Ralph Smart
{{Short description|British film director (1908–2001)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Ralph Smart
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = Ralph Foster Smart
| birth_date = {{birth date|1908|8|27|df=y}}
| birth_place = Chingford, Essex, England
| death_date = {{death date and age|2001|2|12|1908|8|27|df=y}}
| death_place = Bowen, Queensland, Australia
| occupation = Director, screenwriter and television producer.
| period = 1927–1973
| genre = Comedy, drama, adventure, science fiction
| spouses =
- Leonie Estcourt Barrett (née Martin)[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C8080917 Divorce Papers for Ralph Smart and Leonie Estcourt Barrett (nee Martin)]
- Meg Smart{{citation needed|date=September 2017}}
| children = 1 child
| relatives = Patsy Smart (sister)
}}
Ralph Foster Smart {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OAM}} (27 August 1908 – 12 February 2001) was an English-born film and television producer, director and writer, who worked in the UK and Australia.
Early life
Smart was born in England to H. C. Smart, an Australian publicist, and his English wife, Hope Daisy Smart, née Foster.
Career
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 made partly in order to exploit the advantageous position of 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.[http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?serviceId=R&veteranId=1063656 War records of Ralph Smart] 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 Invisible Man. Later he created and produced the highly successful spy series Danger Man (known as Secret Agent in the United States).
In 2000 he was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for "services to the development of the Australian film industry".
He retired to Australia, and died on 12 February 2001, in Bowen, Queensland.[http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2007/06/16/3852_bowenwood.html David Anthony, "Bowen boasts movie heritage", Townsville Bulletin, 16 June 2007]
Selected filmography
- A Cottage on Dartmoor (1929) – uncredited writer
- The Woodpigeon Patrol (short; 1930) – writer, director
- The Star Reporter (1932) – writer
- Hotel Splendide (1932) – writer
- C.O.D. (1932) – writer
- His Lordship (1932) – writer
- Born Lucky (1933) – writer
- The Murder Party (1935) – writer
- The Phantom Light (1935) – writer
- Crime Unlimited (1935) – writer
- Sweet Success (short; 1936) – director
- Convict 99 (1938) – writer
- Alf's Button Afloat (1938) – writer
- The Good Old Days (1940) – story
- Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt (1940) – writer
- Forgotten Men (1942) (documentary short) - director{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article128553086 |title=Panic-Buying Film's Record |newspaper=News |volume=38 |issue=5,877 |location=South Australia |date=29 May 1942 |accessdate=21 March 2024 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}
- South West Pacific (1943) – actor
- Island Target (documentary; 1945) – director
- The Overlanders (1946) – writer, associate producer
- Bush Christmas (1947) – writer, director, producer
- Eureka Stockade (1948) – writer (additional scenes){{cite magazine|magazine=Filmink|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/wrecking-australian-stories-eureka-stockade/|access-date=15 March 2025|date=15 March 2025|title=Wrecking Australian stories: Eureka Stockade}}
- Quartet (1948; anthology film, segment The Facts of Life) – director
- A Boy, a Girl and a Bike (1949) – director
- Bitter Springs (1950) – story, director
- Where No Vultures Fly (1951) – writer
- Never Take No For an Answer (1951) – writer, director
- Curtain Up (1952) – director
- Always a Bride (1953) – writer, director
- The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series; 1955–57) – writer, director
- The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (TV series; 1956) – director
- The Buccaneers (TV series; 1956) – director, producer
- The Flying Scot (1957) – co-writer
- The Adventures of Mr. Pastry (TV short; 1958) – director
- William Tell (TV series; 1958–59) – executive producer, writer, director
- The Invisible Man (TV series; 1958–59) – writer, director, producer
- Danger Man (TV series; 1960–61) – co-creator, writer, director, producer
- Danger Man (TV series; 1964–66, US title: Secret Agent) – co-creator, writer, script editor, executive producer
- Riptide (TV series; 1969) – writer, producer
- My Partner the Ghost (TV series; 1969) – writer
- The Protectors (TV series; 1972) – writer
- Elephant Boy (TV series; 1972) – writer
Writing credits
| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"
! Production ! Notes ! Broadcaster |
| The Woodpigeon Patrol
|
|N/A |
| The Star Reporter
|
|N/A |
| Hotel Splendide
|
|N/A |
| C.O.D
|
|N/A |
| His Lordship
|
|N/A |
| Born Lucky
|
|N/A |
| The Night of the Party
|
|N/A |
| The Phantom Light
|
|N/A |
| Crime Unlimited
|
|N/A |
| Convict 99
|
|N/A |
| Alf's Button Afloat
|
|N/A |
| The Good Old Days
|
|N/A |
| Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt
|
|N/A |
| Bush Christmas
|
|N/A |
| Eureka Stockade
|
|N/A |
| Bitter Springs
|
|N/A |
| Where No Vultures Fly
|
|N/A |
| Never Take No for an Answer
|
|N/A |
| Always a Bride
|
|N/A |
| The Adventures of Robin Hood
|
|ITV |
| The Flying Scot
|
|N/A |
| The Adventures of William Tell
|
|ITV |
| The Invisible Man
|
|ITV |
| Danger Man
|
|ITV |
| Danger Man (Secret Agent)
|
|ITV |
| Koroshi
|
|N/A |
| The Champions
|
|ITV |
| Riptide
|
|
| Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
|
|ITV |
| The Protectors
|
|ITV |
| Elephant Boy
|
|Seven Network |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0806692}}
- [http://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A28754 Ralph Smart] at AustLit: The Australian Literature Resource
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20120716222843/http://www.classicimages.com/1998/december98/britseries.html Article linking three seminal TV shows]
- [https://www.flickr.com/photos/29487363@N02/2966261443/sizes/o/in/set-72157607246175811/ Ralph Smart & Hannah Weinstein & British TV]
{{Ralph Smart}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smart, Ralph}}
Category:British emigrants to Australia
Category:English television producers
Category:English people of Australian descent
Category:English film directors
Category:People from Chingford
Category:Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia
Category:Royal Australian Air Force personnel of World War II