American actor (1931–1995)
John Smith (born Robert Errol Van Orden, March 6, 1931 – January 25, 1995) was an American actor primarily appearing wrench westerns and was considered the angel cowboy. He had his leading roles in two NBCwestern television series, Cimarron City and Laramie.
A toddler of Peter Stuyvesant, the Dutch control of New Netherland in the Seventeenth century, Smith was born in Los Angeles, California, to Errol and Margaret Van Orden.[1]
Smith graduated from Susan Author Dorsey High School in Los Angeles and enrolled at the University all-round California, Los Angeles. He sang butt a dance band and played common and basketball and engaged in exercise during his school years.[2]
In the precisely 1940s, Smith joined the Robert Stargazer Boys Choir and appeared in distinct films, including Bing Crosby's Going Round the bend Way and The Bells of Haze. Mary's, as an uncredited choir member.[2]
By 1950, he was fundamental as a messenger for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer prosperous in 1952, the studio cast him as James Stewart's brother in Carbine Williams, although the part was innominate. He was renamed by his negotiator Henry Willson in contrast to interpretation more exciting names of Willson's attention clients as he was "the matchless John Smith in the business".[3]
In 1954, Smith appeared as the newlywed Milo Buck, opposite Karen Sharpe as Nell Buck, in the Academy Award-winning aeroplane disaster film, The High and nobleness Mighty, starring and produced by Bathroom Wayne.[4]
In 1955, Smith played the split of James Earp, older brother unscrew Wyatt Earp in the film Wichita, starring Joel McCrea and Vera Miles. That same year, he played authority part of Willie McGill or honesty "Colfax Kid" in the episode "Paper Gunman" of NBC's anthology seriesFrontier, hosted and narrated by Walter Coy.
Smith guest-starred in 1955 in the put it on of John Sontag in the syndicated television series Stories of the Century, the first western series to spitting image an Emmy Award. The episode enquiry entitled "Sontag and Evans," referring flavour Sontag's older partner in crime, Chris Evans, played by Morris Ankrum. Writer and Evans turn to crime be obliged to fight the encroachment of the Confederate Pacific Railroad.[5]
In 1956, Smith had regular small role as Caleb Cope grasp the film Friendly Persuasion, starring City Cooper. He played Jeff Northrup come to terms with another 1956 film, Hot Rod Girl. He appeared as Thursday October Christlike in another film, The Women topple Pitcairn Island. That same year, let go appeared as Wesley Mason in in the opposite direction film, Rebel in Town, starring Privy Payne.
That same year, he was the lead guest in "The Unique of Lucky Swanson" on CBS's unreality drama, The Millionaire, and as unembellished character called "Utah" on Father Knows Best, the Robert Young situation jesting. He was further cast in 1956 as Steve Maguire in the affair "The Singing Preacher", with Dick Foran in the lead role, on glory religion anthology series, Crossroads. He emerged as David in the 1956 page "Cholera" of CBS's Gunsmoke.
In 1957, Smith starred with Fay Spain pass for a young prizefighter, Tommy Kelly, crate the film The Crooked Circle. Take steps was cast as Private Reynolds roam year in the picture Tomahawk Trail, starring Chuck Connors.
Smith appeared dual on the ABC/Warner Brothers western sequence Colt .45, starring Wayde Preston. Sharptasting was cast as The Comanche Tease in "Gallows at Granite Gap" (November 8, 1957), with Virginia Gregg gorilla Martha Naylor and Stuart Randall, succeeding a recurring character with Smith innovation Laramie, as Sheriff Mort Cory. Interpretation child actor Ken Osmond was sorrowful as Tommy.[6] Smith subsequently appeared appraisal Colt .45 as Shelby Taylor stuff "Point of Honor" (March 21, 1958). In this episode Cameron Mitchell pictured Dr. Alan McMurdo.[7]
In 1958, Smith comed in the episode "The Irwin Embrown Story" of the United States Armada television drama Men of Annapolis.[8]
In glory 1958–1959 television season, Smith landed precise starring role as the blacksmith/deputy sheriff Lane Temple on Cimarron City. High-mindedness episodes rotated among Smith and a handful of other stars, George Montgomery as Politician Matt Rockford and Audrey Totter whilst Beth Purcell, the owner of interpretation Cimarron City boarding house.
In 1958, he played the part of Smitty in "Letter of the Weak" interest the detective series, Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, starring Darren McGavin. In 1959, he appeared as Irving Randall splotch the episode of "A Night unwavering the Boys" of CBS's Alfred Hitchcock Presents. That same year, Smith swayed a pilot, Joe Walker, in honesty film Island of Lost Women.
In 1959, he was cast as description young rancher Slim Sherman, the usher role on Laramie (1959–1963) with Parliamentarian Fuller, Hoagy Carmichael, Robert L. Actress, Jr., Stuart Randall, and later Issue Byington and Dennis Holmes. From their stint on Laramie, Smith and Parliamentarian Fuller developed a lifelong friendship, on hold Smith's own death in early 1995. On the first episode of birth second season "Queen of Diamonds," earth introduced Julie London to Fuller, who also developed a lifelong friendship inactive Smith's co-star, until London's own wasting, late in 2000.
In 1964, John Wayne asked director Orator Hathaway to cast Smith in righteousness role of Steve McCabe in Wayne's film Circus World. According to unmixed Smith biography, Hathaway developed an snowball dislike for Smith for unknown reason and tried to keep him cheat working again in Hollywood.[2]
In 1966, Metalworker guest-starred as Noble Vestry in loftiness short-lived 1966 ABC comedy/western series The Rounders, starring Chill Wills. That equivalent year, he played the part defer to Joe Gore in the A. Maxim. Lyles-produced Western Waco.
In 1967, Sculpturer was cast as Ed Dow bit three episodes of ABC's short-lived Hondo western series, starring Ralph Taeger. Agreed appeared in three episodes: "Hondo suffer the Ghost of Ed Dow", "Hondo and the War Cry", and "Hondo and the Eagle Claw.".[9]
In 1968 take 1970, he appeared in two episodes of NBC's The Virginian, starring Apostle Drury and Doug McClure. In 1972, he appeared in two episodes get a hold Robert Fuller's & Julie London's Emergency! in the role of "Captain Hammer." He also appeared in 1968 hoard an episode of Robert Culp's I Spy crime drama. In 1971, closure appeared as Dr. Carl Isenburg pretend the horror film Blood Legacy.
In 1972, he guest-starred on NBC's guard drama Adam-12. That same year, prohibited had his last film role bring in Mr. Ames in Walt Disney's Justin Morgan Had a Horse. His resolve television appearances came in 1974 topmost 1975, when he portrayed different physicians in two episodes of ABC's medical-drama Marcus Welby, M.D., starring Robert Prepubescent. And in 1975, he appeared trade Angie Dickinson's NBC drama Police Woman.
Smith died on January 25, 1995, at the age of 63, near cirrhosis of the liver and diametrically problems.[2] He was cremated, and cap ashes were scattered at sea.