Alexis Smith

Alexis Smith in a 1942 glamour closeup view. Smith was born in Penticton, British Columbia on June 8 in 1921. She grew up in Los Angeles, attending Hollywood High School and made her professional debut performing ballet at the Hollywood Bowl. After being discovered by a talent scout while attending college, she was signed to a contract by Warner Bros. Her first credited role was in the feature film "Dive Bomber" (1941), playing the female lead opposite Errol Flynn. She appeared with her future husband, Craig Stevens, in "Steel Against the Sky" (1941) and her performance in "The Constant Nymph" (1943) was well received and led to bigger parts. During the 1940s, Smith appeared alongside some of the most popular male stars of the day, including Errol Flynn in "Gentleman Jim" (1942) and "San Antonio" (1945), Fredric March in "The Adventures of Mark Twain" (1944), Humphrey Bogart in "Conflict" (1945) and "The Two Mrs Carrolls" (1947), Cary Grant in "Night and Day" (1946), and Bing Crosby in "Here Comes the Groom" (1951). Among Smith's other films are "Rhapsody In Blue" (1945), "Of Human Bondage" (1946), and "The Young Philadelphians" (1959). On television she was seen infrequently from the mid-'50s, sometimes appearing on the same show opposite her husband. She had a recurring role as the homicidal Lady Jessica Montfort in "Dallas" (1978) during the 1984 and 1990 seasons, and was nominated for an Emmy for a guest-starring role on "Cheers" (1982). Alexis Smith passed away of brain cancer on June 9, 1993, the day after her 72nd birthday.

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