C. Davis Smith

Known For

Camera

Born

Jun 18, 1930

Died

Sep 20, 2017

Place of Birth

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Credits

43 titles

C. Davis Smith

Biography

"Somebody asked me to write a book about my experiences. I was gonna title it: "Twenty Years in the Porn Business, and I Never Got Laid." Sadly it's a true story!" Exploitation movie jack-of-all-trades Charles Davis Smith was born on June 18, 1930, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Following a tour of duty in the US Air Force, Smith began his cinematic career in the industrial film business in the 1950s. He went on to shoot, edit, direct, write, and even act in numerous low-budget softcore sexploitation features made throughout the 1960s. After a stint working in mainstream television, Smith returned to his trash film roots and shot a handful of hardcore porn movies made in and around New York City in the 1970s. He is perhaps best known for his work as a cinematographer on a string of films for legendary Do-It-Yourself maverick schlock cinema auteur Doris Wishman, among them Bad Girls Go to Hell (1965), Another Day, Another Man (1966), Deadly Weapons (1974), Double Agent 73 (1974), Satan Was a Lady (1975) and A Night to Dismember (1983). In addition, he also shot movies for such directors as Victor Milt, Cecil Howard, and Zebedy Colt. Moreover, Smith edited music videos for The Manhattans, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Run-D.M.C.. He provided lively, entertaining, and illuminating commentaries on DVD reissues of assorted enjoyably down'n'dirty grindhouse features that he worked on in various capacities during his colorful and impressive East Coast underground cinema career. Smith died at age 87 on September 20, 2017.

Known For

Filmography

2025

Meet-Cute Fantasies Vol. 1

Director

Movie
2018

Better than Sex! or: How to Make a Wishman Film

Himself

Movie
2007

Each Time I Kill

Director of Photography

Movie
1989

Step Into the Third Dimension

Editor

Movie
1987

Babes in Joyland

Director of Photography

Movie
1983

A Night to Dismember

Director of Photography

Movie
1982

The Erotic Adventures of Lolita

Director of Photography

Movie
1981

Neon Nights

Director of Photography

Movie
1977

Unwilling Lovers

Editor

Movie
1976

Come with Me My Love

Director of Photography

Movie
1976

The Farmer's Daughters

Director of Photography

Movie
1976

White Fire

Director of Photography

Movie
1975

Satan Was a Lady

Director of Photography

Movie
1975

Big Abner

Sound

Movie
1975

The Immoral Three

Director of Photography

Movie
1975

In-Flight Service

Director

Movie
1974

Certified Mail

Cinematography

Movie
1974

Deadly Weapons

Cinematography

Movie
1974

Double Agent 73

Cinematography

Movie
1974

Badge '69'

Lighting Technician

Movie
1973

The Young Nymphs Kitty and Kathy

Narrator

Movie
1972

Rosebud

Movie
1972

Keyholes Are for Peeping

Director of Photography

Movie
1971

The Altar of Lust

Hans

Movie
1971

The Amazing Transplant

Director of Photography

Movie
1970

Scorpio '70

Editor

Movie
1969

The Ultimate Voyeur

Writer

Movie
1969

Graffiti

Director

Movie
1968

Too Much Too Often!

Director of Photography

Movie
1968

Indecent Desires

Director of Photography

Movie
1967

To Turn a Trick

Writer

Movie
1967

A Taste of Flesh

Story

Movie
1967

File X for Sex: The Story of the Perverted

Male Voyeur / Blindfolded Man

Movie
1966

My Brother's Wife

Director of Photography

Movie
1966

Hot Nights on the Campus

Editor

Movie
1966

The Girl from S.I.N.

Professor Drake

Movie
1966

Banned

Editor

Movie
1966

All My Men

Writer

Movie
1965

Bad Girls Go to Hell

Director of Photography

Movie
1965

The Sex Perils of Paulette

Editor

Movie
1965

Lust and the Flesh

Associate Producer

Movie
1965

The Sexploiters

Cameraman

Movie
1964

Crazy Wild and Crazy

Director of Photography

Movie