Jack Smight

John Ronald Smight (March 9, 1925 – September 1, 2003) was an American theatre and film director. His film credits include Harper (1966), No Way to Treat a Lady (1968), Airport 1975 (1974), Midway (1976), and Fast Break (1979). Biography Smight was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and went to Cretin High School with future actor Peter Graves. He joined the Army Air Forces, flying missions in the Pacific during World War II, before earning his degree at the University of Minnesota. He then sought work as an actor. He worked as a radio actor and had a bit part in a stage production of Anna Lucasta. He became stage manager for TV's The Good Egg of the Week and then assistant director on The Colgate Comedy Hour and The Dennis Day Show. He said a big break was working on Visit to a Small Planet with Cyril Ritchard.