He served as assistant director on The Frightened Lady, The Calendar, Whiteface, There Goes the Bride, Sally Bishop, The Ringer and King of the Ritz.
Smith started to direct in 1930 with On The Air, In Town Tonight, Soft Lights and Sweet Music, Calling all Stars, It's a Grand Old World, Leave it to Me, and He's Got Everything, In 1938, he directed I've Got a Horse, Around the Town, Home from Home and in 1939, All at Sea.
As Executive in charge of Production, many films he controlled while at Denham Studios were uncredited, such as Henry V and Hamlet both with Laurence Olivier.
In 1956 Smith was called by Sidney Box, who asked if he would make a movie about Rock 'n' Roll.
This led to The Tommy Steele Story, with music by Lionel Bart – his first movie score.