Actor, Singer. He was a stocky and barrel-chested actor, gifted with a resonant baritone speaking voice, who was best known for playing the character roles of first mates, sergeants, highwaymen, generals, marines, colonels, coaches, police officers, sheriffs, politicians, wardens, prosecutors, porters, professors, parole board chairmen, marshals, detectives, motel owners, admirals, mailmen, judges, deputies, captains, doctors, auctioneers, mayors, and historical figures including President Ulysses S. Grant, General Robert E. Lee, and author Erle Stanley Gardner, usually in war films and classic western films and classic western television series. On playing the roles of President Ulysses S. Grant and General Robert E. Lee, he once said, "There were times when I was switching those two roles so fast I could have surrendered to myself." He will be best remembered for playing the role of 'Mayor Winder' in the western film drama, "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" (1962). The film which was directed by John Ford, which was written for the screen by James Warner Bellah, Willis Goldbeck, and Dorothy M. Johnson, and which also starred James Stewart, John Wayne, Lee Marvin, Edmond O'Brien, Andy Devine, Lee Van Cleef, and Vera Miles, tells the story of a senator who returns to a western town for the funeral of an old friend and tells the story of his origins. He is also best remembered for playing the role of 'Captain Carpenter' in 13 episodes of the classic adventure crime television series drama, "The Fugitive," which originally aired from 1963 to 1965, and which also starred David Janssen, William Conrad, Barry Morse, and Bill Raisch, tells the story of a doctor named Richard Kimble, who is wrongly convicted for a murder he didn't commit, escapes custody and must stay ahead of the police to find the real killer. He was born one of two children as Paul Lowery Smith in Atmore, Alabama, to Charles Paul Smith (1875-1939), and his wife Sarah Lenora Lowery Smith (1885-1956), on January 13, 1912. He was educated locally, and was drafted during World War II, but he never served. He began his acting career on the stage, and eventually made the transition to film and to television. He made his actual film debut playing the role of 'Highwayman #2' in the action western film, "The Royal Mounted Rides Again" (1945). The film which was directed by Lewis D. Collins and Ray Taylor, which was written for the screen by Joseph O'Donnell, Tom Gibson, and Harold Channing Wire, and which also starred George Dolenz, Bill Kennedy, Addison Richards, Paul E. Burns, Robert Armstrong, Tom Fadden, and Daun Kennedy, tells the story of mine owner named Jackson Decker who orders his manager to obtain Tom Bailey's milling machinery no matter what the cost. When Tom Bailey is found murdered, suspicion naturally falls upon the mine owner, and his son, a Canadian Mountie, is ordered to find the real culprit. He joins forces with a French-Canadian constable, Tom Bailey's beautiful daughter, and a phony palm reader to learn the truth and discovers a secret gold mine, a double-crossing casino owner, and a forger at the bottom of the conspiracy. Besides, playing the role of 'Highwayman #2' in the action western film, "The Royal Mounted Rides Again" (1945), and playing the role of 'Mayor Winder' in the western film drama, "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" (1962), his many other film credits include, "The Daltons Ride Again" (1945), "Adventure" (1945), "The Fighting Guardsman" (1946), "The Scarlet Horseman" (1946), "Till The End Of Time" (1946), "Check Your Guns" (1948), "The Third Man" (1949), "Assignment: Paris" (1952), "Bonzo Goes To College" (1953), "The War Of The Worlds" (1953), "The System" (1953), "The Eddie Cantor Story" (1953), "Ride Clear Of Diablo" (1954), "Cattle Queen Of Montana" (1954), "Dr. Harvey W. Wiley" (1955), "Man Without A Star" (1955), "Strange Lady In Town" (1955), "Five Guns West" (1955), "The Beast With A Million Eyes" (1955), "Apache Woman" (1955), "Rebel Without A Cause" (1955), "The Fighting Chance" (1955), "Day The World Ended" (1955), "When Gangland Strikes" (1956), "The Fastest Gun Alive" (1956), "The White Squaw" (1956), "Everything But The Truth" (1956), "Mobs, Inc." (1956), "Gun For A Coward" (1956), "Have Camera Will Travel" (1956), "Not Of This Earth" (1957), "The Tattered Dress" (1957), "The Spirit Of St. Louis" (1957), "The 27th Day" (1957), "Joe Dakota" (1957), "The World Was His Jury" (1958), "Gunman's Walk" (1958), "Wild Heritage" (1958, He played the role of 'Jake Breslin' in the film and also sang the song, "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," in the film), "Queen Of Outer Space" (1958), "The Gun Runners" (1958), "Gunmen From Laredo" (1959), "Too Soon To Love" (1960), "Pay Or Die!" (1960), "Portrait In Black" (1960), "The Dark At The Top Of The Stairs" (1960), "Two Rode Together" (1961), "A Public Affair" (1962), "The Fugitive" (1963), "It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World" (1963), "The Raiders" (1963), "The Glory Guys" (1965), "Dead Heat On A Merry-Go-Round" (1966), "A Covenant With Death" (1967), and "Welcome To Hard Time" (1967). Besides, playing the role of 'Captain Carpenter' in 13 episodes of the classic adventure crime television series drama, "The Fugitive," which originally aired from 1963 to 1965, and which also starred David Janssen, William Conrad, Barry Morse, and Bill Raisch, tells the story of a doctor named Richard Kimble, who is wrongly convicted for a murder he didn't commit, who escapes custody and must stay ahead of the police to find the real killer, his many other television credits include, "Racket Squad," "Hopalong Cassidy," "The Lone Ranger," "The Millionaire," "The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse," "Public Defender," "Crossroads," "Ford Star Jubilee," "Medic," "Steve Donovan, Western Marshal," "Cavalcade Of America," "I Led 3 Lives," "Schlitz Playhouse," "Big Town," "Screen Directors Playhouse," "Chevron Hall Of Stars," "The Adventures Of Dr. Fu Manchu," "Science Fiction Theatre," "Telephone Time," "The Adventures Of Rin Tin Tin," "The George Burns And Gracie Allen Show," "Have Camera Will Travel," "Broken Arrow," "The 20th Century-Fox Hour," "The O. Henry Playhouse," "Lux Video Theatre," "Playhouse 90," "You Are There," "Cheyenne," "The Hardy Boys: The Mystery Of The Ghost Farm," "Navy Log," "The Mickey Mouse Club," "M Squad," "Trackdown" "Suspicion," "Sugarfoot," "The Court Of Last Resort," "Panic!" "The Restless Gun," "Cannonball," 'Riverboat," "Black Saddle," "Tightrope," "The Magical World Of Disney," "The Alaskans," "Hawaiian Eye," "The Texan," "Zane Grey Theatre," "The Law And Mr. Jones," "Sea Hunt," "Two Faces West," "Maverick," "Bronco," "Perry Mason," "Cain's Hundred," "The Tall Man," "The Dick Powell Theatre," "The Gabby Hayes Show," "National Velvet," "Gunsmoke," "Laramie," "Tales Of Wells Fargo," "77 Sunset Strip," "Checkmate," "The New Breed," "Stoney Burke," "Alcoa Premiere," "Empire," 'Have Gun - Will Travel," "Ripcord," "Wide Country," "G.E. True," "Sam Benedict," "The Untouchables," "My Three Sons," "Wagon Train," "Temple Houston," "Death Valley Days," "Arrest And Trial," "The Great Adventure," "Destry," "Breaking Point," "Peyton Place," "Broadside," "Bonanza," "The Virginian," "The John Forsythe Show," and "A Man Called Shenandoah." He also appeared in over fifty stage productions including appearing on Broadway in New York City, New York, the play, as 'Captain Randolph Southard' in "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial" (January 20, 1954, to January 22, 1955), During his career on the Broadway stage he worked with the likes of Charles Laughton, Henry Fonda, John Hodiak, Lloyd Nolan, Russell Hicks, Herbert Anderson, Larry Barton, James Garner, Stephen Chase, Richard Farmer, Eddie Firestone, Robert Gist, John Huffman, T.H. Jourdan, Charles Nolte, Richard Norris, Ainslie Pryor, Greg Roman, Pat Waltz, and Paul Gregory. He was also one of the first original members and a mainstay on the stage at Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, California. He was also one of the original "Marlboro Man" in the television commercials. His last role was playing a 'General' in the musical war film drama, "Counterpart" (1967). The film which was directed by Ralph Nelson, which was written for the screen by James Lee and Joel Oliansky, which was based on the novel, "The General," by Alan Sillitoe, and which also starred Charlton Heston, Maximilian Schell, and Kathryn Hays, tells the story of a famous orchestra conductor who is captured by the Germans in WW2 and is forced to perform at private concerts for the Nazi generals. He retired from acting shortly thereafter. He was also featured in the documentary film, "The American West Of John Ford" (1971), and "The Horror Show" (1979). He passed away from lymphosarcoma in Louisiana Lanse aux epines, a residential area in Saint George, Grenada, on May 24, 1969, at the age of 57, and he was buried in St. Valentine Cemetery in Saint George, Grenada. He was married to Margaret Evelyn Farish Birch from June 11, 1932, until they divorced on February 6, 1941. The couple had one child together. He was also married to Betsy Anne Ross Birch from May 4, 1943, until his death on May 24, 1969. The couple had three children together. He is also the grandfather of actor Ned Luke, who along with his brother Steve Luke owns The Varsity Room Restaurant in Danville, Illinois, where a third brother, "B J," is the Danville High School in Danville, Illinois, athletic director. His other grandson Matthew Luke is Head of Media Management for Al Jazeera America.