Ralph Smart

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British film director (1908–2001)

title: "Ralph Smart" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1908-births", "2001-deaths", "british-emigrants-to-australia", "television-producers-from-london", "english-people-of-australian-descent", "english-film-directors", "people-from-chingford", "recipients-of-the-medal-of-the-order-of-australia", "royal-australian-air-force-personnel-of-world-war-ii", "british-television-show-creators", "writers-from-the-london-borough-of-waltham-forest"] description: "British film director (1908–2001)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Smart" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary British film director (1908–2001) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox writer "]

FieldValue
nameRalph Smart
birth_nameRalph Foster Smart
birth_date
birth_placeChingford, Essex, England
death_date
death_placeBowen, Queensland, Australia
occupationDirector, screenwriter and television producer.
period1927–1973
genreComedy, drama, adventure, science fiction
* Meg Smart{{citation neededdate
children1 child
relativesPatsy Smart (sister)
::

| name = Ralph Smart | image = | caption = | birth_name = Ralph Foster Smart | birth_date = | birth_place = Chingford, Essex, England | death_date = | death_place = Bowen, Queensland, Australia | occupation = Director, screenwriter and television producer. | period = 1927–1973 | genre = Comedy, drama, adventure, science fiction | spouses =

  • Leonie Estcourt Barrett (née Martin)
  • Meg Smart | children = 1 child | relatives = Patsy Smart (sister)

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

Writing credits

::data[format=table]

ProductionNotesBroadcaster
The Woodpigeon PatrolN/A
The Star ReporterN/A
Hotel SplendideN/A
C.O.DN/A
His LordshipN/A
Born LuckyN/A
The Night of the PartyN/A
The Phantom LightN/A
Crime UnlimitedN/A
Convict 99N/A
Alf's Button AfloatN/A
The Good Old DaysN/A
Charley's (Big-Hearted) AuntN/A
Bush ChristmasN/A
Eureka StockadeN/A
Bitter SpringsN/A
Where No Vultures FlyN/A
Never Take No for an AnswerN/A
Always a BrideN/A
The Adventures of Robin HoodITV
The Flying ScotN/A
The Adventures of William TellITV
The Invisible ManITV
Danger ManITV
Danger Man (Secret Agent)ITV
KoroshiN/A
The ChampionsITV
RiptideSeven Network
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)ITV
The ProtectorsITV
Elephant BoySeven Network
::

References

References

  1. [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C8080917 Divorce Papers for Ralph Smart and Leonie Estcourt Barrett (nee Martin)]
  2. [http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?serviceId=R&veteranId=1063656 War records of Ralph Smart]
  3. [http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2007/06/16/3852_bowenwood.html David Anthony, "Bowen boasts movie heritage", ''Townsville Bulletin'', 16 June 2007]
  4. (29 May 1942). "Panic-Buying Film's Record". News.
  5. Vagg, Stephen. (15 March 2025). "Wrecking Australian stories: Eureka Stockade".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

1908-births2001-deathsbritish-emigrants-to-australiatelevision-producers-from-londonenglish-people-of-australian-descentenglish-film-directorspeople-from-chingfordrecipients-of-the-medal-of-the-order-of-australiaroyal-australian-air-force-personnel-of-world-war-iibritish-television-show-creatorswriters-from-the-london-borough-of-waltham-forest