Alexis Smith
{{Short description|Canadian-born American actress (1921–1993)}}
{{for|the American artist|Alexis Smith (artist)}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Alexis Smith
| image = Alexis Smith by Whitey Schafer 2.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = Alexis Smith in 1951
| birthname = Margaret Alexis Smith
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1921|6|8}}
| birth_place = Penticton, British Columbia, Canada
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1993|6|9|1921|6|8}}
| death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| alma_mater = Los Angeles City College
| awards = Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical
| occupation = {{hlist|Actress|pin-up girl|singer}}
| yearsactive = 1940–1993
| spouse = {{marriage|Craig Stevens|1944}}
}}
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
Margaret Alexis Smith was born in Penticton, British Columbia, on June 8, 1921, the only child of Gladys Mabel Smith ({{nee}} 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.Bubbeo 2001, [https://books.google.com/books?id=nmjetV92THsC&pg=PA211 p. 211]. 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.Monush 2003, [https://books.google.com/books?id=toTIb1Ek2WwC&pg=PA689 pg. 69]. She was discovered in 1940 at Los Angeles City College, acting in a school production, by a Warner Bros. talent scout.
Warner Bros
=Early roles=
After being discovered by a talent scout while attending college, Smith was signed to a contract by Warner Bros.Donnelley 2005, p. 867. 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.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. Warners decided to build her up as a star."Miss Alexis Smith Getting Buildup", The Washington Post, August 10, 1941: L2. 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.[https://variety.com/1993/scene/people-news/film-and-legit-actress-alexis-smith-dead-at-72-107673/ Variety] 1993.
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."
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.Glancy, H. Mark. "Warner Bros film grosses, 1921–51." Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television. March 1995
File:Alexis Smith pin-up, Yank, The Army Weekly (1943).png, Yank, the Army Weekly 1943]]
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); Hedda Hopper described the latter as "a typical Alexis Smith role". She later said of her Warners years "more often than not I played the other woman."Alexis Smith is a star of survival: Alexis Smith: Beautiful, yes, but brains and talent are trademarks of her survival
Kleiman, Carol. Chicago Tribune May 26, 1980: a5.
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".New Alexis Smith to Make Her Debut: New Alexis Smith to Make Bow
Scott, John L. Los Angeles Times November 28, 1948: D1.
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).
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).Alexis Smith Replaced for Jilting Picture
Los Angeles Times October 24, 1949: 2. 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.ALEXIS SMITH GETS CONTRACT RELEASE: Warners Free Actress Who Refused 'Shoplifter' Role, but Deny Bacall Request New York Times October 29, 1949: 9.
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.Alexis Smith Gets Crosby Picture Role
Hopper, Hedda. Los Angeles Times November 24, 1950: B6. At Universal she made Cave of Outlaws (1951) with MacDonald Carey then back at Paramount was in The Turning Point (1952) with William Holden.Drama: Alexis Smith Gets Lead With Holden
Los Angeles Times September 14, 1951: B8.
She received excellent reviews for playing Private Lives on stage with Victor Jory.Alexis Smith Hunts Super Role After Shining Success on Stage: Alexis Smith Hunting for Super Role
Strong, E J. Los Angeles Times November 30, 1952: E1.
File:Alexis Smith in Split Second trailer.jpg]]
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.Victor Jory, Alexis Smith Star in van Druten Comedy
By Edwin F. Melvin. The Christian Science Monitor June 16, 1953: 11.
She began appearing in television on shows such as The Star and the Story, Stage 7, The 20th Century-Fox Hour, The Joseph Cotten Show: On Trial, 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.Alexis Smith Got That Old H'wood Treatment
By Hedda Hopper; Hollywood. The Washington Post and Times-Herald October 2, 1955: H7.
Smith was in Beau James (1957) with Bob Hope,Star Alexis Smith Tops Most Leading Ladies
Chicago Daily Tribune November 10, 1957: e11. 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.Maltin 1994, p. 824.
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 as Phyllis Rogers Stone in Hal Prince's Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman'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.Alexis Smith to Stay With 'Follies'
Los Angeles Times July 1, 1971: f12.
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.Alexis Smith Shines in an Empty New Musical
By EDWIN WILSON. Wall Street Journal November 17, 1978: 25.
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.Alexis Smith's Ageless Grace
Lane, Lydia. Los Angeles Times January 9, 1977: g9.
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. 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.
Clark, Kenneth R., "Alexis Smith in 'Dallas' to stir up more trouble", Chicago Tribune, March 23, 1984. She starred in the short-lived 1988 series Hothouse, and was nominated for an Emmy Award for her guest appearance on Cheers in 1990. 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.Cozad 2006, p. 112.
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 90%;"
! colspan="4" style="background: LightSteelBlue;" | Film |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| rowspan=3|1940
| Alice in Movieland | Guest at Carlo's | Short, Uncredited |
| Lady with Red Hair
| Girl at Wedding | Uncredited |
| She Couldn't Say No
| Phone Gossip #4 | Uncredited |
| rowspan=10|1941
| Girl | Uncredited |
| data-sort-value="Great Mr. Nobody, The" | The Great Mr. Nobody
| Woman in office | Uncredited |
| Here Comes Happiness
| Blonde | Uncredited |
| Affectionately Yours
| Bridesmaid | Uncredited |
| Singapore Woman
| Miss Oswald | Uncredited |
| Three Sons o' Guns
| Actress | Uncredited |
| Passage from Hong Kong
| Nightclub dancer | Uncredited |
| data-sort-value="Smiling Ghost, The" | The Smiling Ghost
| Elinor Bentley | with Wayne Morris and Brenda Marshall |
| Steel Against the Sky
| Helen Powers | with Lloyd Nolan and Craig Stevens{{Cite book|title=VIII. Sweet Springs area – West Virginia, Virginia, August 22 – November 3, 1941; February 21 – March 28, 1942|last=Ladd|first=Harry S.|date=1941|publisher=[s.n.]|doi = 10.5962/bhl.title.132196}} |
| Dive Bomber
| Mrs. Linda Fisher | 1 of 4 with Errol Flynn |
| 1942
| Victoria Ware | 2 of 4 with Errol Flynn |
| rowspan=2|1943
| data-sort-value="Constant Nymph, The" | The Constant Nymph | Florence Creighton | with Charles Boyer and Joan Fontaine |
| Thank Your Lucky Stars
| Herself | |
| rowspan=3|1944
| data-sort-value="Adventures of Mark Twain, The" | The Adventures of Mark Twain | Olivia Langdon Clemens | With Fredric March |
| data-sort-value="Doughgirls, The" | The Doughgirls
| Nan Curtiss Dillon | with Ann Sheridan and Jane Wyman |
| Hollywood Canteen
| Herself | |
| rowspan=4|1945
| data-sort-value="Horn Blows at Midnight, The" | The Horn Blows at Midnight | Elizabeth | With Jack Benny |
| Conflict
| Evelyn Turner | 1 of 2 with Humphrey Bogart |
| Rhapsody in Blue
| Christine Gilbert | with Robert Alda and Joan Leslie |
| San Antonio
| Jeanne Star | 3 of 4 with Errol Flynn |
| rowspan=3|1946
| Cecelia Henry | with Ann Sheridan and Dennis Morgan |
| Night and Day
| Linda Lee Porter | With Cary Grant |
| Of Human Bondage
| Nora Nesbitt | with Paul Henreid and Eleanor Parker |
| rowspan=3|1947
| data-sort-value="Two Mrs. Carrolls, The" | The Two Mrs. Carrolls | Cecily Latham | 2 of 2 with Humphrey Bogart and Barbara Stanwyck |
| Stallion Road
| Rory Teller | With Ronald Reagan |
| Always Together
| The Bride | Uncredited |
| rowspan=3|1948
| data-sort-value="Woman in White, The" | The Woman in White | Marian Halcombe | with Sidney Greenstreet and Eleanor Parker |
| data-sort-value="Decision of Christopher Blake, The" | The Decision of Christopher Blake
| Evelyn Blake | with Ted Donaldson |
| Whiplash
| Laurie Durant | with Dane Clark |
| rowspan=3|1949
| Rouge de Lisle | with Joel McCrea |
| Any Number Can Play
| Lon Kyng | With Clark Gable |
| One Last Fling
| Olivia Pearce | with Zachary Scott |
| rowspan=3|1950
| Montana | Maria Singleton | 4 of 4 with Errol Flynn |
| Wyoming Mail
| Mary Williams | with Stephen McNally |
| Undercover Girl
| Christine Miller | with Scott Brady and Gladys George |
| rowspan=2|1951
| Winifred Stanley | With Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman |
| Cave of Outlaws
| Elizabeth Trent | with Macdonald Carey |
| 1952
| data-sort-value="Turning Point, The" | The Turning Point | Amanda Waycross | With William Holden |
| 1953
| Kay Garven | with Stephen McNally and Jan Sterling |
| 1954
| data-sort-value="Sleeping Tiger, The" | The Sleeping Tiger | Glenda Esmond | with Dirk Bogarde |
| 1955
| data-sort-value="Eternal Sea, The" | The Eternal Sea | Sue Hoskins | with Sterling Hayden |
| 1957
| Allie Walker | With Bob Hope |
| 1958
| Nita Hollaway | Directed by Blake Edwards; with Curt Jurgens and Debbie Reynolds |
| 1959
| data-sort-value="Young Philadelphians, The" | The Young Philadelphians | Carol Wharton | With Paul Newman |
| 1974
| Intriga de otros mundos | | |
| 1975
| Deirdre Milford Granger | With Kirk Douglas |
| 1976
| data-sort-value="Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane, The" | The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane | Mrs. Hallet | With Jodie Foster |
| 1978
| Sarah Blue | With Walter Matthau |
| 1982
| data-sort-value="Trout, The" | The Trout (aka La Truite) | Gloria | with Isabelle Huppert and Craig Stevens |
| 1986
| Belle | With Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas |
| 1993
| data-sort-value="Age of Innocence, The" | The Age of Innocence | Luisa van der Luyden | Directed by Martin Scorsese (final film role) |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 90%;" |
| colspan="4" style="background: LightSteelBlue;" | Television |
|---|
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
| 1955
| Stage 7 | Caroline Taylor | 1 episode |
| rowspan=2|1956
| data-sort-value="20th Century Fox Hour, The" | The 20th Century Fox Hour | Emily Hefferan | 1 episode |
| data-sort-value="Joseph Cotten Show, The" | The Joseph Cotten Show
| Libby Wilson | 1 episode, "We Who Love Her" |
| 1958
| Vivian Braxton | 1 episode |
| 1959
| Loraine Lucas | 1 episode |
| 1960
| Michael Shayne | Nora Carroll | 1 episode |
| 1965
| data-sort-value="Defenders, The" | The Defenders | Carol Defoe | 1 episode |
| 1970
| data-sort-value="Governor & J.J., The" | The Governor & J.J. | Leslie Carroll | 1 episode |
| 1971
| Evie Craig | 1 episode (co-starring Craig Stevens) |
| 1972
| Bob Hope Special | Guest Star | airing October 5, 1972 |
| 1973
| Nightside | Smitty | Television movie |
| 1982
| data-sort-value="Love Boat, The" | The Love Boat | | Season 6: Episodes 8 & 9. November 13, 1982 |
| 1984
| Dallas | Lady Jessica Farlow Montford | Season 7: Episodes 24–30 |
| 1984
| data-sort-value="Love Boat, The" | The Love Boat | Angela Lovett | Season 7: Episodes 25 & 26. May 5, 1984 |
| 1985
| data-sort-value="Death in California, A" | A Death in California | Honey Niven | Television miniseries |
| 1985
| data-sort-value="Love Boat, The" | The Love Boat | Justina Downey | Season 9: Episodes 4 & 5. November 2, 1985 |
| 1986
| Mrs. Iris Rylander | Television movie |
| 1988
| Hothouse | Lily Garrison Shannon | 7 episodes |
| 1988
| Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Holiday Affair | Tessa Menard | Television movie |
| 1990
| Dallas | Lady Jessica Farlow Montford | Season 13: Episodes 23, 24, 26, 27 |
| 1990
| Lola | Phoebe | Television movie |
| 1990
| Cheers | Professor Alice Anne Volkman | 1 episode, nominated for an Emmy |
Stage work
- Private Lives (1952)
- Bell, Book and Candle (1953)
- Plain and Fancy (1955 National Tour)
- Wonderful Town (1957)
- Mary, Mary (1965)
- Cactus Flower (1968 National Tour)
- Follies (1971)
- The Women (1973)
- Applause (1973)
- Summer Brave (1975)
- Platinum (1978)
- The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1979–80 National Tour)
- Pal Joey (1983)
- Nymph Errant (1989 Concert)
Radio appearances
| class="wikitable"
! Year !! Program !! Episode/source | ||
| 1952 | Lux Radio Theatre | Submarine CommanderKirby 1952, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2642432/the_decatur_daily_review/ p. 48] {{Open access}} |
See also
- {{Portal-inline|Biography}}
References
=Notes=
{{Reflist|30em}}
=Bibliography=
{{Refbegin}}
- Bubbeo, Daniel. The Women of Warner Brothers. McFarland, 2001. {{ISBN|978-0-7864-1137-5}}.
- Cozad, W. Lee. More Magnificent Mountain Movies: The Silver Screen Years 1940–2004. Lake Arrowhead, California: Sunstroke Media, 2006. {{ISBN|978-0-9723372-3-6}}.
- Donnelley, Paul. Fade to Black: A Book of Movie Obituaries. London: Omnibus Press, 2005. {{ISBN|1-84449-430-6}}.
- Kirby, Walter. "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review, November 16, 1952. Retrieved: June 18, 2015 via Newspapers.com {{Open access}}.
- Maltin, Leonard. "Alexis Smith". Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia. New York: Dutton, 1994. {{ISBN|0-525-93635-1}}.
- Monush, Barry. Screen World Presents the Encyclopedia of Hollywood Film Actors: From the silent era to 1965. Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, 2003. {{ISBN|978-1-55783-551-2}}.
- "Film and legit actress Alexis Smith dead at 72". Variety, June 10, 1993. Retrieved: March 11, 2009.
{{Refend}}
External links
{{Commons}}
- {{IBDB name}}
- {{IMDb name|807252}}
- {{Tcmdb name}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Awards for Alexis Smith
| list =
{{DramaDesk MusicalActress}}
{{TonyAward MusicalLeadActress 1948–1975}}
}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Alexis}}
Category:20th-century American actresses
Category:20th-century American singers
Category:20th-century American women singers
Category:20th-century Canadian actresses
Category:20th-century Canadian women singers
Category:Actresses from British Columbia
Category:Canadian emigrants to the United States
Category:Canadian film actresses
Category:Canadian musical theatre actresses
Category:Canadian people of Scottish descent
Category:Canadian stage actresses
Category:Canadian television actresses
Category:Deaths from brain cancer in California