John Smith

John Smith

  • Birthday: 1931-03-06
  • Deathday: 1995-01-25
  • Place of birth: Los Angeles, California, USA
  • Also know as: Robert Errol Van Orden

Biography

Actor John Smith was born Robert Errol Van Orden in Los Angeles. He began his career singing with The Robert Mitchell Boy Choir, a group which appeared in two Bing Crosby films, Going My Way (1944) and The Bells of St. Mary's (1945). His agent Henry Willson, who also gave Tab Hunter and Rock Hudson their names, changed Van Orden's name to "John Smith". Robert Hofler, author of "The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson", reports that an actress identified as Pocahontas Crowfoot was in the courtroom when the name change was granted. In We're No Angels (1955), Smith had a small role as "Arnaud", the ship's doctor. Aldo Ray, observing the doctor in full dress whites, says "he looks like a glass of milk". John Smith's other film credits include Circus World (1964) and Justin Morgan Had a Horse (1972). Smith also appeared in the television westerns Cimarron City (1958) and Laramie (1959).

Filmography

The Crooked Circle

1957

As Tommy Kelly

Meteor

2011

As Narrator

Tomahawk Trail

1957

As Pvt. Reynolds

Island of Lost Women

1959

As Joe Walker

The Lawless Eighties

1957

As William Wesley Van Orsdel

Fury at Showdown

1957

As Miley Sutton

Ghost Town

1956

As Duff Dailey

Hot Rod Girl

1956

As Jeff Northrup

The Women of Pitcairn Island

1956

As Thursday October Christian

Desert Sands

1955

As Pvt. Rex Tyle

Handle with Care

1958

As Bill Reeves

Quincannon, Frontier Scout

1956

As Lt. Phil Hostedder

Rebel in Town

1956

As Wesley Mason

Circus World

1964

As Steve McCabe

Seven Angry Men

1955

As Frederick Brown

Waco

1966

As Joe Gore

Hondo and the Apaches

1967

As Ed Dow

Wichita

1955

As Jim Earp

Justin Morgan Had a Horse

1972

As Mr. Ames

We're No Angels

1955

As Medical Officer Arnaud

Friendly Persuasion

1956

As Caleb Cope

The Bells of St. Mary's

1945

As Choir Member (uncredited)

The High and the Mighty

1954

As Milo Buck

Going My Way

1944

As Choir Member (uncredited)

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