Smith hosted (for the final year, after long-running host Art Baker leff) the classic 1950s game show/variety show You Asked For It, where people would write in and ask to see unusual things or certain performers. The show came back in the early 80s for a short-lived version, but Smith might actually be better known for a guest appearance he made on another show in the 70s and the net craze that ensued from that episode.
Smith guest starred on the "Fearless Fonzarelli" episode of Happy Days, the one where Fonzie "jumped the shark" on water skis and unknowingly causing a catch phrase that would spawn a popular web site. Smith played himself in the episode, though they changed the name of the show Fonzie was on from You Asked For It to You Wanted To See It.
Smith died of leukemia on July 3 in California. He started out as a singer, and also guest starred in several TV shows, including Leave It To Beaver, The Andy Griffith Show, I Dream of Jeannie, and Charlie's Angels.
Update: As reader Brent points out in the comments, Smith wasn't in the "jump the shark" episode, he was in the "jump the garbage" episode. I got my jumping mixed up.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-10-2006 @ 2:04PM
Brent McKee said...
Actually he wasn't on the "jump the shark" episode. "Fearless Fonzarelli" was the season 3 episode in which Fonzie jumps his motorcycle over a number of garbage cans Evel Kneivel style and crashes into Arnold's newly opened fried chicken stand. The "shark jumping episode" was in season 5, and "Smilin Jack" Smith was nowhere near it.
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7-10-2006 @ 2:44PM
Bob Sassone said...
Brent, you're right, I remember that now, it was the episode where Fonzie jumped the garbage cans outside of Arnold's, not the shark one.
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