Richard Smith (silent film director)

Richard Smith (September 17, 1886 – 1937), also known as Dick Smith, was a screenwriter, actor, and film director. Smith was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and became a comedian active in the vaudeville era. He met his wife Alice Howell in 1910 and the two performed together as Howell and Howell. After working under direction of Mack Sennett at the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company in New York City, Smith moved to Los Angeles, California. Smith and his wife starred in reels together produced by L-KO Kompany.

While Howell was contracted at Universal Studios, Smith directed her in films described in the book Clown Princes and Court Jesters as, "some of Universal's most memorable comedies of the twenties". With colleague Vin Moore, Smith directed actor Oliver Hardy in the 1920 film Distilled Love. Smith directed the Marx Brothers in 1921 in their first film, titled Humor Risk, which has since been lost. In 1925, Smith's directing work included films starring Bert Roach, Neely Edwards, and Charles Puffy. His contributions at Universal included a series of comedy films called "The Collegians".

Career

Vaudeville Richard Smith was active in the field of comedy, and participated in the vaudeville scene. He met his wife Alice Howell when she was a member of a production by DeWolf Hopper, in 1910. The two utilized the title of a previously known vaudeville group, and performed together as Howell and Howell. The Howell and Howell duo performed together for three years. Their performances included burlesque and vaudeville. Mack Sennett directed Smith at the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company in New York City. Sennett offered Smith a chance to go with him when he started the company Keystone Studios, but he declined the opportunity.

Film director Due to a medical condition, Smith decided to switch his residence from New York to Los Angeles, California, where his wife began to gain roles in the film industry under Sennett in 1914. The two starred together in reels including Dad's Dollars and Dirty Doings, a comedy by L-KO Kompany. Under the production company Reelcraft Pictures, Smith wrote and directed several films which his wife starred in. In the book Clown Princes and Court Jesters, authors Kalton C. Lahue and Samuel Gill describe these films directed by Smith and starring Howell as "low-burlesque charades and as such were slanted toward the neighborhood and second-run houses, where they found receptive audiences."

After his wife became an actress in features at Universal Studios in 1921, Smith directed her in multiple comedies. Lahue and Gill characterize these films as, "some of Universal's most memorable comedies of the twenties", and note, "Starting with the usual framework provided by the situation comedy format, directors William Watson and Richard Smith inserted a sufficient amount of subdued slapstick to flavor these single reels with laugh after laugh." Comedian Oliver Hardy acted under the direction of Smith and associate Vin Moore, in the 1920 film Distilled Love; Smith also had an acting role in the film as an artist. He served as director in 1921 of Humor Risk, the first film starring the Marx Brothers. Smith directed actors including Bert Roach and Neely Edwards in the 1925 film A Nice Pickle, and Charles Puffy the same year in Muddled Up. After Howell retired from film in the 1926, Smith kept up with his contracted work at Universal and wrote a set of comedy films called "The Collegians". Smith died in 1937 in Los Angeles, California, at fifty years old.

Filmography

Year Film Role1914Gussle, the GolferActor: "Card Player"1914The Noise of BombsActor1915A Bathhouse TragedyActor1915A Stool Pigeon's RevengeActor1915Disguised But DiscoveredActor1915Easy MoneyActor1915From Beanery to BillionsActor1915Poor But DishonestActor1915Scandal in the FamilyActor1915Too Many BachelorsActor: "One of Peggy's Suitors"1915Under the TableActor1916A Rural RomanceActor1916Dad's Dollars and Dirty DoingsActor1916Flirtation a la CarteActor1916Her Naughty EyesActor1916How Stars Are MadeActor1916Saving Susie from the SeaActor1916Shooting His 'Art OutActor1916The Bankruptcy of Boggs and SchultzActor1916The Double's TroublesActor1916The Great SmashActor1917Double DukesDirector1917Fatty's Feature FillumActor: "Desmond"1917Hearts and FlourDirector1917Little Bo-PeepDirector1917Street Cars and CarbunclesDirector1917That Dawgone DogDirector1917The Sign of the CucumberDirector1917Vamping Reuben's MillionsDirector1918Ambrose and His WidowActor1918Ash-Can AlleyDirector1918Scars and BarsActor1919Bungs and BunglersActor1919Cymbelles and BoneheadsActor1919Flips and FlopsActor1919Healthy and HappyActor1919Jazz and JailbirdsActor: "Thief"1919Let Fido Do ItActor1919Mates and ModelsActor: "A Rival Artist"1919A Rag Time RomanceActor1919Squabs and SquabblesActor1919Switches and SweetiesActor1919Tootsies and TamalesActor1919Yaps and YokelsActor: "The Father"1920Cinderella CindersActor: "The Butler"1920Dames and DentistsActor1920Distilled LoveDirector, Actor: "The Color Blind Artist"1920Lunatics in PoliticsDirector, Actor1920Squirrel TimeDirector1921Humor RiskDirector1923Chasing WealthWriter1923Little Miss HollywoodActor1923Taking OrdersActor1924Feather PushersWriter1924Green TeesDirector1924Horse PlayDirector1924Marry When YoungWriter1924Mind Your DoctorDirector, Writer1924Ship Ahoy!Writer1924The Jail BirdWriter1924The MandarinWriter1925A Nice PickleDirector, Writer1925Black Gold BricksDirector1925City BoundDirector1925Locked OutWriter1925Muddled UpDirector, Writer1925Nearly RichWriter1925Nicely RewardedWriter1925Papa's PetDirector1925Pleasure BentWriter1925Rolling StonesWriter1925Sleeping SicknessDirector1925Speak EasyDirector, Writer1925Tenting OutDirector1925The Cat's WhiskersDirector, Writer1925The GreenhornWriter1925The Lost CordDirector, Writer1925The Lucky AccidentWriter1925The Milky WayDirector, Writer1925Under a SpellDirector1925UnwelcomeDirector1926Fresh PaintDirector, Writer1926Wide Open FacesDirector, Writer1926Babes in the SawdustDirector, Writer1926Do or BustDirector, Writer1926Find the WomanActor: "George Stevenson"1926Help WantedDirector, Writer1926Hook or CrookDirector, Writer1926Horse LaughDirector, Writer1926It's All Over NowDirector, Writer1926Love's Labor LostDirector, Writer1926Mixed DoublesDirector, Writer1926Nobody Loves MeDirector, Writer1926The College YellDirector, Writer1926The Crowned PrinceDirector, Writer1926The OptimistDirector, Writer1926The Phoney ExpressDirector, Writer1926The Thirteenth ManDirector, Writer1926What Price Pleasure?Director, Writer1926Where's My Baby?Director, Writer1926Who's Next?Director, Writer1926Wild BillDirector, Writer1926Wise or OtherwiseDirector1926Wives and WomenDirector1927A One Man ShowDirector1927A Sleepy Time PalDirector, Writer1927Ali GazamDirector, Writer1927Baby BrotherActor1927High and DizzyDirector, Writer1927Oh! What a Kick!Director1927Red SuspendersDirector1927Surprised HoneyWriter1927Why Mules Leave HomeDirector1929Watch Your FriendsDirector1936Fibbing FibbersWriter

Richard Smith (silent film director)

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