- Born
- Died
- Birth nameRobert Errol Van Orden
- Nickname
- Smitty
- Height1.91 m
- 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, La route semée d'étoiles (1944) and Les cloches de Sainte-Marie (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 La cuisine des anges (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 Le plus grand cirque du monde (1964) and Justin Morgan Had a Horse (1972). Smith also appeared in the television westerns Cimarron City (1958) and Laramie (1959).- IMDb mini biography by: jojo-acapulco
- SpouseLuana Patten(June 4, 1960 - December 3, 1964) (divorced)
- The character of Slim Sherman in Laramie (1959).
- Deep smooth voice
- Smith's former Laramie (1959) co-star and friend of four decades, Robert Fuller, paid tribute to him at the Festival of the West on 20 March 2010, in Scottsdale, Arizona, 15 years after Smith's death in 1995.
- According to his obituary, Robert Van Orden changed his name to John Smith in order to be "the only one in the business". His parents were Errol and Margaret Van Orden. The family was of Dutch, German and Irish ancestry.
- Before he became an actor, he worked at MGM as a mail boy and soon advanced to be the head of the mail room.
- After his last guest-starring role on Project UFO, Smith retired from acting at the age of 47.
- After guest starring as the fire captain in a two-part episode of "Emergency" in 1972, Smith had the option to continue in the role for the series, but chose not to do so.
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