Ralph Foster Smart (27 August 1908 – 12 February 2001) was an English-born film and television producer, director and writer, who worked in the UK and Australia.

Early life

Smart was born in England to H. C. Smart, an Australian publicist, and his English wife, Hope Daisy Smart, née Foster.

Career

Smart found work in Britain with Anthony Asquith and later alongside the film director Michael Powell, whom he assisted with 'quota quickies': low-budget "B" pictures made partly in order to exploit the advantageous position of the British film industry under the Cinematograph Films Act 1927.

During the Second World War, Smart joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1942 and served until 1945. Afterward he worked for the Rank Organisation and Ealing Studios, returning to Australia to direct several films beginning with The Overlanders and including Bitter Springs (1950), addressing the mistreatment of young Aborigines.

Back again in Britain, he became an influential figure in ITC television, producing, directing or writing a number of television series and films, including the 1950s series The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Invisible Man. Later he created and produced the highly successful spy series Danger Man (known as Secret Agent in the United States).

In 2000 he was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for "services to the development of the Australian film industry".

He retired to Australia, and died on 12 February 2001, in Bowen, Queensland.

Selected filmography

• A Cottage on Dartmoor (1929) – uncredited writer

• The Woodpigeon Patrol (short; 1930) – writer, director

• The Star Reporter (1932) – writer

• Hotel Splendide (1932) – writer

• C.O.D. (1932) – writer

• His Lordship (1932) – writer

• Born Lucky (1933) – writer

• The Murder Party (1935) – writer

• The Phantom Light (1935) – writer

• Crime Unlimited (1935) – writer

• Sweet Success (short) – 1936) – director

• For Dealers Only (Ford Motor Company short) – (1937) – director

• Convict 99 (1938) – writer

• Alf's Button Afloat (1938) – writer

• The Good Old Days (1940) – story

• Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt (1940) – writer

• Forgotten Men (1942) (documentary short) - director

• South West Pacific (1943) – actor

• Island Target (documentary; 1945) – director

• The Overlanders (1946) – writer, associate producer

• Bush Christmas (1947) – writer, director, producer

• Eureka Stockade (1948) – writer (additional scenes)

• Quartet (1948; anthology film, segment The Facts of Life) – director

• A Boy, a Girl and a Bike (1949) – director

• Bitter Springs (1950) – story, director

• Where No Vultures Fly (1951) – writer

• Never Take No For an Answer (1951) – writer, director

• Curtain Up (1952) – director

• Always a Bride (1953) – writer, director

• The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series; 1955–57) – writer, director

• The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (TV series; 1956) – director

• The Buccaneers (TV series; 1956) – director, producer

• The Flying Scot (1957) – co-writer

• The Adventures of Mr. Pastry (TV short; 1958) – director

• William Tell (TV series; 1958–59) – executive producer, writer, director

• The Invisible Man (TV series; 1958–59) – writer, director, producer

• Danger Man (TV series; 1960–61) – co-creator, writer, director, producer

• Danger Man (TV series; 1964–66, US title: Secret Agent) – co-creator, writer, script editor, executive producer

• Riptide (TV series; 1969) – writer, producer

• My Partner the Ghost (TV series; 1969) – writer

• The Protectors (TV series; 1972) – writer

• Elephant Boy (TV series; 1972) – writer

Writing credits

References

External links

• Ralph Smart at AustLit: The Australian Literature Resource

• Article linking three seminal TV shows

• Ralph Smart & Hannah Weinstein & British TV