Paul J. Smith (March 15, 1906 – November 17, 1980) was an American animator and director.

Smith began as a cel painter for Walt Disney Animation in August 1926, then moved up to an animator when he remembered he did not work behind a curtain, but a back room. On May 5, 1928, when all the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoons for Charles Mintz were completed, Smith left the payroll, Moving to Screen Gems.^[1] Smith worked for Walter Lantz Productions for much of his career, as well as working at Warner Bros. Cartoons.

By 1953, Smith was promoted to director after the Lantz studio was able to build up enough staff for a second unit, eventually becoming the lead director of the Woody Woodpecker shorts along with Don Patterson, Alex Lovy, Jack Hannah and Sid Marcus. Smith's direction is often regarded as "meat and potatoes", as he doesn't innovate his style beyond the traditional string of gags. By the late 1960s, Smith became the sole director of the Lantz studio's output: the cartoon series Woody Woodpecker, Chilly Willy, and The Beary Family. Smith stayed with Lantz until the studio was closed in 1972.

Smith died in Van Nuys, California on November 17, 1980. He was the brother of animators Frank Smith and Hank Smith and the uncle of actor and film director Charles Martin Smith.^[2]

• Paul J. Smith at IMDb
• A Paul J. Smith Scrapbook

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