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 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.
There was with some of the earliest a crudeness that was apparent, yet they are all devised with cunning that speaks of showmanship of the highest degree and as such they get over flaws and all and the general impression defies criticism.
[4]Smith was born in Hallett, South Australia, named after a popular singer at the time, Armes Beaumont.
Smith later toured the show in South Africa, where it was a success, and Canada, where it flopped due to opposition from existing circuses.
[18] He toured the plays Mr Wu (1914), The Barrier by Rex Beach, No Mother to Guide Her, A Girl's Cross Roads and The Glad Eye.
[14] He was a fan of the works of Henry Lawson and adapted several of his stories for stage and film, including While the Billy Boils.
The Bulletin reported that "Smith, who has turned out more winners than any other producer in this country, reckons that unless fresh arrangements are made by the booking houses the day of the Australian film is numbered.
[2] He spent a number of months in Hollywood, then returned to Australia to make The Man from Snowy River (1920).
Smith declared that if out of his twelve films he "failed to market at least three" (The Man From Snowy River'’, ‘'A Maid of Maoriland, and The Gentleman Bushranger) then "I will know that the time has come to acknowledge defeat as an Australian picture producer.
On the other hand, if I find a reasonable market in England, I intend to enter into some sort of partnership arrangement with an English producing company which will release four or six Australian productions each year...
In 1925 Everyones reported that: Beau Smith still remains to prove beyond a shadow of doubt that the moving picture industry in Australia is a healthy and profitable game.
He usually writes his own scenarios, but possibly uses them to paper the walls of his office, since on location this useful adjunct is usually conspicuous by its absence of be it there it is camouflaged as portion of the properties, or as a rest for the cameramen, or anything but its proper use, and he relies on his memory solely for the movements of his characters.
He claims to make pictures on a basis of sound economy which permits him to release the same at a reasonable price to the showmen.
[23][24] Smith returned to filmmaking to make The Hayseeds (1933), giving Cecil Kellaway his first lead in a film, and Splendid Fellows (1934).
The National Library of Australia tracked down a collection of 300 reels of Smith's films, including all his features.