TUCKER SMITH

Tucker Smith was born Thomas William Smith on April 24, 1936 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Smith was an American Theatre Wing scholarship winner in New York City. After he left Wing he joined the national tour with the musical comedy Damn Yankees. In 1958 he was cast in the Broadway show West Side Story. The show ran for 732 performances before going on tour. Smith joined the tour that ran from June 14, 1959 to April 23, 1960. Tucker also appeared in the film version of West Side Story (1961) as Ice. Smith continued to perform in films and television but they were usually small roles or walk on parts. He also performed in cabarets, nightclubs and Las Vegas. Smith also formed his own nightclub act that toured internationally. Smith was openly gay and because of this he decided not to pursue a Hollywood career. Sometime in the 1970s he opened a bar called Tucker's Turf that he not only owned but operated. After a two year battle with cancer of the throat, neck and jaw Smith died at the age of 52 on December 22, 1988