Smith, Russell 1954- (Russ Smith)

PERSONAL

Full name, Russell Alan Smith; born April 21, 1954, in Springfield, IL.

Addresses:

Office—Mr. Mudd Productions, Farmer's Market, 6333 West Third St., Suite 902, Los Angeles, CA 90036. Agent—Endeavor, 9601 Wilshire Blvd., Third Floor, Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

Career:

Producer. Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago, IL, producer for five years; First National of Chicago's summer concert series, arts consultant and producer for three years; New Visions Pictures, head of production, 1989-c. 1998; Mr. Mudd Productions (production company), Los Angeles, partner (with Lianne Halfon and John Malkovich), 1998—.

Awards, Honors:

Independent Spirit Award, best feature, Independent Feature Project/West, Christopher Award, feature films, Academy Award nomination, best motion picture of the year, and nomination for Motion Picture Producer of the Year Award, theatrical motion pictures, Producers Guild of America, all with others, 2008, for Juno.

CREDITS

Film Executive Producer:

(As Russ Smith) The Dancer Upstairs (also known as Pasos de baile), Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2002.

Ripley's Game (also known as Il gioco di Ripley), Fine Line Features, 2002.

Which Way Home (documentary), Reason Pictures/White Buffalo Entertainment, 2008.

Film Producer:

(As Russ Smith) Of Mice and Men, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1992.

The Man in the Iron Mask, United Artists, 1998.

Ghost World, United Artists, 2001.

The Loner (short film series), 2001.

How to Draw a Bunny (documentary), Artisan Entertainment/Palm Pictures/Arthouse Films, 2002.

The Libertine, The Weinstein Company, 2004.

Art School Confidential, Sony Pictures Classics, 2006.

Kill the Poor, IFC Films, 2006.

Drunkboat, Arclight Films, 2006, Seven Arts Pictures, 2007.

Juno, Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2007.

Worked on other projects.

Film Associate Producer:

(As Russ Smith) Miles from Home (also known as Farm of the Year), Cinecom Pictures, 1988.

Television Work; Movies:

Producer, Queens Logic, Showtime, 1991.

Television Work; Specials:

(As Russ Smith) Executive producer, The Witness (short; also known as Perverse Destiny), Showtime, 1992.

Producer, "Some Assembly Required," The First Amendment Project (also known as The First Amendment Project: Some Assembly Required), Court TV and Sundance Channel, 2004.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

"Malkovich's Mail," The AMC Project, American Movie Classics, 2003.

Himself, "John Malkovich, Lianne Halfon, Russell Smith," Sunday Morning Shootout, American Movie Classics, 2004.

Stage Producer:

Balm in Gilead, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Mainstage Theatre, Chicago, IL, 1981, and Circle Repertory Company, New York City, beginning 1984.

True West, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Mainstage Theatre, Chicago, IL, beginning 1982, and Cherry Lane Theatre, New York City, 1982-84.

Orphans, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Westside Arts Theatre (later known as Westside Theatre (Downstairs)), New York City, 1985-86.

Producer of other plays.

RECORDINGS

Video Work:

Producer, Capturing "The Libertine" (short), The Weinstein Company/Odyssey Entertainment, 2006.

Smith, Russell (1812–96), designer. The most famous Philadelphia scenic designer of the 19th century, he was born in Glasgow and brought to America in 1819 after his parents' political views made them unwelcome in Scotland. He spent much of his childhood in Pittsburgh, where he began his theatrical career as an actor. However, Smith soon recognized that painting was his major interest and began to create sets as well as study painting under James R. Lamdin, eventually becoming set designer for the Pittsburgh Theatre in 1833. Two years later he relocated to Philadelphia's Walnut Street Theatre, remaining in that city for most of his career. He supplied scenery, drop curtains, and some interior decoration not only for the Walnut, but for the Chestnut Street Theatre, the Academy of Music, and the Arch Street Theatre. Smith excelled at painting atmospheric outdoor sets, although he designed many other types of settings as well. Biography: Russell Smith, Romantic Realist, Virginia E. Lewis, 1956.

Smith, Russell (b Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 1927). Amer. composer. Teacher at various colleges. Ed. for Ricordi in NY 1961–5 and H. W. Gray 1965–66. Comp.-in-residence Cleveland Orch. 1966–7, New Orleans PO 1969–70. Also writer on mus. Comps. incl. opera, 2 pf. concs., ballet Antigone, Anglican Mass, chamber mus., etc.