Маргарет Алексис Смит: Американдық актриса және әншінің өмірі мен мансабы

Canadian born American actress (1921–1993)
the American artist

Margaret Alexis Smith (June 8, 1921 – June 9, 1993) was a Canadian born American actress, pin up girl and singer. She appeared in several major Hollywood films in the 1940s and had a notable career on Broadway in the 1970s, winning a Tony Award in 1972 for the Stephen Sondheim James Goldman musical Follies.

Smith was born in Penticton, British Columbia, the only child of Gladys Mabel Smith ( Fitz Simmons; a Canadian) and Alexander Smith (a Scot). Her family moved to Los Angeles when she was about a year old. Her parents both became naturalized U. S. citizens in 1939, through which she derived her United States citizenship. She grew up in Los Angeles, attending Hollywood High School along with other future talents, including actress Nanette Fabray. Smith made her professional debut performing ballet at the Hollywood Bowl. She was discovered in 1940 at Los Angeles City College, acting in a school production, by a Warner Bros. talent scout. Her early film roles were uncredited bit parts in films like Lady with Red Hair (1940), She Couldn't Say No (1940), Flight from Destiny (1941), The Great Mr. Nobody (1941), Here Comes Happiness (1941), Affectionately Yours (1941), Singapore Woman (1941), Passage from Hong Kong (1941) and Three Sons o' Guns (1941). Her first credited role was in the feature film Dive Bomber (1941), playing the female lead opposite Errol Flynn. It was a "decorative" part but the film was very successful. Warners decided to build her up as a star. She had a support role in The Smiling Ghost (1941) and appeared with her future husband Craig Stevens in Steel Against the Sky (1941), the first time she was top billed.

Smith co starred opposite Errol Flynn in Gentleman Jim (1942), one of the most popular movies of the year. Her lead appearance in The Constant Nymph (1943) was well received and led to bigger parts. After a cameo dancing in Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943), Smith appeared opposite Fredric March in The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944), and starred alongside Ann Sheridan in The Doughgirls (1944). She had another cameo in Hollywood Canteen (1944) then co starred with Jack Benny in The Horn Blows at Midnight (1945). Smith co starred with Humphrey Bogart in Conflict (1945) and Robert Alda in the George Gershwin biopic Rhapsody In Blue (1945). She liked her part in the latter because "while a heavy of sorts I get to do the unexpected." Smith appeared with Sheridan again in One More Tomorrow (1946) then Cary Grant in a sanitized, fictionalized version of the life of Cole and Linda Porter in Night and Day (1946); the latter was another box office success. Smith appeared alongside Eleanor Parker and Paul Henreid in Of Human Bondage (1946), then did a second film with Bogart, The Two Mrs. Carrolls (1947); Hopper described the latter as "a typical Alexis Smith role". Smith made Stallion Road (1948) with Ronald Reagan and The Woman in White (1948) with Parker. She was top billed in The Decision of Christopher Blake (1948) which was announced as an attempt to change her image instead of being just "a mirror to reflect others' emotions". She co starred with Dane Clark in Whiplash (1948), was Joel McCrea's leading lady in South of St. Louis (1949) then worked with Zachary Scott in One Last Fling (1949). MGM borrowed her for a Clark Gable film Any Number Can Play (1950) then she made one last movie with Flynn, Montana (1950). She had been at the studio for nine years, having signed a four year deal in 1946 that had the option of going to 1953.

Smith went to Universal to appear in Wyoming Mail (1950), a Western with Stephen McNally, and Undercover Girl (1950) a film noir. She played Jane Wyman's rival in Paramount's Here Comes the Groom (1951), her favorite role. At Universal she made Cave of Outlaws (1951) with MacDonald Carey then back at Paramount was in The Turning Point (1952) with William Holden. She received excellent reviews for playing Private Lives on stage with Victor Jory. Smith was in Split Second (1953) at RKO with McNally then went to England to star in The Sleeping Tiger (1954) with Dirk Bogarde for Joseph Losey. In 1953 she appeared on stage in Bell Book and Candle with Victor Jory. She began appearing in television on shows such as The Star and the Story, Stage 7, The 20th Century Fox Hour, The Joseph Cotten Show: On Trial, Robert Montgomery Presents, Lux Video Theatre, Schlitz Playhouse, and The United States Steel Hour. At Republic she made The Eternal Sea (1955) with Sterling Hayden. She had no offers so signed to go on tour with her husband in a production of Plain and Fancy which meant she missed out on roles in the films Serenade and The Toy Tiger. Smith was in Beau James (1957) with Bob Hope, This Happy Feeling (1958) with Curt Jurgens and The Young Philadelphians with Paul Newman (1959). She also appeared on a Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis radio (NBC) broadcast on January 25, 1952.

While Smith was under contract at Warner Bros., she met fellow actor Craig Stevens; they wed in 1944. In her later years, Smith toured in several stage hits including the 1955 National company of Plain and Fancy, Jean Kerr's Mary, Mary, Any Wednesday and Cactus Flower, all co starring her husband. In the 1960s Smith continued to work on television with roles in Adventures in Paradise, Michael Shayne, The Defenders, The Governor & J. J., and Marcus Welby, M. D

Smith appeared on the cover of the May 3, 1971 issue of Time as the result of the critical acclaim for her singing and dancing role in Hal Prince's Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim's Follies, which marked her long awaited Broadway debut. In 1972, she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance. Her stage career continued through the 1970s, with appearances in the 1973 all star revival of The Women (1973), the short lived re working of William Inge's drama Picnic, re titled Summer Brave (1975), and the ill fated musical Platinum (1978), which earned Smith another Tony nomination for her performance but closed after a brief run. She starred in several regional productions of Applause and then toured for more than a year as the madam in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, including a seven month run in Los Angeles. She continued to appear on TV in movies like Nightside and shows such as The Lives of Benjamin Franklin. She also performed in nightclubs.

Smith returned to the big screen with star billing at the age of 54 in Jacqueline Susann's Once Is Not Enough (1975) opposite Kirk Douglas, followed by The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane with Martin Sheen and Jodie Foster the following year and Casey's Shadow with Walter Matthau in 1978. She also starred in the short lived 1988 series Hothouse, and was nominated for an Emmy Award for her guest appearance on Cheers in 1990.

Film Year Title Role Notes1940 Alice in Movieland Guest at Carlo's Short, Uncredited Lady with Red Hair Girl at Wedding Uncredited She Couldn't Say No Phone Gossip #4 Uncredited1941 Flight from Destiny Girl Uncredited The Great Mr. Nobody Woman in office Uncredited Here Comes Happiness Blonde Uncredited Affectionately Yours Bridesmaid Uncredited Singapore Woman Miss Oswald Uncredited Three Sons o' Guns Actress Uncredited Passage from Hong Kong Nightclub dancer Uncredited The Smiling Ghost Elinor Bentley with Wayne Morris and Brenda Marshall Steel Against the Sky Helen Powers with Lloyd Nolan and Craig Stevens Dive Bomber
Cadet Girl Mrs. Linda Fisher
Mary Moore 1 of 4 with Errol Flynn 1942 Gentleman Jim Victoria Ware 2 of 4 with Errol Flynn1943 The Constant Nymph Florence Creighton with Charles Boyer and Joan Fontaine Thank Your Lucky Stars Herself1944 The Adventures of Mark Twain Olivia Langdon Clemens With Fredric March The Doughgirls Nan Curtiss Dillon with Ann Sheridan and Jane Wyman Hollywood Canteen Herself1945 The Horn Blows at Midnight Elizabeth With Jack Benny Conflict Evelyn Turner 1 of 2 with Humphrey Bogart Rhapsody in Blue Christine Gilbert with Robert Alda and Joan Leslie San Antonio Jeanne Star 3 of 4 with Errol Flynn1946 One More Tomorrow Cecelia Henry with Ann Sheridan and Dennis Morgan Night and Day Linda Lee Porter With Cary Grant Of Human Bondage Nora Nesbitt with Paul Henreid and Eleanor Parker1947 The Two Mrs. Carrolls Cecily Latham 2 of 2 with Humphrey Bogart and Barbara Stanwyck Stallion Road Rory Teller With Ronald Reagan Always Together The Bride Uncredited1948 The Woman in White Marian Halcombe with Sidney Greenstreet and Eleanor Parker The Decision of Christopher Blake Evelyn Blake with Ted Donaldson Whiplash Laurie Durant with Dane Clark1949 South of St. Louis Rouge de Lisle with Joel McCrea Any Number Can Play Lon Kyng With Clark Gable One Last Fling Olivia Pearce with Zachary Scott1950 Montana Maria Singleton 4 of 4 with Errol Flynn Wyoming Mail Mary Williams with Stephen McNally Undercover Girl Christine Miller with Scott Brady and Gladys George1951 Here Comes the Groom Winifred Stanley With Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman Cave of Outlaws Elizabeth Trent with Macdonald Carey 1952 The Turning Point Amanda Waycross With William Holden 1953 Split Second Kay Garven with Stephen McNally and Jan Sterling 1954 The Sleeping Tiger Glenda Esmond with Dirk Bogarde 1955 The Eternal Sea Sue Hoskins with Sterling Hayden 1957 Beau James Allie Walker With Bob Hope 1958 This Happy Feeling Nita Hollaway Directed by Blake Edwards; with Curt Jurgens and Debbie Reynolds 1959 The Young Philadelphians Carol Wharton With Paul Newman 1974 Intriga de otros mundos 1975 Once Is Not Enough Deirdre Milford Granger With Kirk Douglas 1976 The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane Mrs. Hallet With Jodie Foster 1978 Casey's Shadow Sarah Blue With Walter Matthau 1982 The Trout (aka La Truite) Gloria with Isabelle Huppert and Craig Stevens 1986 Tough Guys Belle With Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas 1993 The Age of Innocence Luisa van der Luyden Directed by Martin Scorsese (final film role)

Television Year Title Role Notes 1955 Stage 7 Caroline Taylor 1 episode1956 The 20th Century Fox Hour Emily Hefferan 1 episode The Joseph Cotten Show Libby Wilson 1 episode, "We Who Love Her" 1958 Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Vivian Braxton 1 episode 1959 Adventures in Paradise Loraine Lucas 1 episode 1960 Michael Shayne Nora Carroll 1 episode 1965 The Defenders Carol Defoe 1 episode 1970 The Governor & J. J. Leslie Carroll 1 episode 1971 Marcus Welby, M. D. Evie Craig 1 episode (co starring Craig Stevens) 1972 Bob Hope Special Guest Star airing October 5, 1972 1973 Nightside Smitty Television movieAlternative title: A Very Special Place 1982 The Love Boat Season 6: Episodes 8 & 9. November 13, 1982"The Spoonmaker Diamond"/"Papa Doc"/"The Role Model"/"Julie's Tycoon – Parts 1 & 2" 1984 Dallas Lady Jessica Farlow Montford Season 7: Episodes 24–30 1984 The Love Boat Angela Lovett Season 7: Episodes 25 & 26. May 5, 1984"Dreamboat"/"Gopher, Isaac & the Starlet"/"The Parents"/"The Importance of Being Johnny"/"Julie and the Producer – Parts 1 & 2" 1985 A Death in California Honey Niven Television miniseries 1985 The Love Boat Justina Downey Season 9: Episodes 4 & 5. November 2, 1985"The Villa"/"The Racer's Edge"/"Love or Money"/"The Accident – Parts 1 & 2" 1986 Dress Gray Mrs. Iris Rylander Television movie 1988 Hothouse Lily Garrison Shannon 7 episodes 1988 Marcus Welby, M. D.: A Holiday Affair Tessa Menard Television movie 1990 Dallas Lady Jessica Farlow Montford Season 13: Episodes 23, 24, 26, 27 1990 Lola Phoebe Television movie 1990 Cheers Professor Alice Anne Volkman 1 episode, nominated for an Emmy