John Ward Smith (November 16, 1913 – July 3, 2006), known as Smilin' Jack Smith, was an American crooner, radio host and actor.
Jack Smith | |
|---|---|
 Smith in 1958. | |
| Born | John Ward Smith November 16, 1913 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Died | July 3, 2006 (aged 92) |
| Other names | Smilin' Jack Smith |
| Years active | 1933–1991 |
| Spouse |
Victoria Stuart
(m. 1936–2002) |
| Relatives | Walter Reed (brother) |
Born in Seattle, Washington, United States,[citation needed] by 1933 Smith was in a singing trio, The Three Ambassadors.[1] In 1939, he became a solo crooner with a voice described as a "strong baritone with a tenor lilt"; he was billed as "The Singer with a Smile in His Voice."[2] He also sang with the Phil Harris Orchestra,[1] recording "Here It is Only Monday".
Establishing a radio program, The Jack Smith Show,[1] in 1945, he went on to host such guests as Dinah Shore, Margaret Whiting, John Serry Sr. and Ginny Simms. In a 1945 poll of radio critics by Motion Picture Daily, Smith was voted radio's "most promising star of tomorrow."[3]
Following a guest appearance in the musical film Make Believe Ballroom (1949), Smith was offered the second lead in Warner Bros.' On Moonlight Bay (1951) opposite Doris Day.[1]
With the television's arrival, radio saw a decline in audiences, and Smith lost his show in 1952.[1] In 1953, Smith briefly hosted the NBC game show Place the Face,[4] only to be replaced by Jack Bailey, who in turn was followed by Bill Cullen. Smith became the host of You Asked For It in 1958,[4] staying with it in various roles until 1991. He also appeared as himself in the "Fearless Fonzarelli" episode of Happy Days, aired in 1975; in that episode, Smith hosted You Wanted To See It, a fictionalized version of his real show, bearing witness to Fonzie's feat of leaping 14 garbage cans on his motorcycle.[citation needed]
Jack Smith died in June 2006 in Westlake Village, California of leukemia, aged 92.[citation needed]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | King Kong | Reporter | Uncredited |
| 1936 | Walking on Air | Singer at dance | Uncredited |
| 1949 | Make Believe Ballroom | Singer Jack Smith | |
| 1951 | On Moonlight Bay | Hubert Wakely | |
| 1971 | The Barefoot Executive | Clathworthy | |
| 1984 | Cannonball Run II | Announcer Jack Smith | (final film role) |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 2304. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ^ Reinehr, Robert C. and Swartz, Jon D. (2008). The A to Z of Old-Time Radio. Scarecrow Press, Inc. ISBN 978-0-8108-7616-3. p. 138.
- ^ "Riding the Airwaves with BCL". The Milwaukee Journal. December 12, 1945. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
- ^ a b McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television. Penguin Books USA, Inc. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.