & 5. November 2, 1985
"The Villa"/"The Racer's Edge"/"Love or Money"/"The Accident – Parts 1 & 2"
-1986Dress GrayMrs. Iris RylanderTelevision movie
1988HothouseLily Garrison Shannon7 episodes
1988Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Holiday AffairTessa MenardTelevision movie
1990DallasLady Jessica Farlow MontfordSeason 13: Episodes 23, 24, 26, 27
1990LolaPhoebeTelevision movie
1990CheersProfessor Alice Anne Volkman1 episode, nominated for an Emmy

Stage work

References

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Bubbeo 2001, p. 211.
  2. Monush 2003, pg. 69.
  3. Donnelley 2005, p. 867.
  4. Alexis Smith Rejected Fancy Name From Studio: Screen Actress Third Hollywood School 'Find' Alexis Likes Role Change Alexis Smith Says She's Happy When Roles Change", Los Angeles Times, September 23, 1945: B1.
  5. "Miss Alexis Smith Getting Buildup", The Washington Post August 10, 1941: L2.
  6. https://www.variety.com/article/VR107673.html?categoryid=25&cs=1 Variety
  7. Glancy, H. Mark. "Warner Bros film grosses, 1921–51." Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television. March 1995
  8. Alexis Smith is a star of survival: Alexis Smith: Beautiful, yes, but brains and talent are trademarks of her survivalKleiman, Carol. Chicago Tribune May 26, 1980: a5.
  9. New Alexis Smith to Make Her Debut: New Alexis Smith to Make BowScott, John L. Los Angeles Times November 28, 1948: D1.
  10. Alexis Smith Replaced for Jilting PictureLos Angeles Times October 24, 1949: 2.
  11. ALEXIS SMITH GETS CONTRACT RELEASE: Warners Free Actress Who Refused 'Shoplifter' Role, but Deny Bacall Request New York Times October 29, 1949: 9.
  12. Alexis Smith Gets Crosby Picture RoleHopper, Hedda. Los Angeles Times November 24, 1950: B6.
  13. Drama: Alexis Smith Gets Lead With HoldenLos Angeles Times September 14, 1951: B8.
  14. Alexis Smith Hunts Super Role After Shining Success on Stage: Alexis Smith Hunting for Super RoleStrong, E J. Los Angeles Times November 30, 1952: E1.
  15. Victor Jory, Alexis Smith Star in van Druten ComedyBy Edwin F. Melvin. The Christian Science Monitor June 16, 1953: 11.
  16. Alexis Smith Got That Old H'wood TreatmentBy Hedda Hopper; Hollywood. The Washington Post and Times-Herald October 2, 1955: H7.
  17. Star Alexis Smith Tops Most Leading LadiesChicago Daily Tribune November 10, 1957: e11.
  18. Maltin 1994, p. 824.
  19. Alexis Smith to Stay With 'Follies'Los Angeles Times July 1, 1971: f12.
  20. Alexis Smith Shines in an Empty New MusicalBy EDWIN WILSON. Wall Street Journal November 17, 1978: 25.
  21. Alexis Smith's Ageless GraceLane, Lydia. Los Angeles Times January 9, 1977: g9.
  22. Clark, Kenneth R., "Alexis Smith in 'Dallas' to stir up more trouble", Chicago Tribune, March 23, 1984.
  23. Cozad 2006, p. 112.
  24. Book: Ladd, Harry S.. VIII. Sweet Springs area – West Virginia, Virginia, August 22 – November 3, 1941; February 21 – March 28, 1942. 1941. [s.n.]. 10.5962/bhl.title.132196.
  25. Kirby 1952, p. 48