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Jack Smight
John Ronald Smight (March 9, 1925 – September 1, 2003) was an American film and television director. He was best known for his thriller and action films, notably Harper (1966), No Way to Treat a Lady (1968), Airport 1975 (1974), Midway (1976), Damnation Alley (1977), and Number One with a Bullet (1987). FilmInk described him as a "a perfect example of the 'journeyman' director."
Smight was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Irish Catholic immigrants. He graduated from Cretin High School with future actor Peter Graves. They acted together in summer stock productions, and Graves played in a 15-piece band that Smight led.
He joined the Army Air Forces, flying missions in the Pacific during World War II, before graduating with a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Minnesota in 1949. He then sought work as an actor. He worked as a radio actor[citation needed] and had a bit part in a stage production of Anna Lucasta in 1949.
He became stage manager for TV's The Good Egg of the Week and then assistant director on The Colgate Comedy Hour and The Dennis Day Show. He said a big break was working on Visit to a Small Planet with Cyril Ritchard.
In 1959, he won an Emmy Award for his direction of the hour-long play Eddie, which starred Mickey Rooney. He directed episodes for The Twilight Zone and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
He directed the 1960 Broadway play The 49th Cousin.
Smight's first feature film was I'd Rather Be Rich (1964), a remake of It Started with Eve (1941). Smight said "it was not a particularly good script but it opened up a whole new life for me."
Smight then signed a contract with Warners to make six films in one a year. He produced and directed The Third Day (1965) and then directed the Paul Newman vehicle Harper (1966). He followed that with the British action comedy, Kaleidoscope (1966) with Warren Beatty.
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Jack Smight
John Ronald Smight (March 9, 1925 – September 1, 2003) was an American film and television director. He was best known for his thriller and action films, notably Harper (1966), No Way to Treat a Lady (1968), Airport 1975 (1974), Midway (1976), Damnation Alley (1977), and Number One with a Bullet (1987). FilmInk described him as a "a perfect example of the 'journeyman' director."
Smight was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Irish Catholic immigrants. He graduated from Cretin High School with future actor Peter Graves. They acted together in summer stock productions, and Graves played in a 15-piece band that Smight led.
He joined the Army Air Forces, flying missions in the Pacific during World War II, before graduating with a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Minnesota in 1949. He then sought work as an actor. He worked as a radio actor[citation needed] and had a bit part in a stage production of Anna Lucasta in 1949.
He became stage manager for TV's The Good Egg of the Week and then assistant director on The Colgate Comedy Hour and The Dennis Day Show. He said a big break was working on Visit to a Small Planet with Cyril Ritchard.
In 1959, he won an Emmy Award for his direction of the hour-long play Eddie, which starred Mickey Rooney. He directed episodes for The Twilight Zone and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
He directed the 1960 Broadway play The 49th Cousin.
Smight's first feature film was I'd Rather Be Rich (1964), a remake of It Started with Eve (1941). Smight said "it was not a particularly good script but it opened up a whole new life for me."
Smight then signed a contract with Warners to make six films in one a year. He produced and directed The Third Day (1965) and then directed the Paul Newman vehicle Harper (1966). He followed that with the British action comedy, Kaleidoscope (1966) with Warren Beatty.