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them that mysterious colouring so necessary to their due effect upon the mind, and oppressed the auditor with an indefinable feeling, an unearthly chilliness, and a thrilling sensation of the marvellous which no other actor could produce so effectively. The strict accuracy and picturesque style of his costumes, which were always correct even to the slightest minutiae, formed another of his characteristics, which will not easily be forgotten. For some years past the deceased had been collecting some valuable materials for the history of the modern stage, especially with reference to its decorative appliances. These, we believe, are intended to be disposed of forthwith by public auction. There are few actors that will be missed by playgoers of any years standing more than their old favourite, O. SMITH.
512:, having produced a set of theatrical engravings, applied to 'O Smith, the famous comedian' for an account of the English stage, to accompany the plates. An agreement was accordingly drawn up, but the author eventually deemed his prospect of credit from the work to be unsatisfactory, and withdrew from the undertaking. He nevertheless continued to accumulate materials, such as theatrical prints, newspaper cuttings, magazine articles, playbills, catalogues, etc., relating to stage history, and also to interleave and annotate theatrical memoirs. Before his death his collections filled twenty-five large quarto volumes. Of these, vols. xx–xxiii. comprise a manuscript
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140:, struck by his painting, offered to befriend him, but the captain of the vessel refused to release him. Returning to Bath, he found his parents obdurate, and again ran away, rambling in Wales and Ireland. Seized in Liverpool by a press gang, he was taken on board the receiving ship, but was released on stating that he was an actor, and giving as proof a recitation. Engaged by
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destructive of my peace of mind, detrimental to my interests, and injurious to my health. I find myself banished from all respectable society; what man will receive the Devil upon friendly terms, or introduce a demon into his family circle? My infernal reputation follows me everywhere". A writer in the
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In his peculiar line, Mr. O. Smith had no equal on the stage. Characters in which the wild, the terrific, and the impressive were the prominent features he made exclusively his own. His towering form, deep and sepulchral voice, dark features, and expressive eye, were peculiarly fitted to infuse into
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at the Lyceum
Theatre attracted attention, leading him to complain, but half in jest: "For the last five years of my life I have played nothing but demons, devils, monsters, and assassins, and this line of business, however amusing it may be to the public or profitable to managers, has proved totally
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as painter, prompter, and actor of all work, he was rewarded with twelve shillings weekly, and all but lost his life in a snowstorm while travelling on foot from
Sheffield to Rochdale. He then went to Edinburgh and Glasgow theatres, returning to Bath in 1807, and playing in the pantomimes.
229:'s poems, and other wild, gloomy, and ominous characters in which a bold, or rather a gigantic figure, and deep sepulchral voice could be turned to good account." Smith had, however, some control over tenderness, his performance at the Lyceum, in the
122:. He played there other juvenile parts. Put into a solicitor's office by his parents, he neglected his duties, spending his time in the painting-room of the theatre, and finally ran away and embarked from Bristol as a sailor for the
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the part of
Bombastes, vacated through illness by another actor, he gave an exhibition of intensity such as established his position in burlesque. A performance of 'Obi' in the melodrama of
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126:. He later claimed to have had some romantic, perhaps even fanciful, adventures, assisting upon the river Gaboon in the escape of some slaves, an incident related in
63:. Richard John Smith was born in York in 1786. His mother, Miss Elizabeth Scrace, played leading parts in Dublin. His father was almost killed in Dublin by
516:; the remainder consist chiefly of printed matter, scantily annotated, but interspersed with many valuable prints. The twenty-five volumes are now in the
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233:, of a maniac who visits the grave of his dead child, being very pathetic. At Drury Lane he was, on 10 November 1824, the first Zamiel in
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in
October 1829, he played the villain so named. In 1831, at the Adelphi Theatre, Edinburgh, he superintended the production of the
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wrote of his performance that, "The acting of O. Smith, as old
Scrooge, the miser, was, throughout, admirable."
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and speedily became a favourite. She accompanied Tate
Wilkinson to Edinburgh, and in 1791 made, as Estifania in
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Last Will and
Testament of Richard John Smith in England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury
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186:(1819) got him his sobriquet of 'O' (otherwise Obi) Smith. In 1813 Smith accompanied Elliston to the
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Smith joined the company. With this theatre his subsequent reputation was chiefly connected. In the
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The preceding particulars, some of them of very dubious authority, are extracted from:
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Smith died, after a long illness, on 1 February 1855, and was buried on the 8th in
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in London, a part contrasting strongly with those of which he complained, namely,
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Richard John Smith is said to have made his theatrical debut in Bath as Ariel in
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declared him "eminent in assassins, sorcerers, the moss-trooping heroes in Sir
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73:. Smith senior brought his wife in 1779 to Yorkshire. At Hull and York under
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In his will of 1851 he left his entire estate to his wife, Elizabeth Smith.
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who as
Castalio ran him through the body while he was playing Polydore in
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CreatorsSmith, Richard John, (1786-1855), actor and theatre historian
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412:. Among numerous characters he played at the Adelphi were Ismael in
745: This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
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Annals of The
English Stage, from Thomas Betterton to Edmund Kean
27:(1786 – 1 February 1855) was a British actor of the early
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Richard John Smith (O. Smith) as the
Monster in "Frankenstein"
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in July 1846; and a cabdriver, a pathetic part, in Peake's
488:. On 20 April 1854, at the same house, he was Musgrave in
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480:, given a characteristic performance in a piece entitled
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A Collection of Material towards a History of the Stage
51:. He was the son of an actor named William Smith, whom
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The Man and the Monster; Or, the Fate of Frankenstein
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In the theatrical world Smith was commonly billed as
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in the piece so named. He had also a part in Holl's
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The Man and The Monster; or The Fate of Frankenstein
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The Man and The Monster; or The Fate of Frankenstein
484:, and on 1 April 1853 he played at the Adelphi in
384:Nicholas Nickleby; or, Doings at Do-the-Boys Hall!
202:, he is said to have been engaged in 1823 at the
435:A Christmas Carol; or, Past, Present, and Future
355:A Christmas Carol; or, Past, Present, and Future
327:A Christmas Carol; or, Past, Present, and Future
691:Drawing-Room Table-Book of Theatrical Portraits
624:Performances by O. Smith at the Adelphi Theatre
406:and in January 1843 Hugh in a stage version of
105:Smith as Orson, in George Colman the younger's
764:. Vol. 53. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
160:His performance as Robert in the pantomime of
470:Devil of Marseilles, or the Spirit of Avarice
8:
663:, Catalogue of The National Archives, London
531:. A portrait accompanies the memoir in the
508:About 1826 Joseph Smith, the bookseller of
398:Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress
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476:in June 1857. In June 1842 he had, at the
198:was to have appeared. After acting at the
461:, in September 1845; Mongeraud in Holl's
605:Mr. Smith as Obi, in Three-fingered Jack
444:in February 1844. The theatre critic of
259:The Monster; or The Fate of Frankenstein
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372:In 1836 he played in an adaptation of
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459:Clarisse, or the Merchant's Daughter
190:, where he played Mandeville in the
520:, catalogued under Smith's name as
301:. In January 1833 he played at the
168:, who engaged him in 1810 for the
35:on stage, which he did in 1826 in
20:Richard John Smith as Vigil (1822)
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780:National Portrait Gallery, London
426:Bohemians, or the Rogues of Paris
424:, the part of a Mendicant in the
31:. He was among the first to play
820:Burials at West Norwood Cemetery
815:19th-century English male actors
761:Dictionary of National Biography
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626:, The Adelphi Theatre Calendar,
120:Edgar and Emmeline: a Fairy Tale
93:, her first appearance in Bath.
776:Portraits of Richard John Smith
465:, in February 1846; Pierre in
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281:in July 1826. When, in 1828,
575:, Digital Collection of the
368:, Saturday, 17 February 1844
340:, Saturday, 17 February 1844
714:Dramatic and Musical Review
645:The Illustrated London News
628:University of Massachusetts
447:The Illustrated London News
365:The Illustrated London News
337:The Illustrated London News
164:attracted the attention of
90:Rule a Wife and Have a Wife
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142:William Macready the Elder
810:English male stage actors
463:Leoline, or Life's Trials
382:. He was Newman Noggs in
352:(right) in a scene from
214:. His performance in the
204:Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
77:, Mrs. Smith appeared as
61:William "Gentleman" Smith
467:Richard Brinsley Peake's
130:, which he published in
609:New York Public Library
166:Robert William Elliston
577:University of Illinois
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414:The Giant of Palestine
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267:Frankenstein's monster
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84:Much Ado About Nothing
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805:Male actors from York
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59:(1860) confuses with
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730:, 4 and 11 Feb. 1855
685:Account of the Stage
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498:Two Loves and a Life
416:(1838); Ebenezer in
279:Royal Coburg Theatre
133:Bentley's Miscellany
756:Smith, Richard John
701:Scott and Howard's
514:Dramatic Chronology
486:Mr. Webster at Home
438:, an adaptation of
420:(1839); Murtogh in
400:, an adaptation of
386:, an adaptation of
245:The Adelphi Theatre
184:Three-fingered Jack
154:Three-fingered Jack
778:Collection of the
611:Digital Collection
595:Digital Collection
418:The Foreign Prince
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194:, a rôle in which
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136:. The governor of
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25:Richard John Smith
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703:Life of Blanchard
482:The Dice of Death
441:A Christmas Carol
428:in October 1843;
392:. In 1839 he was
389:Nicholas Nickleby
320:Smith (right) as
273:’s production of
208:Royal Opera House
179:Bombastes Furioso
162:Raymond and Agnes
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789:Categories
557:References
490:Tom Taylor
394:Bill Sikes
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70:The Orphan
53:John Doran
43:Early life
707:Dibdin's
689:Tallis's
683:Genest's
348:Smith as
289:took the
253:Smith as
170:pantomime
698:, i. 121
630:database
544:stated:
79:Beatrice
49:O. Smith
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727:The Era
579:Library
541:The Era
510:Holborn
430:Scrooge
358:at the
350:Scrooge
330:at the
322:Scrooge
277:at the
172:at the
640:Review
379:Rienzi
261:(1826)
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235:Soane
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