Jack Smight
Jack Smight
Born	John Ronald Smight (1925-03-09)March 9, 1925[1] Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	September 1, 2003(2003-09-01) (aged 78)[1] Los Angeles,California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Theatre director, film director, film producer

John Ronald Smight (March 9, 1925 – September 1, 2003)^[1] was an American theatre and film director.^[2][3] His film credits includeHarper (1966),No Way to Treat a Lady (1968),Airport 1975 (1974),^[4]Midway (1976),^[2] andFast Break (1979).

Smight was born inMinneapolis, Minnesota and went toCretin High School with future actorPeter Graves.

He joined theArmy Air Forces, flying missions in the Pacific duringWorld War II, before earning his degree at theUniversity of Minnesota. He then sought work as an actor.^[5] He worked as a radio actor and had a bit part in a stage production ofAnna Lucasta.

He becamestage manager for TV'sThe Good Egg of the Week and then assistant director onThe Colgate Comedy Hour andThe Dennis Day Show. He said a big break was working onVisit to a Small Planet withCyril Ritchard.^[6]

In 1959, he won anEmmy Award for his direction of the hour-long playEddie, which starredMickey Rooney. He directed the 1960 Broadway playThe 49th Cousin. He directed episodes forThe Twilight Zone andThe Alfred Hitchcock Hour.

Smight's first feature film wasI'd Rather Be Rich (1964), a remake ofIt Started with Eve (1941). Smight said "it was not a particularly good script but it opened up a whole new life for me."^[6]

Smight then signed a contract with Warners to make six films in one a year. He produced and directedThe Third Day (1965) and then directed thePaul NewmanvehicleHarper (1966).^[7] He followed that with the British action comedy,Kaleidoscope (1966) withWarren Beatty.

In 1966, he signed a three-picture deal withMirisch Brothers and bought the rights to the bookThe Illustrated Man.^[8] In 1968, he directed thecult classic comedic thrillerNo Way to Treat a Lady, starringRod Steiger andGeorge Segal. Other notable films directed by Smight includeAirport 1975 (1974) andMidway (1976), back-to-back box office hits.

In 1976, Smight was hired to direct the technically-complexDamnation Alley, expected to be another box office hit upon release. After thedirector's cut was delivered, and Smight moved on to other projects, studio meddling and re-editing resulted in a drastically altered film, which was released and failed at the box office.

Smight's last film,The Favorite (1989), also known as La Nuit du serail, was a co-production of the United States and Switzerland.

Smight died of cancer in Los Angeles in 2003.^[1]

Television Series

Television Films

• Jack Smight atIMDb
• Jack Smight at theTCM Movie Database
• Jack Smight at theInternet Broadway Database
• Obituary-Jack Smight The Guardian

• Artists from Minneapolis
• 1925 births
• 2003 deaths
• Deaths from cancer in California
• Film directors from Minnesota
• Film producers from Minnesota

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• Use mdy dates from December 2013
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