Paul Gerard Smith

September 14, 1894 — Omaha, Nebraska, USA

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Paul Gerard Smith (September 14, 1894 – April 4, 1968) was an American screenwriter. He wrote for 90 films between 1926 and 1955.

Smith started writing musical revues at the age of ten. He joined the Marines for World War I and while still in Germany wrote and directed the Sixth Marine Revue in the Rhine Occupation Area. He arrived back in the States in 1919 and started writing vaudeville acts. He became so successful that he was one of the few writers to be credited on the playbill. He scripted the Ziegfeld Follies of 1924, 1925, and 1926 and was also one of the writers of Funny Face.

Smith was brought to Hollywood by Buster Keaton to work on The General and Battling Butler. Early film credits include In Old Arizona, Mother Knows Best, and Dressed to Kill, as well as the first talkies of Harold Lloyd, Welcome Danger and Feet First. He wrote dozens of B movies for Universal Studios, Fox Film Corporation, Paramount Pictures, RKO Radio Pictures, Warner Bros., and Hal Roach Studios.

He also scripted USO shows and personal appearances for many film and radio stars entertaining overseas. After World War II he returned to film and radio scripting and also wrote and directed some early television programs on ABC, including The Gay Nineties Revue. He returned to stage writing with Hullabaloo for the Pasadena Playhouse.

Movie

Feet First

1930

Movie

Welcome Danger

1929

Movie

Heavenly Music

1943

Movie

It's a Joke, Son!

1947

Movie

Just Around the Corner

1938

Movie

Tanks a Million

1941

Movie

Sidewalks of New York

1931

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Jail Bait

1937