Ralph Smart
   HOME
*





Ralph Smart
Ralph Foster Smart (27 August 1908 – 12 February 2001) was a film and television producer, director, and writer, born in England to Australian parents. Biography Smart found work in Britain with Anthony Asquith and later alongside the film director Michael Powell, whom he assisted with 'quota quickies': low-budget B-pictures to meet a legal commitment to the British film industry under the Cinematograph Films Act 1927. During the Second World War, Smart joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1942 and served until 1945. Afterward he worked for the Rank Organisation and Ealing Studios, returning to Australia to direct several films beginning with '' The Overlanders'' and including '' Bitter Springs'' (1950), addressing the mistreatment of young Aborigines. Back again in Britain, he became an influential figure in ITC television, producing, directing or writing a number of television series and films, including the 1950s series ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' and ''The Invi ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


:Template:Infobox Writer/doc
Infobox writer may be used to summarize information about a person who is a writer/author (includes screenwriters). If the writer-specific fields here are not needed, consider using the more general ; other infoboxes there can be found in :People and person infobox templates. This template may also be used as a module (or sub-template) of ; see WikiProject Infoboxes/embed for guidance on such usage. Syntax The infobox may be added by pasting the template as shown below into an article. All fields are optional. Any unused parameter names can be left blank or omitted. Parameters Please remove any parameters from an article's infobox that are unlikely to be used. All parameters are optional. Unless otherwise specified, if a parameter has multiple values, they should be comma-separated using the template: : which produces: : , language= If any of the individual values contain commas already, add to use semi-colons as separators: : which produces: : , ps ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


ITC Entertainment
The Incorporated Television Company (ITC), or ITC Entertainment as it was referred to in the United States, was a British company involved in production and distribution of television programmes. History Incorporated Television Programme Company Television mogul Lew Grade set up the Incorporated Television Programme Company (ITP) with Prince Littler and Val Parnell in 1954. Originally designed to be a contractor for the UK's new ITV network, the company failed to win a contract when the Independent Television Authority felt that doing so would give too much control in the entertainment business to the Grade family's companies (which included large talent agencies and theatre interests) although the ITA said that ITP were free to make their own programmes which they could sell to the new network companies. ITP put most of the production budget into producing one show, ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (ITV, 1955–59). However, the winner of one of the contracts, the Associated Br ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Crime Unlimited
''Crime Unlimited'' is a 1935 British crime film that was made as a Quota quickie. It was directed by Ralph Ince. The film marked the English-language debut of Lilli Palmer. Plot The Merrick gang pull off a diamond robbery and murder a police officer investigating their crimes. A paper with the cryptic writing "AD 1935" is found on the murdered officer's body. Outsmarted by the gang, the police assistant commissioner and Inspector Cardby decide to have Pete Borden, a new recruit who the gang would not know, go undercover and join the gang. When he enters a casino, Natascha is sent to check him out. He pretends to be looking for a fence to sell his stolen jewelry. Reassured, the gang recruits him. Merrick (the gang's mysterious leader who never lets anyone see him face to face) first assigns him to check on Delaney, a crooked bookie. Pete then meets Newell, a lawyer. The gang then installs Pete in a flat; he tosses a note containing the address to a policeman when no one is lookin ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  




The Phantom Light
''The Phantom Light'' is a 1935 British crime film, a low-budget "quota quickie" directed by Michael Powell and starring Binnie Hale, Gordon Harker, Donald Calthrop, Milton Rosmer and Ian Hunter. The screenplay concerns criminals who try to scare a new chief lighthouse keeper on the Welsh coast, in an attempt to distract him from their scheme. Plot Sam Higgins alights at the train station for the Welsh village of Tan-Y-Bwlch to take over the North Stack lighthouse, which is believed by the locals to be haunted. There, he meets Alice Bright. She asks him to take her along to the lighthouse, explaining that she belongs to a "psychic society" and wants to investigate the "legend of the phantom lighthouse". He turns her down. Sam reports to Harbour Master David Owen, who informs him that Jack Davis, Sam's predecessor, "just disappeared", as did the chief lighthouse keeper before him. Owen confirms there was a major shipwreck a year ago, caused, so he believes, by the phantom light. ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


The Murder Party
''The Night of the Party'' is a 1934 British mystery thriller film directed by Michael Powell and starring Leslie Banks, Ian Hunter, Jane Baxter, Ernest Thesiger and Malcolm Keen. In the United States it was released as ''The Murder Party''. It was made at the Lime Grove Studios in Shepherd's Bush. The art direction was by Alfred Junge, later a regular contributor to the films of Powell and Pressburger. Synopsis After inviting guests to a dinner party the ruthless press baron Lord Studholme is found murdered during a party game. The investigating detectives have to work out which of the guests had the motive to murder him. Cast Critical reception ''Kinematograph Weekly'' wrote in 1934, "Direction and production lack that slickness and kick which is so essential to the complete success of this type of manufactured thriller. Few of the stage favourites comprising the cast succeed in adapting their technique to the requirements of the screen." the reviewer however singled out Vio ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Born Lucky (film)
''Born Lucky'' is a 1933 British rags to riches musical-comedy drama, directed by Michael Powell and starring Rene Ray and John Longden. The screenplay was adapted from the 1928 novel ''Mops'' by Marguerite Florence Barclay. ''Born Lucky'' is one of eleven quota quickies directed by Powell between 1931 and 1936 of which no print is known to survive. The film is not held in the BFI National Archive (nor in this case do they even hold any stills or publicity material), and is classed as "missing, believed lost". This was the first film that the great cinematographer Oswald Morris worked on as a clapper boy. Plot Mops (Ray), so called because of her striking curly hair, is an orphan living in the East End of London with her guardian Turnips (Talbot O'Farrell), whose nickname derives from his craft of carving flowers out of vegetables, which he sells to earn a few extra coppers to augment his income as a lighting-man at the local music hall. Mops performs there and earns a li ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


His Lordship (1932 Film)
''His Lordship'' is a 1932 British musical comedy film directed by Michael Powell. It was made as a Quota quickie. Plot Cheerful Cockney Bert Gibbs inherits a title from his father and becomes Lord Thornton Heath. However, then he meets up with movie star Ilya Myona and when his mother asks about her, Bert implies they are engaged. After some adventures with some dubious Russian types, Bert's girl Lenina eventually wins him back. Cast * Jerry Verno as Bert Gibbs aka Albert Lord Thornheath * Ben Welden as Washington Roosevelt Lincoln * Polly Ward as Leninia * Peter Gawthorne as Ferguson, the Butler * Muriel George as Mrs. Emma Gibbs * Michael Hogan as Comrade Curzon * V.C. Clinton-Baddeley as Comrade Howard Subsequent history ''His Lordship'' was declared to be "Missing, Believed Lost" by the British Film Institute, but a copy was subsequently found. It was put onto safety film and shown at the NFT A non-fungible token (NFT) is a unique digital identifier that cannot be ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  




Hotel Splendide (1932 Film)
''Hotel Splendide'' is a 1932 British comedy drama film directed by Michael Powell. It was made as a Quota quickie. Plot Jerry Mason inherits the Hotel Splendide at Speymouth but is disappointed when he sees it is a quiet place with few permanent residents. Gentleman Charlie, a jewel thief arrives after a long spell in prison expecting to be able to dig up the pearls he had buried - only to find the hotel has been built on the site. Cast * Jerry Verno as Jerry Mason * Anthony Holles as 'Mrs.LeGrange' * Edgar Norfolk as 'Gentleman Charlie' * Philip Morant as Mr.Meek * Sybil Grove as Mrs.Harkness * Vera Sherborne as Joyce Dacre * Paddy Browne as Miss Meek * Michael Powell as Bugging device engineer (uncredited) Production Made for £4,000 for Gaumont-British, the film features one of the earliest cinematic uses of Gounod's "Funeral March of the Marionettes", better known as the theme music for '' Alfred Hitchcock Presents''. Critical reception In contemporary reviews, '' Pict ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


The Star Reporter
''The Star Reporter'' is a 1932 British crime drama, directed by Michael Powell and starring Harold French and Garry Marsh. The screenplay was adapted from a story by popular thriller writer Philip MacDonald. ''The Star Reporter'' is one of eleven quota quickies directed by Powell between 1931 and 1936 of which no print is known to survive. The film is not held in the BFI National Archive, and is classed as "missing, believed lost"."Missing Believed Lost - ''The Star Reporter''
powell-pressburger.org Retrieved 12 August 2010
Powell later recalled that the film was brought in on a budget of £3,700, and that he had rented a hand-held camera for £8 and travelled to

picture info

The Woodpigeon Patrol
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the most frequently used word in the English language; studies and analyses of texts have found it to account for seven percent of all printed English-language words. It is derived from gendered articles in Old English which combined in Middle English and now has a single form used with pronouns of any gender. The word can be used with both singular and plural nouns, and with a noun that starts with any letter. This is different from many other languages, which have different forms of the definite article for different genders or numbers. Pronunciation In most dialects, "the" is pronounced as (with the voiced dental fricative followed by a schwa) when followed by a consonant sound, and as (homophone of pronoun ''thee'') when followed by a v ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


A Cottage On Dartmoor
''A Cottage on Dartmoor'' (a.k.a. ''Escape from Dartmoor'') is a 1929 British silent film, directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Norah Baring, Uno Henning and Hans Adalbert Schlettow. The cameraman was Stanley Rodwell. It was the last of Asquith's four silent films, produced exactly on the cusp of the transition from silents to talkies in British cinema, a point which is referenced in the film itself. Plot Joe (Henning) works as a barber in a shop in a Devon town, alongside a manicurist called Sally (Baring). He becomes infatuated with her and asks her out on a date; however the evening turns out awkwardly and it is clear that Sally does not reciprocate Joe's feelings. Despite Sally's lack of interest and through a misunderstanding involving a floral buttonhole, Joe's infatuation with her develops into obsession. Meanwhile, a regular client at the salon, young gentleman farmer Harry (Schlettow), begins to woo Sally, who is much more receptive to his attentions. The couple ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Order Of Australia
The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Government. Before the establishment of the order, Australian citizens received British honours. The Monarch of Australia is sovereign head of the order, while the Governor-General of Australia is the principal companion/dame/knight (as relevant at the time) and chancellor of the order. The governor-general's official secretary, Paul Singer (appointed August 2018), is secretary of the order. Appointments are made by the governor-general on behalf of the Monarch of Australia, based on recommendations made by the Council of the Order of Australia. Recent knighthoods and damehoods were recommended to the governor-general by the Prime Minister of Australia. Levels of membership The order is divided into a general and a military division. ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]