1931-03-06 Los Angeles, California, USA
Actor John Smith was born Robert Errol Van Orden in Los Angeles. He began his career singing with The Robert Mitchell Boy Choir, a group which appeared in two Bing Crosby films, Going My Way (1944) and The Bells of St. Mary's (1945). His agent Henry Willson, who also gave Tab Hunter and Rock Hudson their names, changed Van Orden's name to "John Smith". Robert Hofler, author of "The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson", reports that an actress identified as Pocahontas Crowfoot was in the courtroom when the name change was granted. In We're No Angels (1955), Smith had a small role as "Arnaud", the ship's doctor. Aldo Ray, observing the doctor in full dress whites, says "he looks like a glass of milk". John Smith's other film credits include Circus World (1964) and Justin Morgan Had a Horse (1972). Smith also appeared in the television westerns Cimarron City (1958) and Laramie (1959).
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Meteor | Narrator | 2011-09-09 |
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Justin Morgan Had a Horse | Mr. Ames | 1972-02-06 |
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Hondo and the Apaches | Ed Dow | 1967-09-08 |
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Waco | Joe Gore | 1966-09-01 |
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Circus World | Steve McCabe | 1964-06-25 |
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Island of Lost Women | Joe Walker | 1959-03-20 |
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Handle with Care | Bill Reeves | 1958-04-18 |
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The Kettles on Old MacDonald's Farm | Brad Johnson | 1957-05-10 |
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Tomahawk Trail | Pvt. Reynolds | 1957-02-01 |
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Fury at Showdown | Miley Sutton | 1957-04-18 |
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The Crooked Circle | Tommy Kelly | 1957-11-11 |
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The Lawless Eighties | William Wesley Van Orsdel | 1957-05-31 |
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The Women of Pitcairn Island | Thursday October Christian | 1956-12-01 |
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Hot Rod Girl | Jeff Northrup | 1956-07-04 |
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Quincannon, Frontier Scout | Lt. Phil Hostedder | 1956-05-01 |
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Ghost Town | Duff Dailey | 1956-03-01 |
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Rebel in Town | Wesley Mason | 1956-07-30 |
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Friendly Persuasion | Caleb Cope | 1956-11-25 |
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The Bold and the Brave | Smith | 1956-01-04 |
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We're No Angels | Medical Officer Arnaud | 1955-07-07 |
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Wichita | Jim Earp | 1955-07-03 |
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Seven Angry Men | Frederick Brown | 1955-03-27 |
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Desert Sands | Pvt. Rex Tyle | 1955-11-18 |
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The High and the Mighty | Milo Buck | 1954-07-03 |
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A Star Is Born World Premiere | Self | 1954-09-28 |
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The Bells of St. Mary's | Choir Member (uncredited) | 1945-12-27 |
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Going My Way | Choir Member (uncredited) | 1944-05-15 |
