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Hal Smith (actor)
Harold John Smith (August 24, 1916 – January 28, 1994) was an American actor. He is credited in over 300 film and television productions, and was best known for his role as Otis Campbell, the town drunk on CBS's The Andy Griffith Show, and for voicing Owl in four of the five Winnie the Pooh shorts (the character is absent in Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too). Smith also replaced voice actor Sterling Holloway as the title character Winnie the Pooh in the last two shorts, Winnie the Pooh Discovers the Seasons and Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore, and in the two television series, Welcome to Pooh Corner and The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. He was the voice of Goofy from 1967 to 1983, did a cameo in The Apartment as a drunken Santa Claus, and provided the voice of Goliath in the TV series Davey and Goliath from 1961 to 1965.
Harold John Smith was born on August 24, 1916, in Petoskey, Michigan to Jay D. Smith and Emma Smith (nee Ploof). He was the third of four children with two older sisters—Kathleen and Bernadeen—and one younger brother named Glenford, who was called "Glen". His family moved to Wilmington, North Carolina when he was a child before settling in Massena, New York. After graduation from high school, in Massena, New York, Smith worked from 1936 to 1943 as a DJ and voice talent for WIBX Radio in Utica, New York.
Being an avid flyer, Smith enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces in 1943 and was stationed in the Philippines with the Army's Special Services Division. While in Manila, he was made assistant manager of the enlisted men's club at the Far East Air Force (FEAF) headquarters. As such, he was responsible for planning and directing shows for the entertainment of his fellow troops. His own performing skills were utilized as well in a show titled Strictly from Hunger. He was discharged from the service in 1946 as a Sergeant and was awarded the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal and the Philippine Liberation Medal.
After the war, he traveled to Hollywood in 1946 to pursue a career as an actor, he made his acting debut in the feature film, Stars Over Texas as Peddler Tucker. He would later appear in many television series throughout his later career, such as I Married Joan, Fury, The People's Choice, The Texan, Rescue 8, Dennis the Menace, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, The Donna Reed Show, National Velvet and The Red Skelton Show.
Smith's best-remembered on-screen character was Otis Campbell, the town drunk on The Andy Griffith Show, during most of the series' run from 1960 to 1967. When intoxicated, he would often comically let himself into his regular jail cell—using the key which was stored within reach of the two comfortable jail rooms— and "sleep off" the effects of alcohol. Deputy Barney Fife would often become irritated with Otis and would attempt to either sober him up or rehabilitate him in several episodes.
Hal Smith was the opposite of his character. According to longtime friends Andy Griffith and Don Knotts, he did not drink in real life. Smith, however, in a 1964 interview with his hometown paper, said he was a “social drinker.” The Otis character stopped appearing in the sitcom towards the end of the series because of sponsor concerns regarding the comic portrayal of excessive drinking.[citation needed] Smith appeared as Calver Weems in the Don Knotts comedy The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966), playing essentially the same town drunk character.
Smith would play Otis one more time in the television movie Return to Mayberry (1986). In the television movie, Otis is the town's ice cream truck driver and is reported to have been "sober for years.” Smith later used his Otis Campbell character in commercial spots for the Mothers Against Drunk Driving organization, and he appeared as Otis in Alan Jackson's music video "Don't Rock the Juke Box.”
In 1957, Smith played Rollin Daggett in the role of a newspaper man in the early days of Mark Twain in the "Fifteen Paces to Fame" episode of Death Valley Days. He made at least one appearance in the TV series Perry Mason, the episode titled "The Case of the Treacherous Toupee", (season 4, episode 1), in 1960. He had a small role as a restaurant manager in the 10/01/1960 Leave It to Beaver episode "Beaver Won't Eat". Smith had a cameo role as the Mayor of Boracho in The Great Race in 1965. He played the industrialist Hans Spear on CBS's sitcom Hogan's Heroes ("The Swing Shift", season 2, episode 21).
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Hal Smith (actor)
Harold John Smith (August 24, 1916 – January 28, 1994) was an American actor. He is credited in over 300 film and television productions, and was best known for his role as Otis Campbell, the town drunk on CBS's The Andy Griffith Show, and for voicing Owl in four of the five Winnie the Pooh shorts (the character is absent in Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too). Smith also replaced voice actor Sterling Holloway as the title character Winnie the Pooh in the last two shorts, Winnie the Pooh Discovers the Seasons and Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore, and in the two television series, Welcome to Pooh Corner and The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. He was the voice of Goofy from 1967 to 1983, did a cameo in The Apartment as a drunken Santa Claus, and provided the voice of Goliath in the TV series Davey and Goliath from 1961 to 1965.
Harold John Smith was born on August 24, 1916, in Petoskey, Michigan to Jay D. Smith and Emma Smith (nee Ploof). He was the third of four children with two older sisters—Kathleen and Bernadeen—and one younger brother named Glenford, who was called "Glen". His family moved to Wilmington, North Carolina when he was a child before settling in Massena, New York. After graduation from high school, in Massena, New York, Smith worked from 1936 to 1943 as a DJ and voice talent for WIBX Radio in Utica, New York.
Being an avid flyer, Smith enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces in 1943 and was stationed in the Philippines with the Army's Special Services Division. While in Manila, he was made assistant manager of the enlisted men's club at the Far East Air Force (FEAF) headquarters. As such, he was responsible for planning and directing shows for the entertainment of his fellow troops. His own performing skills were utilized as well in a show titled Strictly from Hunger. He was discharged from the service in 1946 as a Sergeant and was awarded the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal and the Philippine Liberation Medal.
After the war, he traveled to Hollywood in 1946 to pursue a career as an actor, he made his acting debut in the feature film, Stars Over Texas as Peddler Tucker. He would later appear in many television series throughout his later career, such as I Married Joan, Fury, The People's Choice, The Texan, Rescue 8, Dennis the Menace, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, The Donna Reed Show, National Velvet and The Red Skelton Show.
Smith's best-remembered on-screen character was Otis Campbell, the town drunk on The Andy Griffith Show, during most of the series' run from 1960 to 1967. When intoxicated, he would often comically let himself into his regular jail cell—using the key which was stored within reach of the two comfortable jail rooms— and "sleep off" the effects of alcohol. Deputy Barney Fife would often become irritated with Otis and would attempt to either sober him up or rehabilitate him in several episodes.
Hal Smith was the opposite of his character. According to longtime friends Andy Griffith and Don Knotts, he did not drink in real life. Smith, however, in a 1964 interview with his hometown paper, said he was a “social drinker.” The Otis character stopped appearing in the sitcom towards the end of the series because of sponsor concerns regarding the comic portrayal of excessive drinking.[citation needed] Smith appeared as Calver Weems in the Don Knotts comedy The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966), playing essentially the same town drunk character.
Smith would play Otis one more time in the television movie Return to Mayberry (1986). In the television movie, Otis is the town's ice cream truck driver and is reported to have been "sober for years.” Smith later used his Otis Campbell character in commercial spots for the Mothers Against Drunk Driving organization, and he appeared as Otis in Alan Jackson's music video "Don't Rock the Juke Box.”
In 1957, Smith played Rollin Daggett in the role of a newspaper man in the early days of Mark Twain in the "Fifteen Paces to Fame" episode of Death Valley Days. He made at least one appearance in the TV series Perry Mason, the episode titled "The Case of the Treacherous Toupee", (season 4, episode 1), in 1960. He had a small role as a restaurant manager in the 10/01/1960 Leave It to Beaver episode "Beaver Won't Eat". Smith had a cameo role as the Mayor of Boracho in The Great Race in 1965. He played the industrialist Hans Spear on CBS's sitcom Hogan's Heroes ("The Swing Shift", season 2, episode 21).