C. Davis Smith
Camera
- Born
- June 18, 1930 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Died
- September 20, 2017 (age 87)
"Somebody asked me to write a book about my experiences. I was gonna title it: "Twenty Years in the Porn Business, and I Never Got Laid." Sadly it's a true story!"
Exploitation movie jack-of-all-trades Charles Davis Smith was born on June 18, 1930, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Following a tour of duty in the US Air Force, Smith began his cinematic career in the industrial film business in the 1950s. He went on to shoot, edit, direct, write, and even act in numerous low-budget softcore sexploitation features made throughout the 1960s.
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After a stint working in mainstream television, Smith returned to his trash film roots and shot a handful of hardcore porn movies made in and around New York City in the 1970s. He is perhaps best known for his work as a cinematographer on a string of films for legendary Do-It-Yourself maverick schlock cinema auteur Doris Wishman, among them Bad Girls Go to Hell (1965), Another Day, Another Man (1966), Deadly Weapons (1974), Double Agent 73 (1974), Satan Was a Lady (1975) and A Night to Dismember (1983). In addition, he also shot movies for such directors as Victor Milt, Cecil Howard, and Zebedy Colt. Moreover, Smith edited music videos for The Manhattans, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Run-D.M.C.. He provided lively, entertaining, and illuminating commentaries on DVD reissues of assorted enjoyably down'n'dirty grindhouse features that he worked on in various capacities during his colorful and impressive East Coast underground cinema career. Smith died at age 87 on September 20, 2017.
Known for
Bad Girls Go to Hell
December 24, 1965
Deadly Weapons
April 5, 1974
Double Agent 73
January 1, 1974
A Night to Dismember
January 1, 1983
Indecent Desires
April 17, 1968
The Amazing Transplant
January 28, 1971
Keyholes Are for Peeping
January 1, 1972
Neon Nights
December 9, 1981
Too Much Too Often!
June 26, 1968
The Sex Perils of Paulette
July 21, 1965
The Immoral Three
January 31, 1975
The Farmer's Daughters
June 11, 1976
Behind the camera40
- 2025Meet-Cute Fantasies Vol. 1 Director
- 2025I Prefer Romance Director
- 2007Each Time I Kill Director of Photography
- 1989Step Into the Third Dimension Editor
- 1987Babes in Joyland Director of Photography
- 1983A Night to Dismember Director of Photography
- 1982The Erotic Adventures of Lolita Director of Photography
- 1981Neon Nights Director of Photography, Editor
- 1977Unwilling Lovers Editor, Director of Photography, Camera Operator
- 1976