Hal Smith (actor)
Encyclopedia
Harold John "Hal" Smith (August 24, 1916 – January 28, 1994) was an American
character actor
and voice actor
. Smith is best known as Otis Campbell
, the town drunk on The Andy Griffith Show
, and was the voice of many characters on various animated cartoon shorts. He is also known to radio listeners as John Avery Whittaker on Adventures in Odyssey
.
Smith is often wrongly given credit for the writing of the movie It Came from Beneath the Sea
, as well as ten other produced feature films. The true co-writer of those movies is Harold Jacob Smith, who wrote as "Hal Smith" until 1958.
, but spent a significant part of his early years living in Massena, New York
, graduating from the Massena High School
class of 1936. His mother was a seamstress, and his father worked at the local Aluminum Company Of America factory. After graduation, Smith worked as a disc jockey
and voice talent for WIBX Radio in Utica, New York
from 1936-1943. After serving in the Special Services during World War II
, he traveled to Hollywood and appeared in many television shows such as I Married Joan
, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
and The Red Skelton Show
.
, the town drunk on The Andy Griffith Show
during most of the series' run from 1960 to 1968. He would often comically let himself into his regular jail cell using the key which was stored within reach of the two comfortable jail rooms. Hal Smith was the opposite of his character. According to longtime friends Andy Griffith and Don Knotts, he did not drink in real life. Otis stopped appearing in the show towards the end of the series due to concerns by the show's sponsors over the portrayal of excessive drinking. Smith appeared as Calver Weems in the 1966 Don Knotts comedy The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
, playing essentially the same town drunk character as Otis.
Smith would play Otis one more time in the 1986 TV movie Return to Mayberry
. In the TV movie, Otis is the town's ice cream truck driver and is reported to have been "sober for years". Smith later used his Otis Campbell character in commercial spots for the Mothers Against Drunk Driving
organization and appeared as Otis in Alan Jackson
's "Don't Rock the Juke Box
" music video.
During the late 1960s, Smith also had a morning children's show at television station KTLA called The Pancake Man, sponsored by The International House of Pancakes. He reprised the Pancake Man role as "Kartoon King" in the 1971 episode of The Brady Bunch
titled "The Winner".
, Smith became one of the most prolific voice actors in Hollywood, eventually working with most of the major studios and production companies, such as Hanna-Barbera
, Walt Disney, Warner Brothers, MGM, The Mirisch Corporation, and Sid and Marty Krofft
, with voice roles in such shows as The Flintstones
in which he mostly did the voices of Texas millionaires such as Fred's rich uncle Tex, Pink Panther, Winnie The Pooh, Mickey Mouse
, Yogi Bear
, and Looney Tunes
. In 1962, he voiced Taurus, the Scots-accented mechanic of the spaceship Starduster for the series Space Angel
. According to the book: Space Patrol, missions of daring in the name of early television "It's rumored that Gene Roddenberry was a huge fan of the show and patterned Star Trek's engineer, Mr Scott, after McCloud's Scottish sidekick, Taurus". He also did voices for the Hong Kong Phooey
show. In 1977, he was the voice of Grandpa Josiah in the cartoon TV special, Halloween Is Grinch Night
. He was also very active with doing voices in 1980s; he was Sludge in the Smurfs
television series and Goofy in Mickey's Christmas Carol
. For Disney's DuckTales
he did the voices of Scrooge McDuck
's rival Flintheart Glomgold
and the absent-minded scientist Gyro Gearloose
.
Smith also voiced the Disney cartoon character Goofy
after Pinto Colvig
died in 1967. Additionally, he provided the voice of Owl in the three original Winnie the Pooh featurettes (Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree
, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day
, and Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too) and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
in 1977. In the 1960s, he was one of the most sought after voice actors in Hollywood. From 1959 till 1975, he provided the voices for Goliath, Davey's Dad and many other characters in Davey and Goliath
. From 1960 to 1961, he was the voice of Elmer Fudd
after Arthur Q. Bryan
died. In 1963 he voiced Dr. Todd Goodheart, Belly Laguna and Dr. Von Upp in the Funny Company cartoon series. From 1964 to 1966, he was the voice of Yappee in the Hanna-Barbera cartoon shorts Yippee, Yappee and Yahooey
. He was also the voice of Cosgoode Creeps, Asa Shanks, and Mr. Bluestone the Great/Phantom, in Scooby-Doo, Where are You!
.
In 1981, he reprised his role as Owl and voiced Winnie-the-Pooh in the short Winnie the Pooh Discovers the Seasons
, replacing Sterling Holloway
, who had provided the voice of the character for many years. He then voiced the two characters in Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore
in 1983, as well as Disney Channel
's TV series Welcome to Pooh Corner
. On the TV program The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
in 1988, Jim Cummings
took over as Pooh and Tigger while Smith continued playing Owl. The two voice actors sometimes rotated the voice of Winnie the Pooh. In 1991, Smith provided the voice of Philippe the Horse in the Disney film Beauty and the Beast
.
Starting in 1987 he was the voice of the main character John Avery Whittaker on the Focus on the Family
radio drama Adventures in Odyssey
. He was responsible for much of the cast joining the show after he signed on, and he continued recording episodes until a few weeks before his death, even while his health deteriorated. Additionally, he voiced dozens of other characters during the over 250 episodes he participated in.
Smith was also very active working in television commercials as various characters. He provided on screen promoting for 3 Musketeers, United Van Lines
, Hickory Farms
, Toyota, Green Giant
, General Mills
, Mattel
, Pizza Hut
, Chicken of the Sea
, Ivory soap
, Doctor Ross dog food, Pioneer Chicken
, Bell Telephone Company
, and hundreds of other companies.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
and voice actor
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
. Smith is best known as Otis Campbell
Otis Campbell
Otis Campbell is the fictional "town drunk" in Mayberry on the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. Otis was played by Hal Smith and made frequent appearances on the show from 1960 to 1967,...
, the town drunk on The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
, and was the voice of many characters on various animated cartoon shorts. He is also known to radio listeners as John Avery Whittaker on Adventures in Odyssey
Adventures in Odyssey
Adventures in Odyssey , or simply Odyssey, is an Evangelical Christian-themed radio drama/comedy series created by Focus on the Family in 1987. The show's daily audience averages around 1.2 million within North America. The Odyssey series also includes several spin-off items, including a home-video...
.
Smith is often wrongly given credit for the writing of the movie It Came from Beneath the Sea
It Came from Beneath the Sea
It Came from Beneath the Sea is an American science fiction film produced by Sam Katzman and Charles Schneer for Columbia Pictures, from a script by George Worthing Yates designed to showcase the special model-animated effects of Ray Harryhausen. It was directed by Robert Gordon and stars Kenneth...
, as well as ten other produced feature films. The true co-writer of those movies is Harold Jacob Smith, who wrote as "Hal Smith" until 1958.
Early life
Smith was born in Petoskey, MichiganPetoskey, Michigan
Petoskey is a city and coastal resort community in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,080. It is the county seat of Emmet County....
, but spent a significant part of his early years living in Massena, New York
Massena (village), New York
Massena is a village in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 13,589 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Andre Massena, one of Napoleon's generals....
, graduating from the Massena High School
Massena High School
Massena Central High School is a four-year public high school located in Massena, New York for students in grades 9 through 12. It is one of five schools, and the only high school, in the Massena Central School District.-External links:**...
class of 1936. His mother was a seamstress, and his father worked at the local Aluminum Company Of America factory. After graduation, Smith worked as a disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
and voice talent for WIBX Radio in Utica, New York
Utica, New York
Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
from 1936-1943. After serving in the Special Services during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he traveled to Hollywood and appeared in many television shows such as I Married Joan
I Married Joan
I Married Joan is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from 1952 to 1955. It starred veteran vaudeville, film, and radio comedienne Joan Davis as the manic wife of a mild-mannered community judge, Bradley Stevens .-Synopsis:...
, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet is an American sitcom, airing on ABC from October 3, 1952 to September 3, 1966, starring the real life Nelson family. After a long run on radio, the show was brought to television where it continued its success, running on both radio and TV for a couple of years...
and The Red Skelton Show
The Red Skelton Show
The Red Skelton Show is an American variety show that was a television staple for two decades, from 1951 to 1971. It was second to Gunsmoke and third to The Ed Sullivan Show in the ratings during that time. Skelton, who had previously been a radio star, had appeared in several motion pictures as...
.
The Andy Griffith Show
Smith's most famous on screen character was Otis CampbellOtis Campbell
Otis Campbell is the fictional "town drunk" in Mayberry on the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. Otis was played by Hal Smith and made frequent appearances on the show from 1960 to 1967,...
, the town drunk on The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
during most of the series' run from 1960 to 1968. He would often comically let himself into his regular jail cell using the key which was stored within reach of the two comfortable jail rooms. Hal Smith was the opposite of his character. According to longtime friends Andy Griffith and Don Knotts, he did not drink in real life. Otis stopped appearing in the show towards the end of the series due to concerns by the show's sponsors over the portrayal of excessive drinking. Smith appeared as Calver Weems in the 1966 Don Knotts comedy The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is a 1966 American Universal Pictures feature film starring Don Knotts as Luther Heggs, a newspaper typesetter who spends a night in a haunted house, which is located in the fictitious community of Rachel, Kansas...
, playing essentially the same town drunk character as Otis.
Smith would play Otis one more time in the 1986 TV movie Return to Mayberry
Return to Mayberry
Return to Mayberry is an American television reunion movie for the 1960s American sitcoms The Andy Griffith Show and, to an extent, Mayberry R.F.D. as well. The movie premiered on April 13, 1986 on NBC, and was the highest-rated telemovie of 1986. Sixteen of the original cast members reunited for...
. In the TV movie, Otis is the town's ice cream truck driver and is reported to have been "sober for years". Smith later used his Otis Campbell character in commercial spots for the Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Mothers Against Drunk Driving is a non-profit organization in the United States that seeks to stop drunk driving, support those affected by drunk driving, prevent underage drinking, and overall push for stricter alcohol policy...
organization and appeared as Otis in Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson
Alan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...
's "Don't Rock the Juke Box
Don't Rock the Jukebox (song)
"Don't Rock the Jukebox" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released in April 1991 as the lead single from the album of the same name, Don't Rock the Jukebox. It was his second consecutive Number One single on the U.S...
" music video.
During the late 1960s, Smith also had a morning children's show at television station KTLA called The Pancake Man, sponsored by The International House of Pancakes. He reprised the Pancake Man role as "Kartoon King" in the 1971 episode of The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz and starring Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis. The series revolved around a large blended family...
titled "The Winner".
Voice actor
Beginning in the late 1950s with such shows as The Huckleberry Hound Show and Quick Draw McGrawQuick Draw McGraw
The Quick Draw McGraw Show is the third cartoon television production created by Hanna-Barbera starring an anthropomorphic cartoon horse named Quick Draw McGraw following their success with The Ruff & Reddy Show and The Huckleberry Hound Show. The show debuted in syndication in the fall of 1959,...
, Smith became one of the most prolific voice actors in Hollywood, eventually working with most of the major studios and production companies, such as Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
, Walt Disney, Warner Brothers, MGM, The Mirisch Corporation, and Sid and Marty Krofft
Sid and Marty Krofft
Sid Krofft and Marty Krofft , are a sibling team of television producers who were influential in children's television and variety show programs in the USA, particularly throughout the 1970s and early 1980s....
, with voice roles in such shows as The Flintstones
The Flintstones
The Flintstones is an animated, prime-time American television sitcom that screened from September 30, 1960 to April 1, 1966, on ABC. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Flintstones was about a working class Stone Age man's life with his family and his next-door neighbor and best friend. It...
in which he mostly did the voices of Texas millionaires such as Fred's rich uncle Tex, Pink Panther, Winnie The Pooh, Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
, Yogi Bear
Yogi Bear
Yogi Bear is a fictional bear who appears in animated cartoons created by Hanna-Barbera Productions. He made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character in The Huckleberry Hound Show. Yogi Bear was the first breakout character created by Hanna-Barbera, and was eventually more popular than...
, and Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
. In 1962, he voiced Taurus, the Scots-accented mechanic of the spaceship Starduster for the series Space Angel
Space Angel
Space Angel was an animated science fiction television series produced in the United States from early 1962 through 1964. It used the same Synchro-Vox lip technique as Clutch Cargo, the first cartoon produced by the same studio, Cambria Productions....
. According to the book: Space Patrol, missions of daring in the name of early television "It's rumored that Gene Roddenberry was a huge fan of the show and patterned Star Trek's engineer, Mr Scott, after McCloud's Scottish sidekick, Taurus". He also did voices for the Hong Kong Phooey
Hong Kong Phooey
Hong Kong Phooey is a 16-episode Hanna-Barbera animated series that first aired on ABC Saturday morning from to . The main character, Hong Kong Phooey, is a superhero who uses Chinese martial arts to fight crime. Hong Kong Phooey is the secret alter ego of Penrod "Penry" Pooch, a "mild-mannered"...
show. In 1977, he was the voice of Grandpa Josiah in the cartoon TV special, Halloween Is Grinch Night
Halloween is Grinch Night
Halloween Is Grinch Night is a 1977 25-minute TV special and prequel to How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. It won the 1977 Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program. It premiered on ABC on October 29, 1977...
. He was also very active with doing voices in 1980s; he was Sludge in the Smurfs
The Smurfs
The Smurfs is a comic and television franchise centred on a group of small blue fictional creatures called Smurfs, created and first introduced as a series of comic strips by the Belgian cartoonist Peyo on October 23, 1958...
television series and Goofy in Mickey's Christmas Carol
Mickey's Christmas Carol
Mickey's Christmas Carol is a 1983 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution Company. It was directed and produced by Burny Mattinson...
. For Disney's DuckTales
DuckTales
DuckTales is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. Based on Carl Barks' Uncle Scrooge comic book series, it premiered on September 18, 1987 and ended on November 28, 1990 with a total of four seasons and 100 episodes...
he did the voices of Scrooge McDuck
Scrooge McDuck
Scrooge McDuck is a cartoon character created in 1947 by Carl Barks and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Scrooge is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a red or blue frock coat, top hat, pince-nez glasses, and spats...
's rival Flintheart Glomgold
Flintheart Glomgold
Flintheart Glomgold is a fictional character in Disney comic books. Glomgold is one of Scrooge McDuck's main rivals, and also holds the title of being The Second Richest Duck in the World...
and the absent-minded scientist Gyro Gearloose
Gyro Gearloose
Gyro Gearloose is a fictional character, an anthropomorphic chicken created by Carl Barks for The Walt Disney Company. He is part of the Scrooge McDuck universe, appearing in comic book stories as a friend of Donald Duck, Scrooge and anyone who is associated with them. He was also a frequent star...
.
Smith also voiced the Disney cartoon character Goofy
Goofy
Goofy is a cartoon character created in 1932 at Walt Disney Productions. Goofy is a tall, anthropomorphic dog, and typically wears a turtle neck and vest, with pants, shoes, white gloves, and a tall hat originally designed as a rumpled fedora. Goofy is a close friend of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck...
after Pinto Colvig
Pinto Colvig
Vance DeBar "Pinto" Colvig was an American vaudeville actor, radio actor, newspaper cartoonist, prolific movie voice actor, and circus performer whose schtick was playing clarinet off-key while mugging....
died in 1967. Additionally, he provided the voice of Owl in the three original Winnie the Pooh featurettes (Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree
Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree
Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree is a 1966 animated featurette released by The Walt Disney Company. Based on the first two chapters of the book Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne, it is the is the only Winnie the Pooh production released under the production of Walt Disney before his death later that...
, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day
Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day
Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day is a 1968 animated featurette based on stories from the Winnie-the-Pooh books by A. A. Milne. The featurette was produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distribution on December 20, 1968 before The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit. This was...
, and Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too) and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is the 22nd full-length animated film produced by Walt Disney Productions and first released on March 11, 1977....
in 1977. In the 1960s, he was one of the most sought after voice actors in Hollywood. From 1959 till 1975, he provided the voices for Goliath, Davey's Dad and many other characters in Davey and Goliath
Davey and Goliath
Davey and Goliath is a 1960s stop-motion animated children's Christian television series. The programs, produced by the Lutheran Church in America , were produced by Art Clokey after the success of his Gumby series.Each 15-minute episode features the adventures of Davey Hansen and his "talking"...
. From 1960 to 1961, he was the voice of Elmer Fudd
Elmer Fudd
Elmer J. Fudd/Egghead is a fictional cartoon character and one of the most famous Looney Tunes characters, and the de facto archenemy of Bugs Bunny. He has one of the more disputed origins in the Warner Bros. cartoon pantheon . His aim is to hunt Bugs, but he usually ends up seriously injuring...
after Arthur Q. Bryan
Arthur Q. Bryan
Arthur Quirk Bryan was a United States comedian and voice actor, remembered best for his longtime recurring role as well-spoken, wisecracking Dr...
died. In 1963 he voiced Dr. Todd Goodheart, Belly Laguna and Dr. Von Upp in the Funny Company cartoon series. From 1964 to 1966, he was the voice of Yappee in the Hanna-Barbera cartoon shorts Yippee, Yappee and Yahooey
Yippee, Yappee and Yahooey
Yippee, Yappee and Yahooey is a Hanna-Barbera cartoon which premiered September 16, 1964. The show was presented as a segment of Peter Potamus and his Magic Flying Balloon, along with Breezly and Sneezly and Peter Potamus.-Plot:...
. He was also the voice of Cosgoode Creeps, Asa Shanks, and Mr. Bluestone the Great/Phantom, in Scooby-Doo, Where are You!
Scooby-Doo, Where are You!
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! is the first incarnation of the long-running Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon Scooby-Doo. It premiered on September 13, 1969 at 10:30 a.m. EST and ran for two seasons on CBS as a half-hour long show. Twenty-five episodes were produced...
.
In 1981, he reprised his role as Owl and voiced Winnie-the-Pooh in the short Winnie the Pooh Discovers the Seasons
Winnie the Pooh Discovers the Seasons
Winnie the Pooh Discovers the Seasons is an educational short film made by The Walt Disney Company, released on September 6, 1981.- Plot :...
, replacing Sterling Holloway
Sterling Holloway
Sterling Price Holloway, Jr. was an American character actor who appeared in 150 films and television programs. He was also a voice actor for The Walt Disney Company...
, who had provided the voice of the character for many years. He then voiced the two characters in Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore
Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore
Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore is a Disney Winnie the Pooh animated featurette, based on two chapters from the books Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner, originally released theatrically on March 11, 1983, before the 1983 re-issue of The Sword in the Stone...
in 1983, as well as Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
's TV series Welcome to Pooh Corner
Welcome to Pooh Corner
Welcome to Pooh Corner is a live-action/puppet television series that aired on Disney Channel, featuring the characters from the Winnie the Pooh universe portrayed by actors in human-sized puppet suits, except Roo, who was originally a traditional puppet...
. On the TV program The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television that ran from 1988 to 1991, inspired by A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh stories.-Overview:...
in 1988, Jim Cummings
Jim Cummings
James Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 100 roles. He has appeared in classic animated movies such as Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as taking on roles in more current films, such as Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, and Winnie the Pooh.-Personal...
took over as Pooh and Tigger while Smith continued playing Owl. The two voice actors sometimes rotated the voice of Winnie the Pooh. In 1991, Smith provided the voice of Philippe the Horse in the Disney film Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)
Beauty and the Beast is a 1991 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirtieth film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series and the third film of the Disney Renaissance period...
.
Starting in 1987 he was the voice of the main character John Avery Whittaker on the Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family is an American evangelical Christian tax-exempt non-profit organization founded in 1977 by psychologist James Dobson, and is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Focus on the Family is one of a number of evangelical parachurch organizations that rose to prominence in the 1980s...
radio drama Adventures in Odyssey
Adventures in Odyssey
Adventures in Odyssey , or simply Odyssey, is an Evangelical Christian-themed radio drama/comedy series created by Focus on the Family in 1987. The show's daily audience averages around 1.2 million within North America. The Odyssey series also includes several spin-off items, including a home-video...
. He was responsible for much of the cast joining the show after he signed on, and he continued recording episodes until a few weeks before his death, even while his health deteriorated. Additionally, he voiced dozens of other characters during the over 250 episodes he participated in.
Smith was also very active working in television commercials as various characters. He provided on screen promoting for 3 Musketeers, United Van Lines
United Van Lines
United Van Lines is a full-service American moving and relocation company and a subsidiary of UniGroup, Inc. and is the largest mover in the United States.The concept which evolved into United Van Lines originated in 1928 when Return Loads Service, Inc...
, Hickory Farms
Hickory Farms
Hickory Farms is an American specialty foods company based in Maumee, Ohio. The company was established in 1951 when founder Richard Ransom began selling hand cut cheese at local fairs. By 1959, the company added summer sausage and opened their first retail store outside Toledo, Ohio...
, Toyota, Green Giant
Green Giant
Green Giant and Le Sueur are brands of frozen and canned vegetables owned by General Mills. The mascot of Green Giant is the Jolly Green Giant....
, General Mills
General Mills
General Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
, Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
, Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....
, Chicken of the Sea
Chicken of the Sea
Chicken of the Sea is a brand of canned tuna produced by a company owned by Thai Union Group.-Company:Based in San Diego, California, the company markets a variety of other seafood items under the Chicken of the Sea brand name, including clam, crab, mackerel, salmon, sardines and tuna...
, Ivory soap
Ivory (soap)
The name "Ivory" refers to a series of products created by the Procter & Gamble Company , including varieties of a white and mildly fragranced bar soap, that became famous for its pure content and for floating in water. Over the years, the bar soap has been altered into other varieties...
, Doctor Ross dog food, Pioneer Chicken
Pioneer Chicken
Pioneer Chicken, or Pioneer Take Out as it is officially named, is an American fried chicken restaurant which was founded in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles in 1961 by H.R. Kaufman. There are three locations remaining in Los Angeles. It still exists in China as well.During the 1980s, Los Angeles...
, Bell Telephone Company
Bell Telephone Company
The Bell Telephone Company, a common law joint stock company, was organized in Boston, Massachusetts on July 9, 1877 by Alexander Graham Bell's father-in-law Gardiner Greene Hubbard, who also helped organize a sister company — the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company...
, and hundreds of other companies.