Paul Birch

Career overview

Paul Birch was an American actor of stage and film who was born Paul Smith on January 13, 1912, in Atmore, Alabama. Throughout his career, he appeared in a large number of television shows, stage dramas, and movies. Among his television credits, he appeared in Hallmark Hall of Fame, which was broadcast beginning in 1951. In the late 1950s, he starred alongside William Campbell in the syndicated Canadian half-hour drama and adventure series about truckers titled Cannonball, which aired in 1958. Additionally, he was the original Marlboro Man in television commercials and portrayed both Union General Ulysses S. Grant and Confederate General Robert E. Lee in several historical plays.

Birch was a veteran of thirty-nine movies, fifty stage dramas, and numerous television shows. His work in film and television included appearances in productions such as The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Ghost Farm and I Led 3 Lives. He was also one of the first original members of the Pasadena group, beginning his career there.

Regarding his personal life, Birch was married twice. His first marriage was to Margaret Evelyn Farish, with whom he had a daughter named Cindy. Cindy had a son, actor Ned Luke, who was born in 1958. At the time of his death, Birch was survived by his second wife, the former Betsy Ann Ross Smith, and their three children. Birch passed away on May 24, 1969, in St. George's, Grenada.