Richard Smith (silent film director)


Richard Smith, 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

YearFilmRole
1914Gussle, the GolferActor: "Card Player"
1914The Noise of BombsActor
1915A Bathhouse TragedyActor
1915A Stool Pigeon's RevengeActor
1915Disguised But DiscoveredActor
1915Easy MoneyActor
1915From Beanery to BillionsActor
1915Poor But DishonestActor
1915Scandal in the FamilyActor
1915Too Many BachelorsActor: "One of Peggy's Suitors"
1915Under the TableActor
1916A Rural RomanceActor
1916Dad's Dollars and Dirty DoingsActor
1916Flirtation a la CarteActor
1916Her Naughty EyesActor
1916How Stars Are MadeActor
1916Saving Susie from the SeaActor
1916Shooting His 'Art OutActor
1916The Bankruptcy of Boggs and SchultzActor
1916The Double's TroublesActor
1916The Great SmashActor
1917Double DukesDirector
1917Fatty's Feature FillumActor: "Desmond"
1917Hearts and FlourDirector
1917Little Bo-PeepDirector
1917Street Cars and CarbunclesDirector
1917That Dawgone DogDirector
1917The Sign of the CucumberDirector
1917Vamping Reuben's MillionsDirector
1918Ambrose and His WidowActor
1918Ash-Can AlleyDirector
1918Scars and BarsActor
1919Bungs and BunglersActor
1919Cymbelles and BoneheadsActor
1919Flips and FlopsActor
1919Healthy and HappyActor
1919Jazz and JailbirdsActor: "Thief"
1919Let Fido Do ItActor
1919Mates and ModelsActor: "A Rival Artist"
1919A Rag Time RomanceActor
1919Squabs and SquabblesActor
1919Switches and SweetiesActor
1919Tootsies and TamalesActor
1919Yaps and YokelsActor: "The Father"
1920Cinderella CindersActor: "The Butler"
1920Dames and DentistsActor
1920Distilled LoveDirector, Actor: "The Color Blind Artist"
1920Lunatics in PoliticsDirector, Actor
1920Squirrel TimeDirector
1921Humor RiskDirector
1923Chasing WealthWriter
1923Little Miss HollywoodActor
1923Taking OrdersActor
1924Feather PushersWriter
1924Green TeesDirector
1924Horse PlayDirector
1924Marry When YoungWriter
1924Mind Your DoctorDirector, Writer
1924Ship Ahoy!Writer
1924The Jail BirdWriter
1924The MandarinWriter
1925A Nice PickleDirector, Writer
1925Black Gold BricksDirector
1925City BoundDirector
1925Locked OutWriter
1925Muddled UpDirector, Writer
1925Nearly RichWriter
1925Nicely RewardedWriter
1925Papa's PetDirector
1925Pleasure BentWriter
1925Rolling StonesWriter
1925Sleeping SicknessDirector
1925Speak EasyDirector, Writer
1925Tenting OutDirector
1925The Cat's WhiskersDirector, Writer
1925The GreenhornWriter
1925The Lost CordDirector, Writer
1925The Lucky AccidentWriter
1925The Milky WayDirector, Writer
1925Under a SpellDirector
1925UnwelcomeDirector
1926Fresh PaintDirector, Writer
1926Wide Open FacesDirector, Writer
1926Babes in the SawdustDirector, Writer
1926Do or BustDirector, Writer
1926Find the WomanActor: "George Stevenson"
1926Help WantedDirector, Writer
1926Hook or CrookDirector, Writer
1926Horse LaughDirector, Writer
1926It's All Over NowDirector, Writer
1926Love's Labor LostDirector, Writer
1926Mixed DoublesDirector, Writer
1926Nobody Loves MeDirector, Writer
1926The College YellDirector, Writer
1926The Crowned PrinceDirector, Writer
1926The OptimistDirector, Writer
1926The Phoney ExpressDirector, Writer
1926The Thirteenth ManDirector, Writer
1926What Price Pleasure?Director, Writer
1926Where's My Baby?Director, Writer
1926Who's Next?Director, Writer
1926Wild BillDirector, Writer
1926Wise or OtherwiseDirector
1926Wives and WomenDirector
1927A One Man ShowDirector
1927A Sleepy Time PalDirector, Writer
1927Ali GazamDirector, Writer
1927Baby BrotherActor
1927High and DizzyDirector, Writer
1927Oh! What a Kick!Director
1927Red SuspendersDirector
1927Surprised HoneyWriter
1927Why Mules Leave HomeDirector
1929Watch Your FriendsDirector
1936Fibbing FibbersWriter