Alexis Smith

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Smith on the cover of Army magazine Yank in March 1945

Alexis Smith (* 8. June 1921 in Penticton , British Columbia as Gladys Smith ; † 9. June 1993 in Los Angeles , California ) was a Canadian - American actress .

Life

Smith received ballet lessons as a child and, shortly before the start of World War II, took on his first roles on Canadian summer stages in her home state of British Columbia . She then went to Los Angeles, where she trained as an actress at City College and took part in several stage plays. It was discovered at one of these performances and brought to the Warner Brothers production company . In 1941, she played her first leading role in Dive Bomber alongside Errol Flynn . In A Man Of Action , also starring alongside Flynn, she sings a special version of the popular American song Some Sunday Morning . During the 1940s and 1950s she acted as the leading lady to famous actors such as Cary Grant , Humphrey Bogart , Jack Benny , Curd Jürgens and Charles Boyer .

After the film offerings became less and less in the 1960s and Smith only occasionally took on television roles, she returned to the stage in 1971. She received a Tony Award for her performance in the Broadway musical Follies . After this success came again many film and television offers, whereupon she acted as a character actress in supporting roles. Through the series Dallas , she gained new fame in 1984 through the impersonation of Clayton Farlow's conspiratorial sister Lady Jessica Montford . Her last film Time of Innocence by Martin Scorsese was only released in cinemas after her death. In 1990 she played a role in the sitcom Cheers , for which she was awarded an Emmy .

Alexis Smith was married to actor Craig Stevens from 1944 until her death . She died of a brain tumor in June 1993, the day after her 72nd birthday.

Filmography (selection)

Web links

Commons : Alexis Smith  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Smith, Alexis
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Smith, Gladys (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American-Canadian film actress
DATE OF BIRTH June 8, 1921
PLACE OF BIRTH Penticton , British Columbia , Canada
DATE OF DEATH June 9, 1993
Place of death Los Angeles , California , United States