John Smith, a renowned actor, was born Robert Errol Van Orden in the vibrant city of Los Angeles. He commenced his illustrious career by singing with The Robert Mitchell Boy Choir, a prestigious group that had the privilege of appearing in two iconic films starring the legendary Bing Crosby, namely Going My Way (1944) and The Bells of St. Mary's (1945).
His agent, the influential Henry Willson, who also played a crucial role in rebranding Tab Hunter and Rock Hudson, astutely decided to rename Van Orden to "John Smith". According to Robert Hofler, author of "The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson", an actress identified as Pocahontas Crowfoot was present in the courtroom when the name change was officially granted.
John Smith's impressive filmography includes a small yet notable role as "Arnaud", the ship's doctor, in the 1955 cinematic masterpiece We're No Angels. Notably, Aldo Ray, while observing the doctor in his full dress whites, made the humorous remark, "he looks like a glass of milk". Smith's other notable film credits include Circus World (1964) and Justin Morgan Had a Horse (1972). Additionally, he made appearances in several television westerns, including Cimarron City (1958) and Laramie (1959).
