Charles Davis Smith, a jack-of-all-trades in the exploitation movie industry, was born on June 18, 1930, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After serving in the US Air Force, Smith embarked on a cinematic career in the industrial film business during the 1950s. He then ventured into low-budget softcore sexploitation features, taking on roles such as shooter, editor, director, writer, and even actor throughout the 1960s.
Following a stint in mainstream television, Smith returned to his roots in trash films and directed a handful of hardcore porn movies in and around New York City during the 1970s. Smith is notably renowned for his work as a cinematographer on a series of films for the legendary Do-It-Yourself maverick schlock cinema auteur Doris Wishman, including Bad Girls Go to Hell (1965),Another Day, Another Man (1966),Deadly Weapons (1974),Double Agent 73 (1974),Satan Was a Lady (1975),and A Night to Dismember (1983).
In addition to his work with Wishman, Smith shot films for other notable directors, such as Victor Milt, Cecil Howard, and Zebedy Colt. Moreover, he edited music videos for notable artists like The Manhattans, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Run-D.M.C.. Smith's colorful and impressive East Coast underground cinema career was marked by his lively, entertaining, and illuminating commentaries on DVD reissues of assorted grindhouse features that he worked on.
Charles Davis Smith passed away at the age of 87 on September 20, 2017.
