Alexis Smith Early 1940s

This undated publicity photograph from the 1940s shows Alexis Smith in a sultry pose.

There have been movie stars with the last name Smith. But the big studios encouraged promising actors named Smith to change it to something else.

The most successful Smith actor of all-time was arguably Gladys Smith. But she changed her name to the more glamorous sounding Mary Pickford.

And Margaret Alexis Fitz-Simmons Smith, born June 8, 1921 in Penticton, British Columbia, Canada did alter her “movie” name as well. But only slightly, dropping Margaret and Fitz-Simmons and insisting on keeping her middle and common last name, becoming Alexis Smith.

Since the age of 10 Smith had been dancing. She set her career sights on the theatre and was attending a two year course at Los Angeles City College in 1940.  After seeing Smith at college in Ayn Rand’s play The Night of January 16th, talent scout Solly Balano offered her a film test. After a slight delay on Smith’s, part she signed a Warner Bros. contract at age 19.

Tall, Freckled And Pretty

At five foot eight, the statuesque dancer and actress was rapidly cast in 10 uncredited roles in 1940 and 1941.

Alexis Smith’s break came in 1941 as the female lead in Dive Bomber with Errol Flynn and Fred MacMurray.

From that point on Smith got the roles that Warner Bros. stars, Jane Wyman, Ida Lupino and Ann Sheridan turned down. Some were good films, like Gentleman Jim (1942); The Constant Nymph (1943) The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944); Conflict (1945); The Two Mrs. Carroll’s (1947);  The Woman In White (1948); The Turning Point (1952) and The Young Philadelphians (1959).

Smith’s acting career slowed down after the 1950s, appearing mostly on a few television shows from the 1960s -1980s.

On a personal level Smith was happily married for 49 years to fellow Warner Bros. actor Craig Stevens. Before marrying Stevens in 1944, the pair’s characters were wed in two films Steel Against The Sky and The Doughgirls.

Alexis Smith’s final film was The Age of Innocence (1993). Smith died the day after her birthday on June 9, 1993 at the age of 72 from brain cancer.