Jack Smight

Biography: American film director Jack Smight has established a reputation for technical proficiency, economy and strict adherence to studio schedules. Smight is more admired by his co-workers than by film buffs, who sometimes have trouble detecting a unifying style to his work. He specializes in action films which are seldom any better than their scripts -- but never any worse. After TV work, Smight made his theatrical-film bow with the frothy comedy I'd Rather Be Rich (1964). This confection was forgotten in the wake of his better films, among them Harper (1967), No Way to Treat a Lady (1968), Airport 1975 (1975) and Midway (1976). Auteurist critic Andrew Sarris has noted that Smight's films score best on their offbeat star pairings, notably George Segal and Lee Remick in No Way To Treat a Lady.