Ralph Smart

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Ralph Smart

Born 1908
London, England
Died 2001
Bowen, Queensland
Occupation Screenwriter

Ralph Smart was a film and television Writer, director and Producer. Although born in London, in 1908, and educated in England, his Australian parentage left him in no doubt that he was an Australian. He originally found work in Britain with Anthony Asquith and later alongside the film director Michael Powell, whom he assisted in turning out the so-called "Quota Quickies", low budget B-pictures designed to fill domestic production quotas.

During the war he joined the Royal Australian Air Force, and afterwards worked for the Rank Organisation and the famous Ealing Studios, returning to Australia to direct several films including Bitter Springs, which addressed the mistreatment of young Aborigines.

Back in Britain he became an influential figure in the early days of British commercial television, and is probably best-remembered as the producer and creator of the Danger Man TV series in 1959/60. This series appeared in the U.S. as Secret Agent. However he wrote, directed or produced many television series and films, including the classic 1950s series The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Invisible Man.

He later retired to Australia and lived into his 90s, and died in 2001 in Bowen, Queensland.

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