Kent Smith

Frank Kent Smith (March 19, 1907 – April 23, 1985) was an American actor who had a lengthy career in film, theatre and television.

Early years Smith was the son of Mr. and Mrs. James E. Smith. He was born in New York City and was educated at Lincoln School, Phillips Exeter Academy and at Harvard University. He appeared on Broadway in Measure for Measure; Sweet Love Remembered; The Best Man; Ah, Wilderness!; Dodsworth (1934); Saint Joan (1936); Old Acquaintance (1941); Antony and Cleopatra (1948) and Bus Stop (1956). Smith appeared as the Leading Man for the 1938 Summer stock season at Elitch Theatre.

Film Smith moved to Hollywood, California, where he made his film debut in The Garden Murder Case.

Television Regular cast Kent Smith played the imperious Dr. Morton on the popular series Peyton Place with his real-life wife (Edith Atwater) cast as Mrs. Morton. Smith played Edgar Scoville in the second season of the science-fiction series The Invaders (1967-1968) and was a host for the anthology series Philip Morris Playhouse (1953-1954).

Guest appearances Smith had roles in TV movies such as How Awful About Allan (1970), The Night Stalker (1972), The Judge and Jake Wyler (1972), The Cat Creature (1973), The Affair (1973) and The Disappearance of Flight 412 (1974). His numerous television credits included a continuing role in Peyton Place as Dr. Robert Morton. He began guest-starring in television series in 1949 in The Philco Television Playhouse and appeared in Robert Montgomery Presents; General Electric Theater; Alfred Hitchcock Presents; Naked City; Have Gun – Will Travel; Perry Mason; Gunsmoke “Beaton” (1963), a man trying to steal two Irish immigrants’ land in “Two of a Kind” (S8E27, 1963), "Dakota" (1963), and as an aging gunslinger in “The Glory & The Mud” (S9E14); The Beverly Hillbillies; Rawhide S2 E8 as Capt. Loomis in "Incident of the Haunted Hills" (1959); The Americans; Barnaby Jones; Wagon Train in 1957 as "Professor Paul Owens", husband to Shelley Winters, in "The Ruth Owens Story" (S1E3), and in 1959 S3 E14 "The Lita Foladaire Story" as Jess Foladaire; The Outer Limits; The Alfred Hitchcock Hour S1 E4 as Jerry O'Hara in "I Saw the Whole Thing" (1962); Mission: Impossible ("The Confession" 1/22 (1967); Night Gallery and the 1976 miniseries Once an Eagle. Kent Smith and Simone Simon in Curse of the Cat People (1944) He played Governor Winston Brubaker in The Wild Wild West S3 E12 "The Night of the Legion of Death" which aired 11/22/1967. He appeared in the musical remake of Lost Horizon (1972), and the television movie Probe (1972), that would become the pilot for the TV series Search.

Personal life and death Smith was married to actress Betty Gillette from 1937 until their divorce in 1954 and to actress Edith Atwater from 1962 until his death from congestive heart failure in Woodland Hills, California at the age of 78. He was survived by his wife and daughter.

In 1961, Smith said: "I'm capricious when there's a national election. My background's Republican, but whenever I'm planted in a city long enough to vote on the local level, I find I'm against whoever is in office."

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1936 The Garden Murder Case Woode Swift 1939 Back Door to Heaven Attorney 1942 Cat People Oliver Reed 1943 Hitler's Children Professor Nichols Forever and a Day Gates Trimble Pomfret This Land Is Mine Paul Martin Three Russian Girls John Hill alternate title: She Who Dares 1944 The Curse of the Cat People Oliver Reed Resisting Enemy Interrogation Captain Reining, American Working for the Nazis Youth Runs Wild Danny Coates 1946 The Spiral Staircase Dr. Parry 1947 Nora Prentiss Dr. Richard Talbot Magic Town Professor Frederick Hoopendecker The Voice of the Turtle Kenneth Bartlett 1949 The Fountainhead Peter Keating My Foolish Heart Lew Wengler 1950 The Damned Don't Cry Martin Blankford This Side of the Law David Cummins 1952 Paula John Rogers alternate title: The Silent Voice 1956 Comanche Quanah Parker 1957 Sayonara General Mark Webster 1958 Imitation General Brigadier General Charles Lane The Badlanders Cyril Lounsberry Party Girl Jeffrey Stewart The Mugger Dr. Pete Graham 1959 This Earth Is Mine Francis Fairon Alfred Hitchcock Presents Gilbert Hughes Season 4 Episode 34: "A True Account" 1960 Strangers When We Meet Stanley Baxter 1961 Susan Slade Dr. Fane 1961 Rawhide Captain Loomis S2:E8, "Incident of the Haunted Hills" 1962 Moon Pilot Secretary of the Air Force The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Jerry O'Hara Season 1 Episode 4: "I Saw the Whole Thing" 1963 The Balcony General 1964 A Distant Trumpet Secretary of War Youngblood Hawke Paul Winter Sr. The Young Lovers Dr. Shoemaker The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Dr. Sam Adamson Season 2 Episode 32: "Body in the Barn" Rawhide Colonel Greer S6:E23, "Incident at Hourglass" 1965 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Mr. Benner Season 3 Episode 22: "Thou Still Unravished Bride" 1966 The Trouble with Angels Uncle George 1967 A Covenant with Death Parmalee Games Harry Gordon The Money Jungle Paul Kimmel Mission Impossible Congressman Townsend "The Confession" 1968 Assignment to Kill Mr. Eversley Kona Coast Akamai 1969 Death of a Gunfighter Andrew Oxley 1970 The Games Kaverley How Awful About Allan Raymond Colleigh ABC Movie of the Week 1971 The Last Child Gus Iverson ABC Movie of the Week 1972 The Night Stalker District Attorney Tom Paine ABC Movie of the Week Probe Dr. Edward Laurent TV movie Another Part of the Forest Simon Isham TV movie The Crooked Hearts James Simpson TV movie The Judge and Jake Wyler Robert Dodd TV movie Pete 'n' Tillie Father Keating Call Me by My Rightful Name Mr. Watkins 1973 Lost Horizon Bill Fergunson Maurie Dr. Walker uncredited Cops and Robbers Bit Part uncredited The Affair Mr. Patterson ABC Movie of the Week The Cat Creature Frank Lucas ABC Movie of the Week 1974 Murder or Mercy Judge ABC Movie of the Week The Disappearance of Flight 412 General Enright TV movie 1976 Once an Eagle General Jacklyn TV miniseries 1977 Billy Jack Goes to Washington Senator Joe Foley 1978 Die Sister, Die! Dr. Thorne alternate title: The Companionfinal film role