Cheryl Lynn "Rainbeaux" Smith (June 6, 1955 – October 25, 2002) was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 actress. She was known for her role in the exploitation film

Exploitation film

Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex,...

 Caged Heat

Caged Heat

Caged Heat is an exploitation film from 1974 of the "women-in-prison" film genre. Caged Heat was written and directed by Jonathan Demme for the New World Pictures company, headed by Roger Corman...

.

Career

Smith was born in Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. Smith's first film appearance was in the short The Birth of Aphrodite, after a friend of her mother suggested her for the role. This led to roles in other films, including the cult

Cult film

A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...

 classic B-movies Caged Heat, Phantom of the Paradise

Phantom of the Paradise

Phantom of the Paradise is a 1974 musical film written and directed by Brian De Palma. The story is a loosely adapted mixture of The Phantom of the Opera, The Picture of Dorian Gray and Faust and also briefly references Frankenstein and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari...

, The Swinging Cheerleaders

The Swinging Cheerleaders

The Swinging Cheerleaders is a 1974 comedy-drama film written and directed by Jack Hill . The film was also released under the titles Locker Room Girls and H.O.T.S...

, Revenge of the Cheerleaders, The Pom Pom Girls, Laserblast

Laserblast

Laserblast is a 1978 American science fiction film about an unhappy teenage loner who discovers an alien laser cannon and goes on a murderous rampage, seeking revenge against those who he feels have wronged him. The low-budget film was directed by Michael Rae and produced by Charles Band, who is...

and a cameo role in Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke. She also starred in the cult horror film Lemora

Lemora

Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatural is a 1975 American horror film written and directed by Richard Blackburn...

.

An accomplished musician and artist, she was associated with The Runaways

The Runaways

The Runaways were an American all-girl rock band that recorded and performed in the second half of the 1970s. The band released four studio albums and one live set during its run. Among its best known songs: "Cherry Bomb", "Queens of Noise", "Neon Angels On the Road to Ruin", "California Paradise"...

 and drummed with Joan Jett

Joan Jett

Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...

 after that band's breakup.

Smith's film career effectively ended after she became addicted to heroin in the late 1970s. In the late 1980s she was arrested several times for drug-related offenses, and twice served time in prison. After her release, she was homeless for some time, and was often hospitalized for problems stemming from her addiction.

Death

Cheryl Smith died in the early morning hours on Friday, October 25, 2002, of complications from liver disease and hepatitis after a two decade struggle with heroin addiction and its resulting crisis lifestyle.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1971	The Birth of Aphrodite	Aphrodite	Credited as Cheryl Smith
1971	Evel Knievel	Girl buying ticket at rodeo	Uncredited
1973	Lemora Lemora Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatural is a 1975 American horror film written and directed by Richard Blackburn...	Lila Lee
1974	Caged Heat Caged Heat Caged Heat is an exploitation film from 1974 of the "women-in-prison" film genre. Caged Heat was written and directed by Jonathan Demme for the New World Pictures company, headed by Roger Corman...	Lavelle
1974	The Swinging Cheerleaders The Swinging Cheerleaders The Swinging Cheerleaders is a 1974 comedy-drama film written and directed by Jack Hill . The film was also released under the titles Locker Room Girls and H.O.T.S...	Andrea
1974	Phantom of the Paradise Phantom of the Paradise Phantom of the Paradise is a 1974 musical film written and directed by Brian De Palma. The story is a loosely adapted mixture of The Phantom of the Opera, The Picture of Dorian Gray and Faust and also briefly references Frankenstein and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari...	Groupie
1975	Video Vixens Video Vixens Video Vixens is a 1975 sex comedy directed by Ron Sullivan under the pseudonym Henri Pachard. It is currently distributed by Troma Entertainment.The plot follows the fictional television broadcast station WKLITT as they broadcast a stag film award show...	"Twinkle Twat" Girl	Alternative title: Black Socks
1975	Farewell, My Lovely Farewell, My Lovely (1975 film) Farewell, My Lovely is a neo-noir film directed by Dick Richards and featuring Robert Mitchum and Charlotte Rampling. The picture is based on the novel Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler.-Plot:...	Doris
1976	The Pom Pom Girls	Roxanne	Alternative title: Palisades High
1976	Revenge of the Cheerleaders	Heather	Alternative title: H.O.T.S. III
1976	Drum Drum (1976 film) Drum is the 1976 sequel to the film Mandingo, and released by United Artists. Starring Warren Oates, Pam Grier , and Ken Norton and directed by Steve Carver, it parodies nineteenth century American slavery like its predecessor...	Sophie Maxwell
1976	Massacre at Central High Massacre at Central High Massacre at Central High is a 1976 horror-thriller film directed by Dutch director Rene Daalder, a protegé of Russ Meyer. Despite its title, it is not at all a slasher film; the film is more an odd and violent political allegory, which tells the story of a series of revenge killings at a fictional...	Mary	Alternative title: Blackboard Massacre
1976	Slumber Party '57	Sherry	Alternative title: Teenage Slumber Party
1977	Boogievision	Naked hippie girl on motorcycle	Uncredited
1977	Cinderella Cinderella (1977 film) Cinderella is a 1977 American erotic musical comedy, starring Cheryl "Rainbeaux" Smith, Brett Smiley and Sy Richardson, and directed by Michael Pataki.-Plot:...	Cinderella
1977	Game Show Models		Uncredited
1977	The Choirboys The Choirboys (film) The Choirboys is a 1977 American comedy-drama film directed by Robert Aldrich, written by Christopher Knopf and Joseph Wambaugh based on Wambaugh's novel. It features an ensemble cast including Randy Quaid and James Woods...	Tammy
1977	Fantasm Comes Again	Carol	Segment: "Double Feature"
1977	The Incredible Melting Man The Incredible Melting Man The Incredible Melting Man is a 1977 American science fiction horror film about an astronaut whose body begins to melt after he is exposed to radiation during a space flight to Saturn, driving him to commit murders and consume human flesh to survive...	The Model
1978	Laserblast Laserblast Laserblast is a 1978 American science fiction film about an unhappy teenage loner who discovers an alien laser cannon and goes on a murderous rampage, seeking revenge against those who he feels have wronged him. The low-budget film was directed by Michael Rae and produced by Charles Band, who is...	Kathy Farley
1978	Up in Smoke Up in Smoke Up in Smoke, directed by Lou Adler, is Cheech and Chong's first feature-length film, released in 1978 by Paramount Pictures. It stars Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Edie Adams, Strother Martin, and Stacy Keach....	Laughing lady
1980	Melvin and Howard Melvin and Howard Melvin and Howard is a 1980 American comedy-drama film directed by Jonathan Demme. The screenplay by Bo Goldman was inspired by real-life Utah service station owner Melvin Dummar, who was listed as the beneficiary of USD$156 million in a will allegedly handwritten by Howard Hughes that was...	Patient Ronnie
1981	The Choice	Chris	Television movie
1981	Nice Dreams	Blondie Group #1	Credited as Cheryl RX Smith
1982	Hart to Hart Hart to Hart Hart to Hart is an American television series, starring Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, a wealthy couple who also moonlighted as amateur detectives. The series was created by writer Sidney Sheldon and produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg...	Woman	Episode: "Harts Under Glass"
1982	Vice Squad Vice Squad (film) Vice Squad is a 1982 action/drama film, starring Wings Hauser, Season Hubley, and Gary Swanson, directed by Gary Sherman. The original music score was composed by Joe Renzetti and Keith Rubenstein...	White prostitute
1982	Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid is a 1982 comedy film directed by Carl Reiner and starring Steve Martin and Rachel Ward. It is both a parody of, and an homage to, film noir and the pulp detective movies of the 1940s....	Veronica Lake	Uncredited
1983	Independence Day Independence Day (1983 film) Independence Day is a 1983 film directed by Robert Mandel from a script by the novelist Alice Hoffman. It was designed by Stewart Campbell and shot by Charles Rosher...	Ginny

External links