Writing

Harold Jacob Smith

Born — Died

1912-07-02 — 1970-12-28

Place of birth

New York, USA

Known for

Writing

Credits

12 titles

Known for

Behind the camera

The Defiant Ones poster
7.2

Two convicts—one white, one black—escape while chained to each other.

The Defiant Ones

1958

It Came from Beneath the Sea poster
5.7

A giant octopus, whose feeding habits have been affected by radiation from H-Bomb tests, rises from the Mindanao Deep to terrorize the California Coast.

It Came from Beneath the Sea

1955

The River's Edge poster
6.1

A murderous thief on the run with stolen loot forces a poor rancher to guide him across the desert into Mexico. Accompanying them is the rancher's wife, who happens to be the killer's former girlfriend.

The River's Edge

1957

Inherit the Wind poster
6.3

Two great lawyers argue the case for and against a science teacher accused of the crime of teaching evolution.

Inherit the Wind

1999

Inherit the Wind poster
7.6

Schoolteacher Bertram Cates is arrested for teaching his students Darwin's theory of evolution. The case receives national attention and one of the newspaper reporters, E.K. Hornbeck, arranges to bring in renowned defense attorney and atheist Henry Drummond to defend Cates. The prosecutor, Matthew Brady is a former presidential candidate, famous evangelist, and old adversary of Drummond.

Inherit the Wind

1960

The McMasters poster
4.6

When a black Civil War veteran becomes co-owner of the southern McMasters ranch, the incensed local Confederate veterans come gunning for him and his Indian wife.

The McMasters

1970

Dangerous Business poster
9.0

Two young lawyers open an office together. They are hired to defend a utilities magnate who claims he has been framed. He is kidnapped by a gangster, and a battle royal ensues when the lawyers try to rescue him.

Dangerous Business

1946

Black Eagle poster
6.5

Black Eagle is based on The Passing of Black Eagle, a short story by O. Henry. William Bishop stars as Jason Bond, who stays out of trouble by the simple expedient of avoiding other people. Unfortunately, the plot dictates that Bond must come into contact with several characters, all of whom end up fleecing our hero in one way or another. Even so, Jason manages to enjoy a brief romance with pretty Ginny Long (Virginia Patton) before returning to his life of carefree vagabondage. A very minor film, The Black Eagle makes the most of its excellent supporting cast, including Gordon Jones, Trevor Bardette, Will Wright and stuntman extraordinaire Richard Talmadge.

Black Eagle

1948

Night Editor poster
5.5

A daily news editor recalls a married detective and the deadly woman behind his downfall.

Night Editor

1946

Enchanted Island poster
4.9

To avoid the wrath and punishment of their ruthless captain, two 19th-century sailors jump ship only to discover their tropical paradise may include a cannibal tribe.

Enchanted Island

1958

Swiss Family Robinson: Lost in the Jungle poster
5.8

After having been recently shipwrecked, a group of survivors begin dealing with both the reality of being stranded on a remote island as well as with feelings of alienation and isolation. Adapted from the novel by Johann Wyss, this was the pilot episode for a proposed television series co-produced by Edgar G. Ulmer and Louis Hayward. Filmed in Mexico in 1957 and bearing a 1958 copyright, Swiss Family Robinson: Lost in the Jungle was not "released" until 2000, when it was included as an extra feature on the DVD version of Ulmer's The Pirates of Capri.

Swiss Family Robinson: Lost in the Jungle

1958

Thunderhoof poster
9.0

Two men, one woman and one horse get into trouble.

Thunderhoof

1948