Burly, bearded and imposing actor Paul Smith died earlier
this year in Ra’anana, Israel on April 25, 2012. He was
75. Paul and his
wife Eve had moved there in 2006 taking Israeli citizenship, and adopting the
Hebrew names: Adam and Aviva Eden. Born as Paul Lawrence Smith in Everett,
Massachusetts on June 24, 1936 he graduated from Brandeis University with a BA
in philosophy and psychology and a master’s degree in motivational psychology
from Harvard. Later he attended Florida State University where he appeared as
Yank in Eugene O’Neil’s “The Hairy Ape” and then and there decided to become an
actor. He studied acting in New York and at a chance meeting with Otto
Preminger at a party he was offered a part in “Exodus” (1960). Paul would go on
to appear in films and occasionally on television beginning in the 1970s,
generally playing "heavies" and bad guys. His most notable roles
include Hamidou, the vicious prison warden in “Midnight Express” (1978), Bluto
in Robert Altman's “Popeye” (1980), Gideon in the ABC miniseries “Masada and
the Beast” Rabban in David Lynch's “Dune” (1984) and as ‘The Archduke’ in
1994’s “Maverick”. Paul also appeared in six Euro-westerns notably alongside
Michael Coby (Antonio Cantafora) in a series of comedy films created by
director Ferdinando Baldi as a clone comedy team of Terence Hill and Bud
Spencer. The pair appeared as Len and Coby in “Carambola!” (1973) and the
sequel “The Crazy Adventures of Len and Coby” (1974), Smith also appeared in
“Bullets Don’t Argue” (1964), “Guns for San Sebastian” (1967), “Madron” (1970)
and “We Are No Angels” (1975). Paul was sometimes credited as P.L. Smith Paul
L. Smith.
SMITH, Paul (Paul Lawrence Smith)
Born: June 24, 1936, Everett Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Died: April 25, 2012, Ra'anana, Israel
Paul Smith's westerns - actor:
Have Gun - Will Travel - 1963 (Sven)
Bullets Don't Argue - 1964
Madron - 1970 (Gabe Price)
Carambola - 1974 (Len)
The Crazy Adventures of Len and Coby - 1975 (Len)
We Are No Angels - 1975 (Raphael McDonald)
Maverick - 1994 (Archduke)
SMITH, Paul (Paul Lawrence Smith)
Born: June 24, 1936, Everett Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Died: April 25, 2012, Ra'anana, Israel
Paul Smith's westerns - actor:
Have Gun - Will Travel - 1963 (Sven)
Bullets Don't Argue - 1964
Madron - 1970 (Gabe Price)
Carambola - 1974 (Len)
The Crazy Adventures of Len and Coby - 1975 (Len)
We Are No Angels - 1975 (Raphael McDonald)
Maverick - 1994 (Archduke)
What did he die of?
ReplyDeleteI never saw any follow up to Paul's death and only found out about his passing from a facebook friend six months after he died. I had to go to a Israel newspaper to get any details.
ReplyDeleteStrange i don't recall hearing anything about this 3 years ago. Belated RIP
ReplyDeleteThere was no obits in any U.S. papers that I am aware of. I was alerted by a personal friend of Paul and his wife. She told me the couple had moved to Israel a few years before and she received word of his passing from his wife. I could only find an obit on line in a Israeli paper.
ReplyDeleteI found out about Paul's death by having a moment when I wanted to know where he was as I thought I saw someone in Tel Aviv who looked like him and so I googled his name. I now think of him more than ever and will always continue saying that he was one of my most favourite people of all time. Great guy and truly upset about the mystery of his death. All the best to Eve.
ReplyDeleteWhat was his real name? Was he ethnically jewish or just a religious craze?
ReplyDeleteHis birth name was Paul Lawrence Smith. When he retired from acting, he and his wife moved to Israel where he chose a Jewish name Adam Eden. He was ethnically Jewish.
ReplyDeleteGreat site! Keep up the good work.
ReplyDelete