Roger Smith

Best-known as the debonair star of detective drama "77 Sunset Strip" (ABC, 1958-1964), Roger Smith also enjoyed leading men roles in WWII sitcom "Mister Roberts" (NBC, 1965-66) and film noir "Teenage Delinquents" (1957) before moving behind the scenes as a producer, screenwriter and manager of actress wife Ann-Margret. Born in South Gate, CA in 1932, Smith was enrolled in stage school aged six by his parents and would later become a regular amateur talent prize-winning singer and guitarist during his studies at the University of Arizona. Smith made his screen debut performing on variety show "The Original Amateur Hour" (DuMont Television Network, 1948-49), but was encouraged to pursue an acting career after a chance meeting with James Cagney while stationed in Hawaii with the Naval Reserve. Smith subsequently landed guest spots in anthology series "Damon Runyan Theater" (CBS, 1955-56), "Celebrity Playhouse" (NBC, 1955-56) and "Ford Theatre" (ABC, 1956-57) as well as western "Sheriff of Cochise" (Syndication, 1956-1960) and sitcom "Father Knows Best" (CBS, 1954-1960). Smith then appeared alongside Cagney as his grown son Creighton in the Lon Chaney biopic "Man of a Thousand Faces" (1957) before signing a deal with Columbia Pictures. Roles as Cpl. Berryman in military comedy "Operation Mad Ball" (1957), robber Bob Miller in "Teenage Delinquents" (1957) and co-pilot John Smithback in disaster movie "Crash Landing" (1958) all followed. But it was when he moved to Warner Bros just a year later that Smith's career truly took off, largely thanks to the long-running role of suave private detective Jeff Spencer in "77 Sunset Strip" (ABC, 1958-1964). Smith's double act with Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. lasted five seasons and 139 episodes, and he also guested as the same character in similar shows "Hawaiian Eye" (ABC, 1959-1963) and "Surfside 6" (ABC, 1961-62). During his stint on the show, Smith also played the older version of Patrick Dennis in Technicolor comedy "Auntie Mame" (195