Bernard Smith (September 20, 1907 – December 21, 1999) was an American

literary editor A literary editor is an editor in a newspaper, magazine or similar publication who deals with aspects concerning literature and books, especially reviews.

film producer A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, di ...

, and

literary critic Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods. Th ...

. He is best remembered for his work at the

Knopf Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. () is an American publishing house that was founded by Alfred A. Knopf Sr. and Blanche Knopf in 1915. Blanche and Alfred traveled abroad regularly and were known for publishing European, Asian, and Latin American writers i ...

publishing house, where he edited B. Traven,

Raymond Chandler Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 23, 1888 – March 26, 1959) was an American-British novelist and screenwriter. In 1932, at the age of forty-four, Chandler became a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive durin ...

, and

Dashiell Hammett Samuel Dashiell Hammett (; May 27, 1894 – January 10, 1961) was an American writer of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories. He was also a screenwriter and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade (' ...

, and

Langston Hughes James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1901 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. One of the earliest innovators of the literary art form called jazz poetry, H ...

Early life

Bernard Smith was born on September 20, 1907, in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

. His father was a businessman and his mother was a housewife. He attended

City University of New York The City University of New York ( CUNY; , ) is the public university system of New York City. It is the largest urban university system in the United States, comprising 25 campuses: eleven senior colleges, seven community colleges and seven pr ...

Career

In 1928, Smith began working for Alfred A. Knopf, where he was eventually made simultaneously editor-in-chief and managing editor. He became Traven's first American editor, and took a free hand in revising Traven's initially rough English. In 1939, Smith published his ''Forces in American Criticism'', a historical and critical survey of American literature and literary criticism from a Marxist perspective. Smith, though never a Communist Party member, was a committed Marxist; but the book was undogmatic and was well received in the mainstream literary academy, including favorable notice from critics such as Austin Warren. He collaborated with

Malcolm Cowley Malcolm Cowley (August 24, 1898 – March 27, 1989) was an American writer, editor, historian, poet, and literary critic. His best known works include his first book of poetry, ''Blue Juniata'' (1929), his lyrical memoir, ''Exile's Return' ...

while working for the New Republic in his early 20s. Smith moved in 1947 to Hollywood, where he worked in the film industry, first for

Samuel Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn (born Szmuel Gelbfisz; yi, שמואל געלבפֿיש; August 27, 1882 (claimed) January 31, 1974), also known as Samuel Goldfish, was a Polish-born American film producer. He was best known for being the founding contributor a ...

as a script editor. In 1950, he became an independent producer, producing such Hollywood films such as

Elmer Gantry ''Elmer Gantry'' is a satirical novel written by Sinclair Lewis in 1926 that presents aspects of the religious activity of America in fundamentalist and evangelistic circles and the attitudes of the 1920s public toward it. The novel's protagonis ...

and How the West was Won. In 1963 he partnered as a producer with director

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

, making films such as

Cheyenne Autumn ''Cheyenne Autumn'' is a 1964 American epic Western film starring Richard Widmark, Carroll Baker, James Stewart, and Edward G. Robinson. It tells the story of a factual event, the Northern Cheyenne Exodus of 1878–79, told in "Hollywood style ...

. In 1994 Smith published a memoir, ''A World Remembered: 1925-1950,'' which has been used academically as an autobiography supporting historical texts. He edited volumes including
The Democratic Spirit: A Collection of American Writings From the Earliest Times to the Present Day
' (1941, second edition 1943), ''Books That Changed Our Minds'', and ''The Holiday Reader'' with Philip Van Doren Stern. His work also included studies published in the 1940s of the painters Moses Soyer and

David Burliuk David Davidovich Burliuk (Давид Давидович Бурлюк; 21 July 1882 – 15 January 1967) was a Russian-language poet, artist and publicist associated with the Futurist and Neo-Primitivist movements. Burliuk has been described as ...

Personal life

Smith's brother,

Emil Smith Emil L. Smith (July 5, 1911 – May 31, 2009) was an American biochemist who studied protein structure and function as well as biochemical evolution. Initially intending to go into medicine, Smith became interested in biology and organic c ...

was a biologist and UCLA professor emeritus credited with having his work with plasma.

Emil is survived by his two sons, Geoffrey Smith, a Harvard graduate and current doctor at UCLA and J. Donald Smith (Columbia, University of Chicago, Dartmouth, New England Gilbert and Sullivan Society)

Death

Smith died on December 21, 1999, at the Beverly Hills Rehabilitation Center in

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...

Filmography

*''

Immortal Gentleman ''Immortal Gentleman'' is a 1935 British historical drama film directed by Widgey R. Newman and starring Basil Gill, Rosalinde Fuller and Dennis Hoey.Wood p.82 It was a low-budget B film, which usually did not have historical settings. Synops ...

'' (1935, producer). *'' Men Without Honour'' (1939, producer). *''

'' (1960, producer). *'' How the West Was Won'' (1962, producer). *''

'' (1964, producer). *'' 7 Women'' (1966, producer). *'' Alfred the Great'' (1969, producer).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Bernard 1907 births 1999 deaths Writers from New York City People from Beverly Hills, California City University of New York alumni American literary editors Film producers from California Film producers from New York (state)