Posted on 07/10/2006 1:44:53 AM PDT by lunarbicep
Jack Smith, a singer and recording artist who hosted the popular "You Asked for It" television show, has died. He was 92.
Smith died of leukemia July 3 at his home in Westlake Village, said Dorris Halsey, a longtime friend.
Smith began a singing career in the early 1930s and worked many years in radio, but is perhaps most remembered as host of the ABC series for its final season in 1958 of "You Asked for It."
The show invited viewers to send in suggestions for unusual things that they wanted to see on the air like people with uncommon talent or seeing the inside vault at Ft. Knox.
Smith returned as host of a syndicated version of "You Asked for It" in 1971-72 season, and the show was produced sporadically until 1977.
Smith was born on Bainbridge Island, Wash., near Seattle, on Nov. 16, 1913. His father was a Navy captain who transferred to the Army and was stationed in Hawaii. The family moved to California when Smith was 10.
Plans to pursue a career in architecture were scrapped in 1931 after a high school friend told him that the Cocoanut Grove at the Ambassador Hotel was looking for a trio to replace the Rhythm Boys, Bing Crosby's popular trio.
Smith had sung in the high school glee club, and he and two friends, Marty Sperzel and Al Teeter, were known to imitate the Rhythm Boys at school.
"We went over and tried out, and they gave us the job!" he said in an interview with Classic Images magazine.
With Jack as soloist, the trio became known as the Three Ambassadors.
He picked up the "Smiling" Jack Smith moniker after becoming a solo performer on "The Prudential Hour," a popular musical show on CBS.
After many fans commented that Smith sounded as though he was smiling when he sang, host Deems Taylor to dub him "The Man With the Smile in His Voice."
In 1945, Smith began a 15-minute, five-nights-a-week radio show on CBS. Regulars on "The Jack Smith Show," which continued into the early '50s, included Dinah Shore, Margaret Whiting and Ginny Simms. Smith's radio work earned him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Smith's wife of 67 years, Victoria, died in 2003. He had no immediate survivors. At Smith's request, there will be no funeral service.
Can't find a photo but I think I remember him. IMDb has his birth date as 1916. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0808544/
The story of his dad transferring from the Navy to the Army when he was a Navy Captain interests me.
thanks for the link. the show itself was before my time, but I have heard it mentioned often and will assume it was popular?
More on Jack Smith, including a possible answer to why his father transferred from the Navy to the Army.
http://classicimages.com/1997/august97/j_smith.html
Wow, I just saw him the other night - within the past week or so. Hadn't thought of him in at least 40 years or so before that, gee - that's another synchronicity of late!
He was on an episode of Andy Griffith from 1965. Aunt Bee went to Hollywood when Andy was the subject of a movie on the small-town sheriff. Although I've seen the Hollywood episodes before, they haven't been shown in this series that I watch in the middle of the night every night. So, it was a little strange for Aunt Bee to have been on a Hollywood game show if you didn't already know the backstory.
Anyway, she won a whole bunch of prizes, which were mostly brand new modern kitchen appliances, which she had never had before. They got a new refrigerator to replace the old ice box, a new stove, a dishwasher. What else? There was something that really struck a nerve with Clara Edwards, can't think what it was.
Aunt Bee got uppitier and uppitier as the deliveries kept coming and was getting almost impossible to live with because of her winnings.
Smilin' Jack Smith had been the game show host for the show, called "Win or Lose." I could not think of his name or where I knew him from - lo and behold, his obit reminds me it was from "You Asked for It." Eventually, the IRS came to call, to get their taxes on the income - and Aunt Bee decided she'd just have to pay it. The IRS guy was Father Mulcahy from M*A*S*H, lol!
Jack Smith was also in "On Moonlight Bay" with Doris Day and my childhood idol, Gordon MacRae. May both Gordon and Jack RIP.
You Asked For It.
Box 323
Hollywood 28
California
What a nice story! 'Twould be nice if everyone had a fan such as the story-writer.
So many memories in there ... *I'll Be With You ... In Apple Blossom Time ... I'll be with you, to change your name to mine .. one day in May, I'll come and say ... happy's the bride that the sun shines on today ... then, what a won-der-ful wedding there will be ... " - but I'm actually hearing the Andrews Sisters singing it in my ear, lol.
Oh ho, *I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles ... pretty bubbles in the air ... * - that was popular just when I was a tiny tot having people blow bubbles for me to chase!
Also in the same movie, *Bud Anderson* from "Father Knows Best" was in it, as well as the wonderful Rosemary deCamp who was "Love That Bob"'s (Cummings) sister Margaret, but best remembered by me as the Yankee Doodle Dandy George M. Cohan's vaudeville mother in the Cagney movie.
Sheesh, another song I'd forgotten ... *Ev ..'ry .. little move - ment has ... a .. meaning all its own ... "
And of course, "On Moonlight Bay." *We were sailing along ... on Moonlight Bay ... we could hear the voices ringing ... they seemed to say ... you have stolen my heart ... now don't go 'way ... as we sang love's old sweet song on Moonlight Bay.*
I noted that the sequel had Russell Arms playing Jack's part -- he was my very least favorite Hit Parader - but has a bunch of fans here on FR who come out of the woodwork whenever I say that, lol.
Nice stroll down Memory Lane!
"If you like peanuts, you'll love Skippy!"
I can remember it as if it were yesterday...
Oh, thanks a lot! Except for "*Ev ..'ry .. little move - ment has" now I have those songs rolling around in my head.
here's a little memory lane tidbit:
this 50's icon is 89 today
We can do a duet ... or an old soft-shoe ... "we were sailing along ... sh-sh-sh, sh-sh-sh ... on Moonlight Bay ... shuss - shuss - shuss, shuss - shuss - shuss ...."
A tip of the top hat to ... the *Leadpenny Opera.*
Mr Wizard! Do you suppose he's drilling his Mentos right now and stringing them on fishing line for a birthday explosion?
Jack Benny: "Now cut that out!"
That bastard nearly killed Fonzie!!!
He knew damn well that there was a fried chicken stand at the end of Fonzie's landing ramp.
Every program in the 50s was popular since there were only 4 of 'em...
RIP.
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