Born Gladys Smith, June 8, 1921, in Penticton, British Columbia, Canada; diedof cancer, June 9, 1993, in Los Angeles, CA. Actress. Spotted by a talent scout while performing in a production at Los Angeles City College, Smith was invited by Warner Brothers to take a screen test. At the age of nineteen, thestudio signed her to a decade-long contract, which resulted in film roles such as The Adventures of Mark Twain and Of Human Bondage. In addition to earning praise for appearing in film biographies, where she played the romantic interest to such notable figures as Cole Porter and George Gershwin, Smith garnered recognition for portraying villainous characters in darker films such asWhiplash and Conflict. She proved her versatility by accepting roles that placed her opposite a wide variety of leading men, including Errol Flynn, Jack Benny, Ronald Reagan, and Clark Gable. Although she retired from the screen in1959, she returned to acting in 1971, playing a lead role in the stage production of Stephen Sondheim's musical Follies. Her portrayal of ex-showgirl Phyllis Stone Rogers earned her an Antoinette Perry ("Tony") Award for best actress. Smith later performed in other musicals, including Platinum and The BestLittle Whorehouse in Texas, and films, including Once Is Not Enough and Casey's Shadow, which she cited as one of her favorite roles. Late in her career,Smith appeared in a recurring role in the television series Dallas and starred in the short-lived dramatic series Hothouse.
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