Beaumont Smith

Frank Beaumont "Beau" Smith (15 August 1885 – 2 January 1950), was an Australian film director, producer and exhibitor, best known for making low-budget comedies.

Smith was born in Hallett, South Australia, and educated at East Adelaide Public School. He first worked as a journalist, writing for The Critic, The Register and The Bulletin, and helping C. J. Dennis found The Gadfly. He tried playwriting, working on an adaptation of On Our Selection with Steele Rudd – this was eventually rewritten by Bert Bailey to great success.

He later worked as secretary for William Anderson. In 1911 he managed a European troupe of midgets, "Tiny Town". and went into theatre management.

He was a fan of the works of Henry Lawson and adapted several of his stories for stage and film.

Smith made his first film in 1917, Our Friends, the Hayseeds. He went on to become one of the most prolific and popular Australian filmmakers of the silent era. Among his films were adaptations of the works of Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson. His 1933 comedy The Hayseeds featured the first screen appearance of Cecil Kellaway.

Smith was famous for making his films quickly – sometimes he would complete shooting and post production within one month for budgets ranging from £600 to £1,200. His wife Elsie would comment on his scripts and his brother Gordon looked after company finances. He was sometimes known as "One Shot Beau" or "That'll Do Beau".

In May 1919 he stopped producing films until better terms for exhibiting them could be found. He recommenced production in October.

Shrinking profits led to Smith retiring from filmmaking in 1925, although he returned briefly in the early 1930s. He became managing director of Williamson Films (New Zealand) Ltd (later J. C. Williamson Picture Corporation Ltd), Wellington. He retired to Killara, Sydney in 1938, and died in the Royal North Shore Hospital.

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