Howard Smith: Howard Smith. Actor: Dawn of the Dead. Howard Smith was born on 10 December 1936 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He was a director and actor, known for Dawn of the Dead (1978), Marjoe (1972) and Gizmo! (1977). He was married to Susan Calder. He died on 1 May 2014 in Manhattan, New York, USA.