Ralph Smart
Ralph Smart | |
---|---|
Born | Ralph Foster Smart 27 August 1908 Chingford, Essex, England |
Died | 12 February 2001 Bowen, Queensland, Australia | (aged 92)
Occupation | Director, screenwriter and television producer. |
Period | 1927–1973 |
Genre | Comedy, drama, adventure, science fiction |
Spouses |
|
Children | 1 child |
Relatives | Patsy Smart (sister) |
Ralph Foster Smart OAM (27 August 1908 – 12 February 2001) was an English-born film and television producer, director and writer, who worked in the UK and Australia.
Early life
[edit]Smart was born in England to H. C. Smart, an Australian publicist, and his English wife, Hope Daisy Smart, née Foster.
Career
[edit]Smart found work in Britain with Anthony Asquith and later alongside the film director Michael Powell, whom he assisted with 'quota quickies': low-budget "B" pictures made partly in order to exploit the advantageous position of the British film industry under the Cinematograph Films Act 1927.
During the Second World War, Smart joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1942 and served until 1945.[2] Afterward he worked for the Rank Organisation and Ealing Studios, returning to Australia to direct several films beginning with The Overlanders and including Bitter Springs (1950), addressing the mistreatment of young Aborigines.
Back again in Britain, he became an influential figure in ITC television, producing, directing or writing a number of television series and films, including the 1950s series The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Invisible Man. Later he created and produced the highly successful spy series Danger Man (known as Secret Agent in the United States).
In 2000 he was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for "services to the development of the Australian film industry".
He retired to Australia, and died on 12 February 2001, in Bowen, Queensland.[3]
Selected filmography
[edit]- A Cottage on Dartmoor (1929) – uncredited writer
- The Woodpigeon Patrol (short; 1930) – writer, director
- The Star Reporter (1932) – writer
- Hotel Splendide (1932) – writer
- C.O.D. (1932) – writer
- His Lordship (1932) – writer
- Born Lucky (1933) – writer
- The Murder Party (1935) – writer
- The Phantom Light (1935) – writer
- Crime Unlimited (1935) – writer
- Sweet Success (short; 1936) – director
- Convict 99 (1938) – writer
- Alf's Button Afloat (1938) – writer
- The Good Old Days (1940) – story
- Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt (1940) – writer
- Forgotten Men (1942) (documentary short) - director[4]
- South West Pacific (1943) – actor
- Island Target (documentary; 1945) – director
- The Overlanders (1946) – writer, associate producer
- Bush Christmas (1947) – writer, director, producer
- Eureka Stockade (1948) – writer (additional scenes)
- Quartet (1948; anthology film, segment The Facts of Life) – director
- A Boy, a Girl and a Bike (1949) – director
- Bitter Springs (1950) – story, director
- Where No Vultures Fly (1951) – writer
- Never Take No For an Answer (1951) – writer, director
- Curtain Up (1952) – director
- Always a Bride (1953) – writer, director
- The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series; 1955–57) – writer, director
- The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (TV series; 1956) – director
- The Buccaneers (TV series; 1956) – director, producer
- The Flying Scot (1957) – co-writer
- The Adventures of Mr. Pastry (TV short; 1958) – director
- William Tell (TV series; 1958–59) – executive producer, writer, director
- The Invisible Man (TV series; 1958–59) – writer, director, producer
- Danger Man (TV series; 1960–61) – co-creator, writer, director, producer
- Danger Man (TV series; 1964–66, US title: Secret Agent) – co-creator, writer, script editor, executive producer
- Riptide (TV series; 1969) – writer, producer
- My Partner the Ghost (TV series; 1969) – writer
- The Protectors (TV series; 1972) – writer
- Elephant Boy (TV series; 1972) – writer
Writing credits
[edit]Production | Notes | Broadcaster |
---|---|---|
The Woodpigeon Patrol |
|
N/A |
The Star Reporter |
|
N/A |
Hotel Splendide |
|
N/A |
C.O.D |
|
N/A |
His Lordship |
|
N/A |
Born Lucky |
|
N/A |
The Night of the Party |
|
N/A |
The Phantom Light |
|
N/A |
Crime Unlimited |
|
N/A |
Convict 99 |
|
N/A |
Alf's Button Afloat |
|
N/A |
The Good Old Days |
|
N/A |
Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt |
|
N/A |
Bush Christmas |
|
N/A |
Eureka Stockade |
|
N/A |
Bitter Springs |
|
N/A |
Where No Vultures Fly |
|
N/A |
Never Take No for an Answer |
|
N/A |
Always a Bride |
|
N/A |
The Adventures of Robin Hood |
|
ITV |
The Flying Scot |
|
N/A |
The Adventures of William Tell |
|
ITV |
The Invisible Man |
|
ITV |
Danger Man |
|
ITV |
Danger Man (Secret Agent) |
|
ITV |
Koroshi |
|
N/A |
The Champions |
|
ITV |
Riptide |
|
Seven Network |
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) |
|
ITV |
The Protectors |
|
ITV |
Elephant Boy |
|
Seven Network |
References
[edit]- ^ Divorce Papers for Ralph Smart and Leonie Estcourt Barrett (nee Martin)
- ^ War records of Ralph Smart
- ^ David Anthony, "Bowen boasts movie heritage", Townsville Bulletin, 16 June 2007
- ^ "Panic-Buying Film's Record". News. Vol. 38, no. 5, 877. South Australia. 29 May 1942. p. 6. Retrieved 21 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
External links
[edit]- Ralph Smart at IMDb
- Ralph Smart at AustLit: The Australian Literature Resource
- Article linking three seminal TV shows
- Ralph Smart & Hannah Weinstein & British TV
- 1908 births
- 2001 deaths
- British emigrants to Australia
- English television producers
- English people of Australian descent
- English film directors
- People from Chingford
- Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia
- Royal Australian Air Force personnel of World War II
- Television show creators
- Writers from the London Borough of Waltham Forest