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Art Smith

Art Smith

Actor · Died February 24, 1973, aged 73 · Chicago, Illinois, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Arthur Gordon "Art" Smith (March 23, 1899 – February 24, 1973) was an American film, stage and television actor, best known for playing supporting roles in the 1940s. Born in Chicago, he was a member of the Group Theatre and performed in many of their productions, including Rocket to the Moon, Awake and Sing!, Golden Boy and Waiting for Lefty, all by Clifford Odets; House of Connelly by Paul Green; and Sidney Kingsley's Men in White. The gray-haired actor usually played studious and dignified types in films, such as doctors or butlers. Smith appeared in many black-and-white noirish films in supporting roles alongside more handsome and popular movie leads, such as John Garfield in Body and Soul (1947) and Humphrey Bogart in In a Lonely Place (1950). He had a key role as a federal agent in 1947's Ride the Pink Horse, starring and directed by Robert Montgomery. Two of these films, In a Lonely Place and Ride a Pink Horse, were based on novels by Dorothy B. Hughes. Smith was one of the victims of the Hollywood blacklist, which ended most of his film career in 1952. In 1957, he originated the role of Doc in the stage version of West Side Story. Smith only returned occasionally to the film business, for example in an uncredited part in The Hustler. He also worked on television before retiring in 1967. He died, aged 73, in Long Island, New York, from a heart attack.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 22, 1899
Died
February 24, 1973 (aged 73)
From
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
22 on MovieCove · 40 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 32% in 30 days

What are Art Smith's films like?

Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
40%
Bonds
20%
Self
18%
Power
14%
Society
4%
Survival
4%
Greed5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty2 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 14 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 4 · Serious 2 · Dark 8

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 4 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 3

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 2 · Charged 3 · Intense 9

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 5 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 12 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 8 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 4 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 10 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

6 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 3 of 6 analyzed roles.

Mentor
3 of 6
Ally
2 of 6
Threshold guardian
1 of 6

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
10
Melancholic
7
Dread
6
Thrilling
3
Joyful
2
Other
8

How their films linger

Bittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet6
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Art Smith's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 22 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Art Smith's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

40 credits, 22 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Arthur Selig

  • CBS Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as Arthur Selig

  • The Moving Finger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Doctor

  • The Hustler(1961)

    as (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Just for You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Leo

  • Rose of Cimarron (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Deacon

  • The Painted Hills(1951)

    as Pilot Pete

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • The Sound of Fury(1950)

    as Hal Clendenning

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • The Killer That Stalked New York(1950)

    as Anthony Moss

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Lux Video Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · as Pop

  • South Sea Sinner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as William Grayson

  • The Next Voice You Hear...(1950)

    as Fred Brannan

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • In a Lonely Place(1950)

    as Mel Lippman

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Quicksand(1950)

    as Oren Mackey

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Song of Surrender (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Mr. Willis

  • Red, Hot and Blue(1949)

    as Laddie Corwin

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Manhandled (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Detective Lt. Bill Dawson

  • Lights Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • South of St. Louis(1949)

    as Bronco

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Caught(1949)

    as Psychiatrist

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Angel in Exile (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Emie Coons

  • Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid(1948)

    as Dr. Harvey

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Letter from an Unknown Woman(1948)

    as John

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Arch of Triumph(1948)

    as Inspector

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • A Double Life(1947)

    as Wigmaker

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • T-Men(1947)

    as Gregg

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Body and Soul(1947)

    as David Davis (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Ride the Pink Horse(1947)

    as Bill Retz

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Brute Force(1947)

    as Dr. Walters

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Framed(1947)

    as Desk Clerk (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • A Tree Grows in Brooklyn(1945)

    as Charley (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Youth Runs Wild (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Mr. Fred Hauser

  • Mr. Winkle Goes to War(1944)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Black Parachute (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Joseph - Guerilla (uncredited)

  • None Shall Escape (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Stys

  • Appointment in Berlin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Dutch Pastor (uncredited)

  • Edge of Darkness(1943)

    as Knut Osterholm

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Education for Death: The Making of the Nazi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

  • Native Land (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Harry Carlyle

  • Mason of the Mounted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Royal Mounted Police Officer

Career shape

Star power in the 95th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 40 titles from 1932 to 1967.

Biggest box office

In a Lonely Place (1950)

$22K worldwide

Highest rated

In a Lonely Place (1950)

Midcredits 98th

Film career

Top draw in 1 MovieCove title.

  • 1943Screen debut· Education for Death: The Making of the Nazi
  • 1943First top-billed film· Education for Death: The Making of the Nazi

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting40 of 40: 40 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score77th

By decade

1930s1 · acting1940s25 · acting1950s10 · acting1960s4 · acting

Billing

usually 7th · top billed in 6% of 17 roles
4348

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Art Smith's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 77th percentile, the median of all 22; across their 14 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 66th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

66thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Approval · how many liked their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Reach · how many have seen their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Midcredits score across 22 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up13
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 22 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Crowd Pleaser13
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · actor

The Painted Hills (1951)

64th percentile spread · 59% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Hustler (1961)

Midcredits 98th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 14 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 43. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Art Smith work with?

People who share at least 2 of Art Smith's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Irving Pichel shares the most, 2.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers