Top 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsMost Popular Video GamesMost Popular Music VideosMost Popular Podcasts
    Release CalendarBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Biography
  • Awards
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

John Smith(1931-1995)

  • Actor
IMDbProStarmeter
See rank
John Smith
Laramie
Play trailer0:53
Laramie (1959–1963)
3 Videos
64 Photos
Actor John Smith was born Robert Errol Van Orden in Los Angeles. He began his career singing with The Robert Mitchell Boy Choir, a group which appeared in two Bing Crosby films, Going My Way (1944) and The Bells of St. Mary's (1945).

His agent Henry Willson, who also gave Tab Hunter and Rock Hudson their names, changed Van Orden's name to "John Smith". Robert Hofler, author of "The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson", reports that an actress identified as Pocahontas Crowfoot was in the courtroom when the name change was granted.

In We're No Angels (1955), Smith had a small role as "Arnaud", the ship's doctor. Aldo Ray, observing the doctor in full dress whites, says "he looks like a glass of milk". John Smith's other film credits include Circus World (1964) and Justin Morgan Had a Horse (1972). Smith also appeared in the television westerns Cimarron City (1958) and Laramie (1959).
BornMarch 6, 1931
DiedJanuary 25, 1995(63)
BornMarch 6, 1931
DiedJanuary 25, 1995(63)
IMDbProStarmeter
See rank

Photos64

Sue England and John Smith in The Women of Pitcairn Island (1956)
Spring Byington and John Smith in Laramie (1959)
Robert Fuller and John Smith in Laramie (1959)
John Smith in Laramie (1959)
John Smith in Laramie (1959)
John Smith in Laramie (1959)
Robert Fuller and John Smith in Laramie (1959)
Robert Fuller and John Smith in Laramie (1959)
Robert Fuller and John Smith in Laramie (1959)
John Smith in Laramie (1959)
Robert Fuller and John Smith in Laramie (1959)
Hoagy Carmichael, Robert Crawford Jr., and John Smith in Laramie (1959)

Known for

Will to Die (1971)
Will to Die
2.8
  • Dr. Carl Isenburg
  • 1971
Humphrey Bogart, Joan Bennett, Peter Ustinov, and Aldo Ray in We're No Angels (1955)
We're No Angels
7.4
  • Medical Officer Arnaud
  • 1955
George Montgomery in Cimarron City (1958)
Cimarron City
7.6
TV Series
  • Deputy Sheriff Lane Temple
  • Sheriff Lane Temple
  • Deputy Lane Temple
Robert Fuller and John Smith in Laramie (1959)
Laramie
7.7
TV Series
  • Slim Sherman

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor

  • Project U.F.O. (1978)
    Project U.F.O.
  • James Brolin, Robert Young, and Elena Verdugo in Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969)
    Marcus Welby, M.D.
  • Angie Dickinson in Police Woman (1974)
    Police Woman
  • Emergency! (1972)
    Emergency!
  • The Magical World of Disney (1954)
    The Magical World of Disney
  • Justin Morgan Had a Horse (1972)
    Justin Morgan Had a Horse
  • Kent McCord and Martin Milner in Adam-12 (1968)
    Adam-12
  • Will to Die (1971)
    Will to Die
  • James Drury, Doug McClure, and John McIntire in The Virginian (1962)
    The Virginian
  • Bill Cosby and Robert Culp in I Spy (1965)
    I Spy
  • Ralph Taeger in Hondo (1967)
    Hondo
  • The Rounders (1966)
    The Rounders
  • Jane Russell and Howard Keel in Waco (1966)
    Waco
  • International Case Reporter
    • (as John H. Smith)
  • Rita Hayworth, John Wayne, Claudia Cardinale, and John Smith in Circus World (1964)
    Circus World

Videos3

Official Trailer
Trailer 2:19
Official Trailer
Laramie
Trailer 0:53
Laramie
Mike Hammer: Letter Of The Weak
Trailer 1:11
Mike Hammer: Letter Of The Weak

Personal details

Edit
    • March 6, 1931
    • Los Angeles, California, USA
    • January 25, 1995
    • Los Angeles, California, USA(cirrhosis of the liver)
    • Luana PattenJune 4, 1960 - December 3, 1964 (divorced)
  • Print ad: Del Monte foods

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    According to his obituary, Robert Van Orden changed his name to John Smith in order to be "the only one in the business". His parents were Errol and Margaret Van Orden. The family was of Dutch, German and Irish ancestry.
    • The character of Slim Sherman in Laramie (1959).

Related news

Contribute to this page

Suggest an edit or add missing content
  • Learn more about contributing
Edit page

More to explore

Recently viewed

Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
Get the IMDb App
  • Get the IMDb App
  • Help
  • Site Index
  • IMDbPro
  • Box Office Mojo
  • IMDb Developer
  • Press Room
  • Advertising
  • Jobs
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your Ads Privacy Choices
IMDb, an Amazon company

© 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.