Martha Smith(I)

Smith is perhaps best known as "Francine Desmond," an intelligence agent and nemesis of star Kate Jackson, on the CBS series Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1983). Raised in Farmington, Michigan, Smith, an honor student who was listed in "Who's Who of American Students," enrolled in Michigan State University at age 17 to study psychology. She soon became an in-demand model and spokeswoman whose travel demands forced her to abandon her studies. She was "discovered" by a scout for "Playboy" magazine, selected as a centerfold (Miss July 1973), and promptly sent back on the road on press junkets. That road led to California. With the support of Universal Studios Contract Department, Smith honed her thespian skills in workshops while appearing in featured TV roles (How the West Was Won (1976), Quincy, M.E. (1976), Charlie's Angels (1976), etc.). Her first major film role was in the comedy blockbuster National Lampoon's Animal House (1978), where her "Babs Jansen" character, a vapid but devious cheerleader, was an arch-rival to John Belushi's "Bluto." Shortly afterward, she shared star billing with Debbie Allen in the CBS pilot Ebony, Ivory and Jade (1979), which marked her professional singing and dancing debut. During the actors' strike of 1980, Smith produced and starred in an award-winning production of "Vanities," co-starring with Rita Wilson (wife of Tom Hanks). More TV appearances followed (Happy Days (1974), Taxi (1978), Dallas (1978), Fantasy Island (1977), and a special guest-starring role on a one-hour episode of Love, Sidney (1981)). She went on to appear on NBC's Days of Our Lives (1965). One month after leaving "Days," she landed the "Scarecrow" pilot and spent the next four years on the popular series. Smith was a co-creator of the board game "Beverly Hills - a Game of Wealth & Status," a satire of the community for which it was named and where she resides. In 1987, she was included in the photo exhibit (and book) "The World's Most Beautiful Faces" with such luminaries as Brooke Shields and Linda Evangelista. As a member of various improv groups in the 1990s, she used her writing skills to pen comedic sketches for live performances in L.A. clubs. In 1996, she co-authored a non-fiction book entitled "Downdating." The late 1990s saw Smith dabbling in production capacities on several indie films. In 1997, she and a partner co-wrote a futuristic socio-political screenplay ("Phoenix File"). She studied for three years at UCLA in production, screenwriting, and language, and speaks French and Italian fluently. In 1999, she began to sing in local L.A. clubs, performing everything from French "chansons" to R&B duets. On May 7, 2000, she married her singing partner, Keith England (formerly of The Allman Brothers Band, Montrose, The Tubes, among others). Keith also works in post-production and sings with his band as well as in various film and TV projects. The couple resides in Beverly Hills. In 2000, Smith ventured back into acting and was seen most recently in two episodes of Greek (2007) and in Netflix's comedy film, A Futile and Stupid Gesture (2018).