Frank Kent Smith (March 19, 1907 – April 23, 1985) was an American actor who had a lengthy career in film, theatre and television.

Early years

Smith was the son of Mr. and Mrs. James E. Smith. He was born in New York City and was educated at Lincoln School,

Phillips Exeter Academy (not for oneself) la, Finis Origine Pendet (The End Depends Upon the Beginning) gr, Χάριτι Θεοῦ (By the Grace of God) , location = 20 Main Street , city = Exeter, New Hampshire , zipcode ...

Exeter, New Hampshire Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 16,049 at the 2020 census, up from 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood. ...

, and at Harvard University.

Stage

Smith's early acting experience started in 1925 when he was one of the founders of the Harvard University Players, which later included

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and Margaret Sullavan in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Smith's stock experience included productions with the Maryland Theatre in Baltimore. His professional acting debut was in 1929 in ''Blind Window'' in Baltimore. He made his Broadway acting debut in 1932 in ''Men Must Fight''. He appeared on Broadway in ''

Measure for Measure ''Measure for Measure'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604 and first performed in 1604, according to available records. It was published in the ''First Folio'' of 1623. The play's plot features its ...

,'' ''Sweet Love Remembered,'' '' The Best Man'', ''

Ah, Wilderness! ''Ah, Wilderness!'' is a comedy by American playwright Eugene O'Neill that premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on October 2, 1933. It differs from a typical O'Neill play in its happy ending for the central character, and depiction of a ...

'', '' Dodsworth'' (1934), '' Saint Joan'' (1936), ''

Old Acquaintance ''Old Acquaintance'' is a 1943 American drama film released by Warner Bros. It was directed by Vincent Sherman and produced by Henry Blanke with Jack L. Warner as executive producer. The film was adapted from a screenplay by John Van Druten, Len ...

'' (1941), ''

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' (First Folio title: ''The Tragedie of Anthonie, and Cleopatra'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed, by the King's Men, at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre in around ...

'' (1948) and ''

Bus Stop A bus stop is a place where buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelters, seating, and possibly electronic passenger ...

'' (1956).

Film

Smith moved to Hollywood, California, where he made his film debut in ''

The Garden Murder Case ''The Garden Murder Case'' (first published in 1935) is the ninth in a series of mystery novels by S. S. Van Dine about fictional detective Philo Vance. Plot outline Floyd, the son of Professor Garden, invites his socialite friends to the rooft ...

''. His biggest successes occurred during the 1940s in films such as '' Cat People'' (1942), '' Hitler's Children'' (1943), '' This Land Is Mine'' (1943), ''

Three Russian Girls ''Three Russian Girls'' (also known as ''She Who Dares'') is a 1943 American World War II pro-Soviet propaganda film produced by R-F Productions and distributed by United Artists. It is a remake of the Soviet film '' The Girl from Leningrad'' (194 ...

'' (1943), ''

Youth Runs Wild ''Youth Runs Wild'' is a 1944 B movie directed by Mark Robson and starring Bonita Granville, Kent Smith, Jean Brooks, Glen Vernon and Vanessa Brown. The plot concerns inattentive parents and juvenile delinquency. The film was produced by Val Lewt ...

'' (1944), ''

The Curse of the Cat People ''The Curse of the Cat People'' is a 1944 American psychological fantasy thriller filmEggert, Brian (October 22, 2017)"The Curse of the Cat People" Deep Focus Review. Retrieved 2019-03-16. directed by Gunther von Fritsch and Robert Wise, produce ...

'' (1944), '' The Spiral Staircase'' (1946), ''

Nora Prentiss ''Nora Prentiss'' is a 1947 American film noir drama film directed by Vincent Sherman and starring Ann Sheridan, Kent Smith, Bruce Bennett, and Robert Alda. It was produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The cinematography is by James Wong Howe ...

'' (1947), ''

Magic Town ''Magic Town'' is a 1947 comedy film directed by William A. Wellman and starring James Stewart and Jane Wyman. The picture is one of the first films about the then-new practice of public opinion polling. The film was inspired by the Middletown ...

'' (1947), '' My Foolish Heart'' (1949), ''

The Fountainhead ''The Fountainhead'' is a 1943 novel by Russian-American author Ayn Rand, her first major literary success. The novel's protagonist, Howard Roark, is an intransigent young architect, who battles against conventional standards and refuses to com ...

'' (1949), and ''

The Damned Don't Cry ''The Damned Don't Cry'' is a 1950 American film noir crime-drama directed by Vincent Sherman and featuring Joan Crawford, David Brian, and Steve Cochran. It tells of a woman's involvement with an organized crime boss and his subordinates. The s ...

'' (1950). He continued acting in films such as ''

Comanche The Comanche or Nʉmʉnʉʉ ( com, Nʉmʉnʉʉ, "the people") are a Native American tribe from the Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the federally recognized Comanche Nation, headquartered in La ...

'' (1956), ''

Sayonara ''Sayonara'' is a 1957 American Technicolor drama film starring Marlon Brando in Technirama. It tells the story of an American Air Force fighter pilot during the Korean War who falls in love with a famous Japanese dancer. The picture won four Ac ...

'' (1957), ''

Party Girl A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature ...

'' (1958), ''

The Mugger ''The Mugger'' is a 1958 American film noir crime film about a police psychiatrist who is attempting to catch a mysterious mugger that has been attacking women in his city, stealing their purses and slashing their left cheek. The film is a police ...

'' (1958), ''

Imitation General ''Imitation General'' is a 1958 black-and-white comedy war film in CinemaScope, directed by George Marshall, produced by William B. Hawks, and starring Glenn Ford, Red Buttons, and Taina Elg. The film, distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, is base ...

'' (1958), '' The Badlanders'' (1958), '' This Earth Is Mine'' (1959), '' Strangers When We Meet'' (1960), '' Susan Slade'' (1961), ''

The Balcony ''The Balcony'' (french: Le Balcon) is a play by the French dramatist Jean Genet. It is set in an unnamed city that is experiencing a revolutionary uprising in the streets; most of the action takes place in an upmarket brothel that functions as a ...

'' (1963), ''

A Distant Trumpet ''A Distant Trumpet'' is a 1964 American Western film, the last directed by Raoul Walsh. It stars Troy Donahue, Suzanne Pleshette and Diane McBain. The screenplay by John Twist, Albert Beich and Richard Fielder is based on the 1960 novel of th ...

'' (1964), ''

Youngblood Hawke ''Youngblood Hawke'' is a 1962 novel by American writer Herman Wouk about the rise and fall of a talented young writer of hardscrabble Kentucky origin who briefly becomes the toast of literary New York City. The plot was suggested by the life o ...

'' (1964), '' The Young Lovers'' (1964), '' The Trouble with Angels'' (1966), ''

A Covenant with Death ''A Covenant with Death'' is a 1967 American legal drama film directed by Lamont Johnson (in his feature directorial debut), from a screenplay by Lawrence B. Marcus and Saul Levitt, based on the 1964 novel of the same name by Stephen Becker. The ...

'' (1967), ''

Games A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such ...

'' (1967), ''

The Money Jungle ''The Money Jungle'' is a 1968 American drama film directed by Francis D. Lyon and written by Charles A. Wallace. The film stars John Ericson, Lola Albright, Leslie Parrish, Nehemiah Persoff, Charles Drake, Kent Smith and Don Rickles. The film ...

'' (1968), ''

Kona Coast Kona is a ''moku'' or district on the Hawaii (island), Big Island of Hawaii in the State of Hawaii, known for its Kona coffee and the location of the Ironman World Championship Triathlon. In the current system of administration of Hawaii County ...

'' (1968), '' Assignment to Kill'' (1968), ''

Death of a Gunfighter ''Death of a Gunfighter'' is a 1969 American Western film directed by Allen Smithee and starring Richard Widmark and Lena Horne. and features an original score by Oliver Nelson. The theme of the film is the "passing" of the West, the clash betw ...

'' (1969), '' The Games'' (1970), ''

Pete 'n' Tillie ''Pete 'n' Tillie'' is a 1972 American comedy-drama film directed by Martin Ritt and starring Walter Matthau and Carol Burnett. Its advertising tagline was: "Honeymoon's over. It's time to get married." Screenwriter Julius J. Epstein was nomina ...

'' (1972), ''

Die Sister, Die! ''Die Sister, Die!'' (also known as ''The Companion'') is a 1978 American thriller film (filmed in 1972) directed by Randall Hood. Plot summary Edward (Jack Ging) is tired of the "allowance" granted him by his sister Amanda ( Edith Atwater) and ...

'' (1972), ''

Lost Horizon ''Lost Horizon'' is a 1933 novel by English writer James Hilton. The book was turned into a film, also called '' Lost Horizon'', in 1937 by director Frank Capra. It is best remembered as the origin of Shangri-La, a fictional utopian lamas ...

'' (1973) and ''

Billy Jack Goes to Washington ''Billy Jack Goes to Washington'' is a 1977 American political drama film starring Tom Laughlin, the fourth film in the ''Billy Jack'' series, and although the earlier films saw enormous success, this film did not. The film only had limited sc ...

'' (1977). During World War II, Smith served as a private in the U.S. Army, making training films covering among others, medical, dental, artillery, and electronics.

Television

Regular cast

Kent Smith played the imperious Dr. Morton on the popular series '' Peyton Place'' with his actual wife (

Edith Atwater Edith Atwater (April 22, 1911 – March 14, 1986) was an American stage, film, and television actress. Career Born in Chicago, Atwater made her Broadway debut in 1933. In 1939, she starred in ''The Man Who Came to Dinner''. Her film career i ...

) cast as Mrs. Morton. Smith played Edgar Scoville in the second season of the science-fiction series ''

The Invaders ''The Invaders'' is an American science-fiction television series created by Larry Cohen that aired on ABC for two seasons, from 1967 to 1968. Roy Thinnes stars as David Vincent, who after stumbling across evidence of an in-progress invasion ...

'' (1967-1968) and was a host for the anthology series ''Philip Morris Playhouse'' (1953-1954).

Guest appearances

Smith had roles in TV movies such as ''

How Awful About Allan ''How Awful About Allan'' is a 1970 American made-for-television horror psychological thriller film directed by Curtis Harrington, the first of two collaborations with writer Henry Farrell (the other was ''What's the Matter with Helen?''), and ...

'' (1970), '' The Night Stalker'' (1972), ''

The Judge and Jake Wyler ''The Judge and Jake Wyler'' is a 1972 American TV movie directed by David Lowell Rich. The teleplay was written by Richard Levinson, William Link, and David Shaw. It was produced by Universal Television and broadcast by NBC on December 2, 1972. T ...

'' (1972), ''The Cat Creature'' (1973), '' The Affair'' (1973) and ''

The Disappearance of Flight 412 ''The Disappearance of Flight 412'' is a 1974 made-for-television science fiction drama film starring Glenn Ford, Bradford Dillman, David Soul and Guy Stockwell. The film was shown as an NBC World Premiere Movie in 1974. Plot U.S. Air Force Colon ...

'' (1974). His numerous television credits included a continuing role in '' Peyton Place'' as Dr. Robert Morton. He began guest-starring in television series in 1949 in ''

The Philco Television Playhouse ''The Philco Television Playhouse'' is an American television anthology series that was broadcast live on NBC from 1948 to 1955. Produced by Fred Coe, the series was sponsored by Philco. It was one of the most respected dramatic shows of the Golde ...

'' and appeared in ''

Robert Montgomery Presents ''Robert Montgomery Presents'' is an American dramatic television series which was produced by NBC from January 30, 1950, until June 24, 1957. The live show had several sponsors during its eight-year run, and the title was altered to feature the ...

'', ''

General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' was an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...

'', ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was ren ...

'', '' Naked City'', '' Have Gun Will Travel'', ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'', ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

'' (in 1963 as "Dakota", an aging gunslinger in “The Glory & The Mud” (S9E14), ''

The Beverly Hillbillies ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from 1962 to 1971. It had an ensemble cast featuring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor, backwoods family from ...

'', '' Rawhide'', ''

The Americans ''The Americans'' is an American historical drama, period spy fiction, spy drama television series created by Joe Weisberg that aired on the FX (TV channel), FX television network for six seasons from January 30, 2013, to May 30, 2018. Weisberg ...

'', ''

Barnaby Jones ''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law, who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, California. The show was or ...

'', ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings. It ...

'' (in 1957 as "Professor Paul Owens" - husband to Shelley Winters - in "The Ruth Owens Story" (S1E3), '' The Outer Limits'', ''

Mission Impossible ''Mission: Impossible'' is a multimedia franchise based on a fictional secret espionage agency known as the Impossible Missions Force (IMF). The 1966 TV series ran for seven seasons and was revived in 1988 for two seasons. It inspired a serie ...

'' ("The Confession" 1/22 (1967), ''

Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, ''The Twilight Zone ...

'', and the 1976 miniseries '' Once an Eagle''. His last appearance was in a 1977 episode of ''

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...

''.

Personal life

Smith was married to actress Betty Gillette from 1937 until 1954 and to actress

from 1962 until his death from

congestive heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, a ...

in Woodland Hills, California at the age of 78. He was survived by his wife and daughter. Smith was a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

and campaigned for

Dwight Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

in the 1952 presidential election.''Motion Picture and Television Magazine'', November 1952, page 34, Ideal Publishers In 1961, he said: "I'm capricious when there's a national election. My background's Republican, but whenever I'm planted in a city long enough to vote on the local level, I find I'm against whoever is in office."

Filmography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Kent 1907 births 1985 deaths American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors Male actors from New York City 20th-century American male actors New York (state) Republicans California Republicans Military personnel from New York City Harvard University alumni