Kent Smith

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

This article is about the actor. For other people, see Kent Smith (disambiguation).
Kent Smith
Kent Smith (1953)
Born
Frank Kent Smith

(1907-03-19)March 19, 1907
New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedApril 23, 1985(1985-04-23) (aged 78)
Woodland Hills, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1929-1978
Spouse(s)
Betty Gillette
​
(
m. 1937; div. 1954)

(
m. 1962)
Children1

Early years

Smith was born in New York City and was educated at Harvard University.[1]

Stage

Smith's early acting experience started in 1925 when he was one of the founders of the famed Harvard "University Players", which later included Henry Fonda, James Stewart, Joshua Logan and Margaret Sullavan in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Smith's stock experience also included productions with the Maryland Theatre in Baltimore. His professional acting debut was in 1929 in Blind Window in Baltimore, Mayland. He made his Broadway acting debut in 1932 in Men Must Fight.[1] He also appeared on Broadway in Measure for Measure, Sweet Love Remembered, The Best Man, Ah, Wilderness!,[2] Dodsworth (1934), Saint Joan (1936), Old Acquaintance (1941), Antony and Cleopatra (1948) and Bus Stop (1956).

Film

Smith moved to Hollywood, California, where he made his film debut in The Garden Murder Case.[1]

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 (1943), Youth Runs Wild (1944), The Curse of the Cat People (1944), The Spiral Staircase (1946), Nora Prentiss (1947), Magic Town (1947), My Foolish Heart (1949), The Fountainhead (1949), and The Damned Don't Cry (1950). He continued acting in films such as Comanche (1956), Sayonara (1957), Party Girl (1958), The Mugger (1958), Imitation General (1958), The Badlanders (1958), This Earth Is Mine (1959), Strangers When We Meet (1960), Susan Slade (1961), The Balcony (1963), A Distant Trumpet (1964), Youngblood Hawke (1964), The Young Lovers (1964), The Trouble with Angels (1966), A Covenant with Death (1967), Games (1967), The Money Jungle (1968), Kona Coast (1968), Assignment to Kill (1968), Death of a Gunfighter (1969), The Games (1970), Pete 'n' Tillie (1972), Die Sister, Die! (1972), Lost Horizon (1973) and Billy Jack Goes to Washington (1977).

During WW II, Smith served as a private in the US Army, making training films covering among others, medical, dental, artillery, & electronics.

Television

Regular cast

Kent Smith played the imperious Dr. Morton on the popular series Peyton Place with his actual wife (Edith Atwater) cast as Mrs. Morton. Smith played Edgar Scoville in the second season of the ABC science-fiction series The Invaders (1967-1968)[3] and was a host for the CBS anthology series Philip Morris Playhouse (1953-1954).[3]:831

Guest appearances

Smith had roles in television films such as How Awful About Allan (1970), The Night Stalker (1972), The Judge and Jake Wyler (1972), The Cat Creature (1973), The Affair (1973) and The Disappearance of Flight 412 (1974). His numerous television credits included a continuing role in the soap opera Peyton Place as Dr. Robert Morton; Smith's wife, actress Edith Atwater, played his character's wife on the series. He began guest-starring in television series in 1949 in The Philco Television Playhouse, and also appeared in Robert Montgomery Presents, Wagon Train, General Electric Theater, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Naked City, Have Gun Will Travel, Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, The Beverly Hillbillies, Rawhide, The Americans, Barnaby Jones, The Outer Limits, Night Gallery, and the 1976 miniseries Once an Eagle. His last appearance was in a 1977 episode of Wonder Woman.[4]

Kent Smith and Simone Simon in Curse of the Cat People (1944).

Personal life

Smith was married to actress Betty Gillette from 1937 until 1954, and to actress Edith Atwater (died March 1986) from 1962 until his death from congestive heart failure in Woodland Hills, California, at the age of 78.

He was survived by his wife and daughter.[2]

Smith was a Republican and campaigned for Dwight Eisenhower in the 1952 presidential election.[5]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1936The Garden Murder CaseWoode Swift
1939Back Door to HeavenAttorney
1942Cat PeopleOliver Reed
1943Hitler's ChildrenProfessor Nichols
1943Forever and a DayGates Trimble Pomfret
1943This Land Is MinePaul Martin
1943Three Russian GirlsJohn HillAlternate title: She Who Dares
1944The Curse of the Cat PeopleOliver Reed
1944Resisting Enemy InterrogationCapt. Reining - American Working for the Nazis
1944Youth Runs WildDanny Coates
1946The Spiral StaircaseDr. Parry
1947Nora PrentissDr. Richard Talbot
1947Magic TownProfessor Frederick Hoopendecker
1947The Voice of the TurtleKenneth Bartlett
1949The FountainheadPeter Keating
1949My Foolish HeartLew Wengler
1950The Damned Don't CryMartin Blankford
1950This Side of the LawDavid Cummins
1952PaulaJohn RogersAlternate title: The Silent Voice
1956ComancheQuanah Parker
1957SayonaraGeneral Mark Webster
1958Imitation GeneralBrig. Gen. Charles Lane
1958The BadlandersCyril Lounsberry
1958Party GirlJeffrey Stewart
1958The MuggerDr. Pete Graham
1959This Earth Is MineFrancis Fairon
1960Strangers When We MeetStanley Baxter
1961Susan SladeDr. Fane
1962Moon PilotSecretary of the Air Force
1963The BalconyGeneral
1964A Distant TrumpetSecretary of War
1964Youngblood HawkePaul Winter Sr.
1964The Young LoversDr. Shoemaker
1966The Trouble with AngelsUncle George
1967A Covenant with DeathParmalee
1967GamesHarry Gordon
1967The Money JunglePaul Kimmel
1968Assignment to KillMr. Eversley
1968Kona CoastAkamai
1969Death of a GunfighterAndrew Oxley
1970The GamesKaverley
1970How Awful About AllanRaymond ColleighTV movie
1971The Last ChildGus IversonTV movie
1972The Night StalkerD.A. Tom PaineTV movie
1972ProbeDr. Edward LaurentTV movie
1972Another Part of the ForestSimon IshamTV movie
1972The Crooked HeartsJames SimpsonTV movie
1972The Judge and Jake WylerRobert DoddTV movie
1972Pete 'n' TillieFather Keating
1972Call Me by My Rightful NameMr. Watkins
1973Lost HorizonBill Fergunson
1973MaurieDr. WalkerUncredited
1973Cops and RobbersBit PartUncredited
1973The AffairMr. PattersonTV movie
1973The Cat CreatureFrank LucasTV movie
1974Murder or MercyJudgeTV movie
1974The Disappearance of Flight 412General EnrightTV movie
1976Once an EagleGen. JacklynTelevision miniseries
1977Billy Jack Goes to WashingtonSenator Joe Foley
1978Die Sister, Die!Dr. ThorneAlternate title: The Companion
(final film role)
gollark: Well. Fix that.
gollark: That is, a full members of the bourgeois property that is, a full membership in the new Gospel.
gollark: osmarks.tk/bolshefiction
gollark: Create a system for automatically taking from people according to ability and distributing according to need.
gollark: No. Automated.

References
  1. Monush, Barry (2003). Screen World Presents the Encyclopedia of Hollywood Film Actors: From the silent era to 1965. Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 690–691. ISBN 9781557835512. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  2. "Kent Smith, the Actor, Dies; Career Lasted Four Decades". The New York Times. New York, New York City. Associated Press. April 26, 1985. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  3. Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 508509. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  4. Kent Smith on IMDb
  5. Motion Picture and Television Magazine, November 1952, page 34, Ideal Publishers
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