Alexis Smith Movies
Born in Canada, Alexis Smith was brought to Los Angeles in her infancy by her family. At ten, Smith won a dance school scholarship, and at 13 she made her professional dancing debut in a Hollywood Bowl production of Carmen. While attending Hollywood High School, Smith won a statewide acting contest and at Los Angeles City College she enrolled in a rigorous theatrical training program. She was signed by Warner Bros. in 1941, where she was immediately (and reluctantly) tagged by the publicity department as "The Dynamite Girl." After a few B's, Smith received leading roles opposite Errol Flynn (Gentleman Jim), Charles Boyer and Joan Fontaine (The Constant Nymph), Fredric March (The Adventures of Mark Twain), Cary Grant (Night and Day), and even Jack Benny (the estimable The Horn Blows at Midnight). At 5' 9," Smith proved difficult to cast at times, especially opposite certain sensitive leading men of comparatively short stature. In 1944, Smith married fellow Warner contractee Craig Stevens, with their mutual friend Errol Flynn acting as best man. After closing out the first phase of her Hollywood career in 1959, Smith appeared on-stage with her husband in such touring productions as Mary, Mary, Critic's Choice, and Cactus Flower. In the early '70s, Alexis Smith scored a personal triumph (and won a Tony award) in the hit Broadway musical Follies; this led to a brief flurry of activity as a movie character actress, though she seemed far too youthful to be playing the middle-aged aunt of Jodie Foster in The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane or the widowed retirement-home resident in the Burt Lancaster/Kirk Douglas vehicle Tough Guys (1986). Alexis Smith died of cancer one day after her 72nd birthday; her last screen appearance was as a bejeweled New York aristocrat in Martin Scorcese's The Age of Innocence (1993). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
When some land developers threaten to get their hands on the public California beach, a couple of dudes and a few scantily-clad babes hold a bikini contest in a scheme to foil the plans. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1990
1940s movie star Alexis Smith guest stars as Professor Alice Anne Volkman, the revered business-school mentor of Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley). Much to Rebecca's dismay, Prof. Volkman has more than business on her mind when she is attracted to Sam (Ted Danson). Meanwhile, it's Norm (George Wendt) to the rescue when Carla (Rhea Perlman) is audited by the IRS. Future Drew Carey Show regular Diedrich Bader appears as a waiter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Robert Young reprises his long-running (1969-75) TV character Dr. Marcus Welby, though there's little if any medical activity in the 1988 TV movie Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Holiday Affair. Widowed and retired, Welby takes a vacation to France and Switzerland. Here he finds romance with Alexis Smith, a wealthy American divorcee. Ms. Smith's real-life husband Craig Stevens shows up in the role of the divorcee's rejected suitor. Marcus Welby, M.D.; A Holiday Affair is a pleasant but pointless geography lesson that could just as easily have featured Jim Anderson, Robert Young's character on Father Knows Best. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
A made for TV movie which serves as much a condemnation of the military establishment as a murder mystery, this film revolves around an upper classman who is falsely accused of responsibility for the death of a student when he begins to investigate the mysterious demise of the young gay cadet. Part of a two-part series, the crux for the upper classman is whether he is willing to jeopardize the future of his own military career to investigate the death of the freshman cadet at this prestigious military academy. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Adapted from a book by Joan Barthel, A Death in California is a harrowing two-part TV movie based on fact. Cheryl Ladd plays Hope Masters, a wealthy Beverly Hills woman who is forced to watch in mute horror as a criminal sociopath (Sam Elliot) murders her boyfriend (Granville Van Dusen). She is kidnapped by the killer and forced to accompany him on a long and grueling getaway trip. Despite repeated sexual assaults, Hope forms something of a bond with her kidnapper. He allows her to go free, but Hope's ordeal is far from over; when the killer is recaptured, both he and Hope are put on trial for murder. Despite the tawdry nature of the tale, Death in California is handled with taste and tact, allowing the weirder aspects of the case to speak for themselves. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cheryl Ladd, Sam Elliott, (more)
- 1959
Something of an urbanized, upscale version of Peyton Place, Vincent Sherman's
The Young Philadelphians is a glossy adaptation of Richard Powell's bestselling novel
The Philadelphians that revels in melodrama. The film opens strongly, with a lengthy 1924 prologue. Socialite Kate Lawrence (Diane Brewster) jilts impoverished lover Mike Flannagan (Brian Keith) in favor of wealthy William Lawrence (Adam West). On their wedding night, William drunkenly announces that he's impotent and commits suicide (this scene should fascinate Batman fans). Returning to Mike, Kate has a child by him, Tony. The boy grows up amid an atmosphere of dire poverty, which imparts him with a relentless drive for success. Flash forward to 1952: the out-of-wedlock kid, Tony, has grown up (now played by Paul Newman) and still doesn't know that he was an illegitimate child. Tony attends Princeton Law School, and falls in love with rich girl Joan Dickinson (Barbara Rush). Via the doings of Joan's father, wealthy Gilbert Dickinson (John Williams), Tony ends up taking a cushy job in a law office, at the expense of the relationship. The heartbroken Joan marries Carter Henley (Fred Eisley) on the rebound, who is conveniently killed in Korea. Tony then begins spending a prodigious amount of time with Carol Wharton (Alexis Smith), wife of attorney John Wharton (Otto Kruger), so that she will persuade John to find Tony a better job. Soon it's Tony's turn to fight in Korea; when he returns, the opportunity arises for Tony to redeem himself for his past misdeeds. Watch for Richard "Mel Cooley" Deacon in a bit as a hostile witness. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The Young Philadelphians is a glossy adaptation of Richard Powell's bestselling novel
The Philadelphians that revels in melodrama. The film opens strongly, with a lengthy 1924 prologue. Socialite Kate Lawrence (Diane Brewster) jilts impoverished lover Mike Flannagan (Brian Keith) in favor of wealthy William Lawrence (Adam West). On their wedding night, William drunkenly announces that he's impotent and commits suicide (this scene should fascinate Batman fans). Returning to Mike, Kate has a child by him, Tony. The boy grows up amid an atmosphere of dire poverty, which imparts him with a relentless drive for success. Flash forward to 1952: the out-of-wedlock kid, Tony, has grown up (now played by Paul Newman) and still doesn't know that he was an illegitimate child. Tony attends Princeton Law School, and falls in love with rich girl Joan Dickinson (Barbara Rush). Via the doings of Joan's father, wealthy Gilbert Dickinson (John Williams), Tony ends up taking a cushy job in a law office, at the expense of the relationship. The heartbroken Joan marries Carter Henley (Fred Eisley) on the rebound, who is conveniently killed in Korea. Tony then begins spending a prodigious amount of time with Carol Wharton (Alexis Smith), wife of attorney John Wharton (Otto Kruger), so that she will persuade John to find Tony a better job. Soon it's Tony's turn to fight in Korea; when he returns, the opportunity arises for Tony to redeem himself for his past misdeeds. Watch for Richard "Mel Cooley" Deacon in a bit as a hostile witness. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Newman, Barbara Rush, (more)
- 1958
This Happy Feeling is based on the F. Hugh Herbert play For Love or Money. Debbie Reynolds plays impulsive Janet Blake, who develops a crush on retired stage star Preston Mitchell (Curt Jurgens). Rejuvenated by Janet's ardor, Mitchell decides to return to the stage, where he must contend with predatory leading lady Nita Holloway (Alexis Smith) and pretentious method actor Tony Manza (Troy Donahue). Meanwhile, Janet begins evincing a preference for Mitchell's neighbor Bill Tremaine (John Saxon), who is closer to her own age. Some extra laughs are provided by the booze-laced pancakes served up by pixieish housekeeper Mrs. Early (Estelle Winwood). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Debbie Reynolds, Curd Jürgens, (more)
- 1957
New York City is known for choosing colorful characters for its mayors. One its most illustrious was the wisecracking, dancing and singing Mayor James J. Walker (as played by Bob Hope in a rare, serious role) who helmed the Big Apple in the 1920s. This biopic chronicles his surprising rise to power and is adapted from a book by Gene Fowler. Walker owed his mayoral post to Tammany, a powerful political organization that used its tremendous clout to get him installed. Walker, who never takes his job seriously, then becomes a figurehead for Tammany, and while he is in power, corruption in the police force and other city offices runs rampant. Meanwhile Walker wrangles with his lover, dancer Betty Compton, and his jealous wife, from whom he is separated. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Hope, Vera Miles, (more)
- 1955
A good Samaritan applies himself to others to the point of injuring his own life by ignoring his personal obligations and house payments. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1955
One of Republic's most elaborate productions of the 1950s, The Eternal Sea is the biography of American admiral John M. Hoskins. Sterling Hayden delivers a superbly understated performance as Hoskins, who continued to serve throughout WW2 despite the loss of a leg in the early phases of the conflict. The admiral's farsighted activities as commander of the aircraft carrier Princeton led to the development of the more sophisticated jet-aircraft carriers of the Korean War. The well-chosen supporting cast includes Alexis Smith as Hoskin's wife Sue, Dean Jagger as Admiral Thomas L. Semple, Morris Ankrum as Adm. Arthur Dewey Struble, and John Maxwell as Adm. William "Bull" Halsey (whose life story would serve as the basis for the 1960 film The Gallant Hours). Elmer Bernstein's soaring musical score is the icing on the cake. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sterling Hayden, Alexis Smith, (more)
- 1954
The direction of The Sleeping Tiger was credited to Victor Hanbury, but this was actually a pseudonym for the blacklisted Joseph Losey, whose first British film this was. Alexander Knox stars as psychiatrist Clive Esmond, who believes that he can stem the criminal tendencies of young fugitive from justice Frank Clements (Dirk Bogarde). To this end, Esmond hides Clements in his own home. At first hostile towards the handsome crook, Esmond's wife Glenda (Alexis Smith) gradually warms up to her house guest, and before long she and Clements are casting lustful glances at one another. She intends to run off with Clements and make a new life for herself, when suddenly he decides that he actually wants to reform. If nothing else, The Sleeping Tiger is a fascinating precursor to the sexual tensions prevalent in Losey's later Harold Pinter adaptations. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dirk Bogarde, Alexander Knox, (more)
- 1953
Actor Dick Powell made an impressive film debut with the taut atomic-age suspenser Split Second. Convicts Stephen McNally, Paul Kelly and Frank DeKova escape to a ghost town in the Nevada desert. Only it isn't exactly a ghost town, but a "dummy village" constructed for the purpose of A-bomb testing. The criminals hold several hostages, including reporter Keith Andes, nightclub singer Jan Sterling, selfish socialite Alexis Smith, her doctor-husband Richard Egan and her newest boyfriend Robert Paige. Andes suspects that the deserted town is at Ground Zero of the latest bomb test, but he can't convince the convicts until it's almost too late. The best and most horrifying sequence occurs near the end, when the criminals, accompanied by the duplicitous Ms. Smith, discover that they're driving towards the A-bomb target instead of away from it. Novelist Irving Wallace collaborated on the script of Split Second with Chester Erskine and William Bowers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen McNally, Alexis Smith, (more)
- 1952
Edmond O'Brien stars as an idealistic state's attorney assigned to crack down on a crime syndicate. This proves more dangerous than first suspected, since the syndicate has a number of city officials in its pocket--including the father of one of the investigating committee's chairpersons. William Holden is the crusading newspaperman who attempts to help O'Brien, but even his efforts are compromised by deeply entrenched political corruption. The climax is staged at a crowded boxing arena, where Holden is struck down by an assassin's bullet intended for O'Brien. Inspired by the real-life Senate investigations of 1951, The Turning Point is neither a remake of a 1917 Paramount silent of the same name, nor was the 1977 ballet-oriented Turning Point a remake of the 1952 film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Holden, Edmond O'Brien, (more)
- 1951
Here Comes the Groom was the second collaboration between director Frank Capra and star Bing Crosby. Though not as "socially relevant" as previous Capra productions, the film is a thoroughly likeable yarn about a happy-go-lucky newspaperman named Pete (Bing Crosby). In order to legally adopt a brace of war orphans, Pete must marry within a week. His plans to wed his longtime sweetheart Emmadel (Jane Wyman) come acropper when she, tired of waiting for him to pop the question, becomes engaged to wealthy Wilbur Stanley (Franchot Tone). Conspiring with Wilbur's cousin Winifred (Alexis Smith), Pete spends the balance of the film trying to win Emmadel back. From all accounts, the set of Here Comes the Groom was a happy one, the conviviality extending to Alexis Smith's willingness to be on the receiving end of several jokes concerning her height (she seems nearly a head taller than Crosby!). The film's best scene is the Bing Crosby-Jane Wyman duet "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening," reportedly filmed in one take without post-dubbing. As a bonus, Here Comes the Groom introduces a bright new singing talent, Anna Maria Alberghetti, and is festooned with uncredited guest stars, ranging from Dorothy Lamour to Louis Armstrong. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bing Crosby, Jane Wyman, (more)
- 1951
MacDonald Carey and Alexis Smith star in the heavily plotted western Cave of Outlaws. Carey plays Pete Carver, who has spent 10 years in jail for participating in a train holdup. Upon his release, Pete heads to the huge cave where his cohorts had hidden their loot. Not surprisingly, he is trailed to the hiding place by several interested parties, including Wells Fargo investigator Dobbs (Edgar Buchanan) and all-around baddie Ben Cross (Victor Jory). Smith plays the vengeful widow of a newspaperman who was murdered by the crooks, while Hugh O'Brian is suitably menacing as Cross' trigger-happy nephew. Cave of Outlaws was Technicolorfully filmed on location in Carlsbad Caverns. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- MacDonald Carey, Alexis Smith, (more)
- 1950
Wyoming Mail stars Stephen McNally as frontier postal inspector Steve Davis. Assigned to break up a gang of outlaws who prey upon mail trains, Davis goes undercover, posing first as a fugitive from justice. Joining the bandit gang run by the ruthless Cavanaugh (Howard da Silva), Davis discovers that the crooks have an "inside man" within the railroad company itself. Alexis Smith co-stars as the "bad" girl who turns good to save Davis. Universal-International's knack for turning out superior westerns on modest budgets is entertainingly demonstrated in Wyoming Mail. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen McNally, Alexis Smith, (more)
- 1950
Unlike his earlier Warner Bros. westerns, Errol Flynn's Montana was strictly a programmer, inexpensively produced and modestly promoted. Flynn plays Morgan Lane, an Australian sheepherder who arrives in the middle of Montana's cattle country. He faces opposition from wealthy cattle rancher Maria Singleton (Alexis Smith), not to mention several bigger, tougher galoots. It takes a few fistfights and gun battles to settle the sheepherders vs. cattlemen imbroglio peacefully. While the action highlights are so-so, Montana scores best during the scenes between stars Errol Flynn and Alexis Smith; they were good friends in real life, so much so that Flynn served as best man at Smith's wedding to actor Craig Stevens. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Errol Flynn, Alexis Smith, (more)
- 1950
Undercover Girl was leading-lady Alexis Smith's least-favorite film, though she is professional enough to give it her all. Per the title, the film casts Smith as rookie policewoman Christine Miller, who volunteers to go undercover to avenge her father's death. Posing as a drug dealer, Christine inveigles her way into a vicious narcotics ring. Inevitably, she is found out, and it's up to police-lieutenant Mike Trent (Scott Brady), who's fallen in love with Christine, to come to her rescue. Few surprises await the viewer in Undercover Girl, though director Joseph Pevney manages to extract a great deal of suspense during the climax. Nineteen-thirties leading-lady Gladys George has a poignant minor role as a homeless woman ruined by drugs. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alexis Smith, Scott Brady, (more)
- 1949
Zachary Scott uncharacteristically plays for laughs in Warner Bros.' One Last Fling. Scott plays Larry Pearce, the dullish husband of Olivia Pearce (Alexis Smith). When Larry enters into a perfectly innocent business arrangement with gorgeous Gay Winston (Veda Ann Borg), Olivia misunderstands, as does Gay's pugnacious husband Victor (Douglas Kennedy). The ensuing complications are fairly predictable, indicating perhaps that the screwball-comedy format was wearing thin in 1949. Some of the best moments are provided by stalwart supporting players Ann Doran and Jim Backus. Also featured in the cast is legendary radio humorist Ransom Sherman, who never did find a suitable screen vehicle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alexis Smith, Zachary Scott, (more)
- 1949
In this light drama, Clark Gable once again played his stock-in-trade role of a rogue with a heart of gold. Charlie King (Gable) runs a casino, but, in a business that thrives among the unscrupulous, Charlie takes pride in running an honest game and treating his customers with fairness and respect. However, Charlie's wife Lon (Alexis Smith) doesn't care if he runs a fair game -- she regards gambling as a dirty and corrupt business, and no matter how honest Charlie may be, he's still involved in a wicked activity. Charlie's son Paul (Darryl Hickman) is also against him; when Paul gets in trouble and Charlie bails him out of jail, he refuses to leave with him, instead going home with mother. Charlie invites Paul to see what his casino is like, and Lon agrees that Paul should know just what his father does. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clark Gable, Alexis Smith, (more)
- 1948
The Woman in White attempts to translate the archaic prose of 19th century gothic-mystery writer Wilkie Collins to the medium of film. Gig Young plays a 19th century painter who, while en route to a country estate, encounters a strange, ethereal young lady (Eleanor Parker) who both begs his help and insists that he keep their meeting a secret. He will meet the girl again at several crucial junctures -- though she will fail to recognize him. The painter has unknowingly stumbled upon a scheme by the diabolical Count Fosco (Sydney Greenstreet) to claim an inheritance on behalf of a dissipated nobleman (John Emery); the plan involves a marriage of convenience to the hapless lady of the house (Alexis Smith), blackmail, hidden siblings, and the suppression of a dark family secret involving Fosco's neurotic wife (Agnes Moorehead). The full plotline is far too labyrinthine to go into detail here -- in fact, it can barely be followed in the film itself. While The Woman in White suffers from excess verbiage, the film is at its best in its shadowy, nocturnal "conspiracy" set pieces and in the scenes with timorous aristocrat John Abbott, to whom every raised voice is a threat to his fragile health. And keep an eye on Sidney Greenstreet's pet monkey, Iago, easily the most well-adjusted character in the film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eleanor Parker, Alexis Smith, (more)
- 1948
Produced by Milton Sperling's United States Pictures, South of St. Louis was given a widespread release by Warner Bros. The story begins in the last days of the Civil War. Chased off their property by guerillas, ranching partners Kip Davis (Joel McCrea), Charlie Burns (Zachary Scott) and Lee Prince (Douglas Kennedy) head southward to seek out a new life. Davis and Burns go into the gun-running business, while Prince joins the Confederate Army. Kip and Charlie battle over the affections of saloon gal Rouge de Lisle (Alexis Smith), a turn of events that falls into the plans of rival gunrunner Luke Cottrell (Victor Jory). The three former friends soon find themselves enemies, and thereby hangs the plotline. Curiously, Dorothy Malone, cast as the "good" heroine, seems to be more worldly and cunning than hard-boiled temptress Alexis Smith. Originally filmed in Technicolor, South of St. Louis was for many years available only in its black-and-white, TV-print form. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joel McCrea, Alexis Smith, (more)
- 1948
In this drama, a poor young boy must choose between his divorcing parents. With the help of a kind judge, he tries to get his parents back together. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alexis Smith, Robert Douglas, (more)
- 1948
In this drama, a California artist abandons his work to become a New York prizefighter after he falls in love with a married nightclub singer. Her husband was a fighter, but suffered a crippling accident in the ring and was unable to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming the world champion. The husband decides to live out his dream through the artist and begins tutoring him. Things go well until the hubby discovers that the artist has been sleeping with his wife. He then begins giving the artist bad advice so he will get creamed in the ring. Fortunately for the artist, he wins the Big Fight. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dane Clark, Alexis Smith, (more)
- 1947
Veterinarian Ronald Reagan contracts anthrax from treating diseased cows in this horsey melodrama from Warner Bros. In fact, Reagan's dutiful Dr. Larry Hanrahan is so busy with the cows that he completely ignores a summons from lady horse breeder Rory Teller (Alexis Smith) to treat her prize-winning stallion. Rory is pretty peeved over what she perceives as a slight and briefly, ever so briefly, contemplates accepting a proposal of marriage from smooth-talking author Stephen Purcell (Zachary Scott). Until, that is, the seriousness of Larry's condition finally forces her to take a drastic measure: to treat the dying vet with the same serum he had used on the cattle. According to some reports, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall were scheduled to star in Stallion Road as a follow-up to the hugely successful The Big Sleep (1946). Rather than appear in what they rightfully considered a Grade-B production, they chose to go on suspension. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alexis Smith, Zachary Scott, (more)
