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{{Short description|English
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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox comedian
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| birth_name = Melvyn Kenneth Smith
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1952|12|03|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Chiswick]], [[London]], England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2013|07|19|1952|12|03|df=y}}
| death_place = London, England
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}}
'''Melvyn Kenneth Smith''' (3 December 1952 – 19 July 2013) was an English comedian, actor and
== Early life ==
Smith's father, Kenneth, was born in [[Tow Law]], [[County Durham]], and worked at a coal mine during the [[World War II|Second World War]]; looking after the [[pit pony|pit ponies]]. After the war ended, he moved to [[London]] and married Smith's mother, whose parents owned a [[greengrocer]]s in [[Chiswick]]. When the government legalised high street betting with the [[Betting and Gaming Act 1960]], he turned the shop into the first [[betting shop]] in Chiswick.<ref>{{dead link|date=August 2013}} {{cite web |url=http://archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk/2001/7/22/164851.html |title=Newcastle one, Hollywood nil (From ''The Northern Echo'') |publisher=Archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk |date=22 July 2001 |access-date=
Smith was born and brought up in [[Chiswick]].<ref name="ODNB">{{Cite ODNB|id=107066|title=Smith, Melvyn Kenneth [Mel] (1952–2013)}}</ref> He was educated at Hogarth Primary School, Chiswick and passed his 11-Plus examinations. He was also a keen sportsman and played for two seasons in the Hogarth School football team. The first season he played under the captaincy of [[Gerry Francis]], the future English international and
==Career==
Whilst at Oxford University, Smith produced ''[[The Tempest]]'', and performed at the [[Edinburgh Festival Fringe|Edinburgh Fringe]] with the [[Oxford University Dramatic Society]]. One year they shared a venue with the [[Footlights|Cambridge Footlights]], directed by [[John Lloyd (producer)|John Lloyd]]. His extra-curricular activities while at university led to his joining the [[Royal Court Theatre]] production team in London, and then [[Bristol Old Vic]]. He was also associate director of [[Sheffield]]'s [[Crucible Theatre]] for two years. Later, he directed a theatre production of ''Not in Front of the Audience''.<ref name=debretts>{{cite web|title=Mel Smith Biography |url=http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/s/13598/Melvyn%20Kenneth%20%28Mel%29+SMITH.aspx |publisher=Debretts |access-date=20 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225174318/https://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/s/13598/Melvyn%20Kenneth%20%28Mel%29%2BSMITH.aspx |archive-date=25 December 2013 }}</ref>
John Lloyd later gained the opportunity to develop the idea that became the [[satire|satirical]] [[BBC]] [[television]] series ''[[Not the Nine O'Clock News]]''. This was followed briefly by ''[[Smith and Goody]]'' (with [[Bob Goody]]) and then the comedy sketch series ''[[Alas Smith and Jones]]'', co-starring [[Griff Rhys Jones]], its title being a pun on the name of the American television series ''[[Alias Smith and Jones]]''.
In 1982, he starred as the lead role in ITV drama ''Muck and Brass ''where he played Tom Craig, a ruthless property developer. In 1984, he appeared in the ''[[Minder (TV series)|Minder]]'' episode "A Star Is Gorn" playing the character Cyril Ash, a ruthless and crooked record producer. He also guest-starred on ''[[The Goodies (TV series)|The Goodies]]'' episode "[[Animals (The Goodies)|Animals]]".<ref name="BFI1">{{cite web|url=http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/90644?view=credit&page=2|title=Smith, Mel: Filmography|publisher=[[BFI Film & TV Database]]|access-date=23 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090129062022/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/90644?view=credit&page=2|archive-date=29 January 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> At the end of the 1980s, he played the title role in the sitcom ''[[Colin's Sandwich]]'' (1988–90), playing a [[British Rail]] employee with aspirations to be a writer.
In 1981, Smith and [[Griff Rhys Jones]] founded [[Talkback (production company)|TalkBack Productions]], a company that produced many of the most significant British comedy shows of the following decades, including ''[[Smack the Pony]]'', ''[[Da Ali G Show]]'', ''[[I'm Alan Partridge]]'' and ''[[Big Train]]''. In 2000, the company was sold to [[Pearson plc|Pearson]] for £62 million.<ref name="BBCPearson">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/791303.stm|title=Pearson TV buys TalkBack|date=14 June 2000|publisher=[[BBC News]]|access-date=23 January 2009|archive-date=11 August 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030811104825/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/791303.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> Dressed as [[Custodian helmet#History|bobbies]], Smith and Jones introduced [[Queen (band)|Queen]] on stage at [[Live Aid]] in July 1985, with Smith removing his helmet before shouting into the microphone, "her majesty, Queen!"<ref>{{cite book |title=Live Aid: The Greatest Show on Earth |date=1985 |publisher=Sidgwick & Jackson |page=118}}</ref>
Smith co-wrote and took the lead role in the space comedy ''[[Morons from Outer Space]]'' (1985), but the film failed to make much impact. His next cinema effort was better received as director of ''[[The Tall Guy]]'' (1989), giving [[Emma Thompson]] a major screen role. In America, perhaps his best-known film is ''[[Brain Donors]]'', the 1992 update of the [[Marx Brothers]] film ''[[A Night at the Opera (film)|A Night at the Opera]]'', starring Smith as a cheeky, opportunistic cab driver turned ballet promoter. [[Paramount Pictures]] considered this film the outstanding comedy of the year, but when the producers left Paramount for another studio, Paramount withdrew its support for the film.<ref>{{cite web|title=Brain Donors|url=http://tagsgf.com/2010/08/04/lost-reel-review-brain-donors/|work=Lost Reel Review|publisher=tagsgf.com|access-date=20 July 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904003840/http://tagsgf.com/2010/08/04/lost-reel-review-brain-donors/|archive-date=4 September 2015}}</ref>
In 1987, Smith recorded a single with [[Kim Wilde]] for [[Comic Relief]]: a cover of the Christmas song "[[Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree]]" with some additional comedy lines written by Smith and Jones.<ref name="WL">{{cite web|url=http://www.wilde-life.com/lyrics/00108/|title=Rockin' around the Christmas tree|work=Wilde Life: Lyrics|access-date=23 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090125222320/http://www.wilde-life.com/lyrics/00108/|archive-date=25 January 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> The pairing of Smith and Wilde was a comic allusion to the duo [[Mel and Kim]]. The song reached number three in the UK charts.<ref name="Omnibus">{{cite book|last=Warwick|first=Neil|author2=Kutner, Tony |author3=Kutner, Jon |title=The Complete Book of the British Charts|publisher=Omnibus Press|year=2004|edition=3rd|page=1012}}</ref> The same year he appeared in ''[[The Princess Bride (film)|The Princess Bride]]'' as the Albino.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Cast of The Princess Bride: Where Are They Now?|url=https://time.com/3503598/the-princess-bride-cast-photos/|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=14 October 2014}}</ref>
Smith and Jones were reunited in 2005 for a review/revival of their earlier television series in ''The Smith And Jones Sketchbook''. Smith joked: "Obviously, Griff's got more money than me so he came to work in a Rolls-Royce and I came on a bicycle. But it was great fun to do and we are firmly committed to doing something new together, because you don't chuck that sort of chemistry away. Of course, I'll have to pretend I like [[Restoration (TV series)|''Restoration'']]."<ref name="metro.co.uk">{{cite web | author = Chadwick, Alan | url = http://www.metro.co.uk/metrolife/edinburgh/interview/article.html?in_article_id=18177&in_page_id=33 | title = Mel Smith | work = [[Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]] | date = 7 August 2006 | access-date = 16 August 2013 | archive-date = 27 October 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071027070333/http://www.metro.co.uk/metrolife/edinburgh/interview/article.html?in_article_id=18177&in_page_id=33 | url-status = live }}</ref>
In August 2006, Smith returned to the theatre stage after some 20 years, appearing at the [[Edinburgh Festival Fringe|Edinburgh Fringe]] festival in ''Allegiance'', Irish journalist and author [[Mary Kenny]]'s play about [[Winston Churchill|Churchill's]] encounter with the Irish nationalist leader [[Michael Collins (Irish leader)|Michael Collins]] in 1921.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2006/07/22/btmel22.xml | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071027064441/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=%2Farts%2F2006%2F07%2F22%2Fbtmel22.xml | url-status=dead | archive-date=27 October 2007 | work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] | title=I'm hoping to cover my air fare | first=Dominic | last=Cavendish | date=22 July 2006 | access-date=12 May 2010 }}</ref> The play initially caused some controversy, with Smith proposing to flout the Scottish ban on smoking in public places, but the scene was quickly adapted after gaining the required amount of publicity. The play was directed by [[Brian Gilbert (director)|Brian Gilbert]] and produced by [[Daniel Jewel]].<ref>{{Cite web| url = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489635/| publisher = [[Internet Movie Database]]| access-date = 21 July 2013| title = Allegiance (2005)| archive-date = 9 February 2017| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170209085044/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489635/| url-status = live}}</ref> In 2006, he also appeared in [[Hustle (TV series)|Hustle]] as Benjamin Frasier, a pub landlord who was scammed by the Hustle team when his on-screen son Joey tried to launch a rap career.
In autumn 2006, Smith starred opposite [[Belinda Lang]] in a tour of a new comedy ''An Hour and a Half Late'' by French playwright [[Gérald Sibleyras]], which was adapted by Smith. He then directed a West End revival of ''[[Charley's Aunt]]'' starring [[Stephen Tompkinson]]. From October 2007 to January 2008, he played the role of Wilbur Turnblad in the London production of ''[[Hairspray (musical)|Hairspray]]'' at the [[Shaftesbury Theatre]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Mel Smith to make West End debut|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6958780.stm|access-date=20 July 2013|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=22 August 2007|archive-date=13 February 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080213161947/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6958780.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Personal life==
Smith was married to Pamela (née Gay-Rees), a former model, who grew up in [[Easington, County Durham|Easington]] and [[Durham, England|Durham.]] The couple had houses in [[St John's Wood]], [[London]], and the hamlet of [[Great Haseley]], [[Oxfordshire]],<ref>{{cite news|last=White|first=Roland|title=Alas, Mel Smith is moving on|url=http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/style/homes_and_gardens/My_Place/article419199.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131226020037/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/style/homes_and_gardens/My_Place/article419199.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 December 2013|newspaper= [[The Sunday Times]] |date=17 October 2010}}</ref> as well as a property in [[Barbados]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Globetrotter Travel Pack – Barbados|author=Shales, Melissa|publisher=New Holland Publishers|date=29 June 2007|isbn=978-1845375607}}</ref>
===Health===
Smith was hospitalised in 1999 with [[Peptic ulcer disease|stomach ulcer]]s, following an accidental overdose of over 50 [[
==Death==
On the morning of 19 July 2013, the [[London Ambulance Service]] was called to Smith's home in [[NW postcode area|north-west London]]. Smith was confirmed dead by the ambulance crew, with a later post-mortem confirming death from a [[Myocardial infarction|heart attack]]. He was 60 years old.<ref name=BBC23390982>{{cite news|title=Mel Smith dies of a heart attack aged 60|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23390982|access-date=20 July 2013|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=20 July 2013|archive-date=20 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130720201117/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23390982|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Filmography==
===
'''Writer'''
* ''[[Morons from Outer Space]]'' (1985)
*
* ''[[Radioland Murders]]'' (1994)
* ''[[Bean (film)|Bean]]'' (1997)
* ''[[High Heels and Low Lifes]]'' (2001)
* ''[[Blackball (film)|Blackball]]'' (2003)
'''Executive producer'''
* ''[[Blackball (film)|Blackball]]'' (2003)
'''Actor'''
* 1980: ''[[Bloody Kids]]'' as Disco Doorman
* 1980: ''[[
*
*
* 1984: ''[[Minder (TV series)|Minder]]'' as Cyril Ash
* 1985: ''[[Restless Natives]]'' as Pyle
* 1985: ''[[Morons from Outer Space]]'' as Bernard
* 1985: ''[[National Lampoon's European Vacation]]'' as London Hotel Receptionist
* 1987: ''[[The Princess Bride (film)|The Princess Bride]]'' as The Albino
* 1988: ''[[The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (film)|The Wolves of Willoughby Chase]]'' as Mr. Grimshaw
* 1989: ''[[Wilt (film)|Wilt]]'' as Inspector Flint
* 1991: ''[[Father Christmas (1991 film)|Father Christmas]]'' as Father Christmas
* 1992: ''[[Brain Donors]]'' (aka ''Lame Ducks'') as Rocco Melonchek
* 1994: ''[[Art Deco Detective]]'' as Porno Movie Director
* 1996: ''[[Twelfth Night (1996 film)|Twelfth Night: Or What You Will]]'' as Sir Toby Belch
==
''' Writer '''
* ''[[Not the Nine O'Clock News]]'' (1979-1982)
* ''[[Smith and Goody]]'' (1980)
* ''[[Alas Smith and Jones]]'' (1984) (2 episodes)
* ''[[Weekend in Wallop]]'' (1984)
* ''Comedians Do It on Stage'' (1986)
* ''Amnesty International's Big'' (1991)
* ''Smith and Jones: One Night Stand'' (1994)
* ''A Gala Comedy Hour (Best of the Prince's Trust)'' (1996)
'''Director'''
*
'''Producer'''
* ''Tough Target'' (1995) (1 episode)
* ''Too Much Sun'' (2000) (6 episodes)
'''Performer'''
* 1979–1982: ''[[Not the Nine O'Clock News]]''
* 1980: ''[[Smith and Goody]]''
* 1981: ''Fundamental Frolics''
* 1982–1998: ''[[Alas Smith and Jones|Alas Smith and Jones/Smith and Jones]]''
* 1982: ''Muck and Brass''
*
*
* 1984: ''[[The Young Ones (TV series)|The Young Ones]]''
* 1985: ''[[Live Aid]]'' (comedy sketch and intro to rock band [[Queen (band)|Queen]])
* 1986: ''Comedians Do It on Stage''
* 1987: ''[[Alas Smith and Jones#The World According to Smith and Jones (1987–1988)|The World According to Smith and Jones]]''
* 1987: ''[[Filthy Rich & Catflap]]''
* 1987: ''[[The
* 1988–1990: ''[[Colin's Sandwich]]''
* 1989: ''[[Alas Smith and Jones#Smith and Jones in Small Doses (1989)|Smith and Jones in Small Doses]]''
* 1991: ''Amnesty International's Big 30''
* 1991: ''[[Comic Relief]]''
* 1995: ''The Night of Comic Relief''
* 1996: ''A Gala Comedy Hour (Best of the Prince's Trust)''
* 2005: ''[[Comic Relief#2005 event|Comic Relief 2005]]''
* 2006: ''[[Alas Smith and Jones#The Smith and Jones Sketchbook (2006)|The Smith and Jones Sketchbook]]''
* 2006: "The Sittaford Mystery", an episode of ''[[Agatha Christie's Marple|Marple]]''
* 2006: ''[[Hustle (TV series)|Hustle]]''
* 2006: as [[Winston Churchill]] in ''Allegiance'' by [[Mary Kenny]]
* 2008: ''[[Mastermind (British game show)|Celebrity Mastermind]]''
* 2010–2011: ''[[Rock & Chips]]'' (two episode)
* 2012: ''The Ones: Series 1: The One Griff Rhys Jones''
* 2013: ''[[Dancing on the Edge (TV series)|Dancing on the Edge]]''
==References==
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* {{IMDb name|0809321}}
* ''Rockin' around the Christmas tree'' at [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927064835/http://www.kimwildetv.com/kim-wilde-tv-video.php?RVCode=RATCT(1987-UK-Videoclip) kimwildetv.com].
* School Football (with Gerry Francis) at [www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002463/19630404/011/0011].
{{Mel Smith}}
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[[Category:21st-century English writers]]
[[Category:Alumni of New College, Oxford]]
[[Category:
[[Category:Businesspeople from London]]
[[Category:Comedians from
[[Category:
[[Category:British comedy film directors]]
[[Category:English comedy writers]]
[[Category:English company founders]]
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[[Category:People from Chiswick]]
[[Category:People from St John's Wood]]
[[Category:
[[Category:
[[Category:Television personalities from the London Borough of Hounslow]]
[[Category:Writers from the London Borough of Hounslow]]
[[Category:Writers from the City of Westminster]]
[[Category:20th-century English businesspeople]]
[[Category:English sketch comedians]]
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