Julia Smith

Julia Smith
Born
Julia Cuthbert Smith

(1917-05-26)26 May 1917
Paddington, Greater London, England
Died19 June 1997(1997-06-19) (aged 70)
Chelsea, London, England
NationalityEnglish
Other namesJulia Cuthbert Geary
Alma materRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art
Occupation(s)Television director and producer
Television
Spouse
David Geary
​
​
(m. 1962; div. 1966)​
Relatives

Julia Cuthbert Geary (née Smith; 26 May 1927 – 19 June 1997) was an English television director and producer. She was best known as the co-creator (along with Tony Holland) of the BBC soap opera EastEnders, also working as the director and the first producer of the series.

Early life

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Julia Cuthbert Smith was born in Paddington, Greater London, England on 26 May 1927,[1] as the only child to Edward Cuthbert Smith (1897–1968),[2][3] a musician who taught at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM),[4] and Elfriede Frances Gritton (née Menges; 1897–1988).[5][6]

Smith trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). She graduated with her diploma in acting in 1946.[7]

Smith was a maternal niece of Isolde Marie Boyd (née Menges; 1893–1976),[8][9] a violinist, and Sigfried Frederick Herbert Menges (1902–1972),[10][11] a composer and conductor. She was a cousin of Christopher J Menges (born 1940),[12] a cinematographer and film producer. Her cousin credits her with being an inspiration of his own career.[4]

Personal life

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Smith married David Maxwell Valentine Geary (1928–2006)[13][14] in Ealing, Middlesex on 2 April 1962, when they were both 34.[15] The couple divorced in 1966.[4] She retained Geary's surname legally after their divorce and sometimes used it when conducting personal business, while continuing to use her maiden name professionally.[16]

Smith resided in Chiswick, London,[16] with her dog, Roly, an apricot coloured standard poodle.[17] Roly portrayed Roly in EastEnders (1985–1993). Roly died on 2 August 1995, at the age of 10, following an operation for breathing problems which were aggravated by the heatwave.[18]

Death

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Smith died from cancer at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea, London on 19 June 1997, after a short battle with the illness. She was 70.[19][20][4][21][22] Her funeral took place at Mortlake Crematorium in Kew, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames on 30 June 1997, and was attended by several stalwart cast members from EastEnders, including; June Brown (Dot Cotton),[23] Pam St Clement (Pat Evans),[24][25] Wendy Richard (Pauline Fowler),[26] and Leslie Grantham (Den Watts).[27]

References

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  1. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007: APR 1927 1a 37 PADDINGTON — Julia C Smith
  2. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915: APR 1897 10b 229 TYNEMOUTH — Edward Cuthbert Smith
  3. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007: APR 1968 (aged 70) 5e 506 WANDSWORTH — Edward Smith
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Hayward, Anthony (21 June 1997). "Obituary: Julia Smith". The Independent. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  5. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915: JUL 1897 2b 287 STEYNING — Frances Elfriede G Menges
  6. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007: JAN 1988 (aged 90) 12 1640 HAMMERSMITH — Elfrieda Frances G C Smith
  7. ↑ "Julia Smith". RADA. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  8. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915: APR 1893 2b 296 STEYNING — Isolde Marie Menges
  9. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007: JAN 1976 (aged 82) 14 2460 RICHMOND UPON THAMES — Isolde Marie Boyd
  10. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915: OCT 1902 2b 248 STEYNING — Siegfried F H Menges
  11. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007: JAN 1972 (aged 69) 5b 2201 HAMPSTEAD — Siegfried Frederick N Menges
  12. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007: OCT 1940 6a 1563 KINGTON — Christopher J Menges
  13. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007: JAN 1928 3a 1261 HATFIELD — David M V Geary
  14. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007: AUG 2006 (aged 78) KDT13 063 KENT — David Maxwell V Geary
  15. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005: APR 1962 5e 21 EALING — Julia C Smith = David M Geary
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Julia GEARY (otherwise SMITH)". The Gazette. 20 March 1998. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  17. ↑ Patterson, Stephen (28 June 2020). "EastEnders star Letitia Dean reveals huge secret about Roly the dog". Metro. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  18. ↑ Highfield, Anna (6 May 2021). "The EastEnders star who tragically died 2 weeks after his character was killed off". My London. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  19. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007: JUN 1997 B55B 88 KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA — Julia Geary
  20. ↑ "Godmother of 'EastEnders' dies". The Independent. 19 June 1997. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  21. ↑ Hardingham-Gill, Tamara (21 February 2015). "EastEnders live episode: Who are Julia and Tony? Soap pays tribute to co-creators". Metro. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  22. ↑ Westbrook, Caroline (29 February 2020). "Which EastEnders actors have died since the show began?". Metro. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  23. ↑ Curtis, Ben (30 June 1997). "Actress June Brown who plays soap favourite, Dot Cotton in the BBC's Eastenders at the funeral service of the programme's creator Julia Smith held at the Mortlake Cremetoriam in London today (Monday)". Alamy. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  24. ↑ Curtis, Ben (30 June 1997). "Actress Pam St Clement, alias Pat Butcher in BBC's Eastenders at the funeral of the soap's creator, Julia Smith at the Mortlake Cremetoriam in London today (Monday)". Alamy. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  25. ↑ Curtis, Ben (30 June 1997). "Actress Pam St Clement at Mortlake Crematorium in London for the funeral of EastEnders creator Julia Smith who died last week". Alamy. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  26. ↑ Curtis, Ben (30 June 1997). "Soap star Wendy Richard arrives at Mortlake Cremetoriam in London today (Monday) for the funeral of Eastenders creator, Julia Smith who died last week". Alamy. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  27. ↑ Curtis, Ben (30 June 1997). "Actor Leslie Grantham arrives at Mortlake Cremetoriam for the funeral of Eastenders creator Julia Smith today (Monday)". Alamy. Retrieved 12 August 2024.