Jack Smight

Early life and education Smight was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Irish Catholic immigrants. He then sought work as an actor. He worked as a radio actor and had a bit part in a stage production of Anna Lucasta in 1949.

Career

Television 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.

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.

In 1966, he signed a three-picture deal with Mirisch Brothers and bought the rights to the book The Illustrated Man. In 1968, he directed the cult classic comedic thriller No Way to Treat a Lady, starring Rod Steiger and George Segal. Other notable films directed by Smight include Airport 1975 (1974) and Midway (1976), back-to-back box office hits.

In 1976, Smight was hired to direct the technically-complex Damnation Alley, expected to be another box office hit upon release. After the director'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.

Personal life Smight was married to actress Joyce Cunning, and he had two sons, including editor/director Alec Smight.

Death Smight died of cancer on September 1, 2003, in Los Angeles.

Filmography Film Year TitleNotes 1964 I'd Rather Be Rich 1965 The Third Day Also producer 1966 Harper Kaleidoscope 1968 The Secret War of Harry Frigg No Way to Treat a Lady 1969 The Illustrated Man Strategy of Terror 1970 Rabbit, Run The Traveling Executioner Also producer 1974 Airport 1975 1976 Midway 1977 Damnation Alley 1979 Fast Break 1980 Loving Couples 1987 Number One with a Bullet 1989 The Favorite

Television

TV films, specials, and miniseries Year Title1958 Victor Borge's Comedy in Music III 1959 The Ten Commandments The Sound of Miles Davis 1960 Destiny, West! 1961 The Enchanted Nutcracker 1972 The Screaming Woman The Longest Night 1973 Partners in Crime Double Indemnity Linda Frankenstein: The True Story Legend in Granite 1974 The Man from Independence 1978 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry 1982 Remembrance of Love

Awards and nominations Award Year Category Work Result Primetime Emmy Awards 1959 Directing for a Drama Series Alcoa Theatre 1962 Westinghouse Presents Hugo Award 1970 Best Dramatic Presentation The Illustrated Man