List of East Enders Characters (1985) - Chris Smith

Chris Smith, played by Allan O'Keefe, is the father of Mary Smith (Linda Davidson). A haulage driver from Stockport, he is first seen in Walford in May 1985 when he comes to visit his wayward daughter. Mary (or Theresa as she was known to Chris) had left Stockport to escape her family, so she isn't pleased when Chris arrives and tries to persuade her to return with him so he can help bring up her young daughter. After several ill-fated attempts, Mary sends him packing.

In 1987, Mary begins prostituting herself. She leaves her young baby, Annie, at home alone while she works. On one occasion, Annie throws a blanket out of her cot straight on to an electric fan heater, causing a fire. Annie is rescued before she is harmed, but Mary's neighbour, Dot Cotton (June Brown), phones Chris, who returns to Walford and takes Annie to live with him and his wife, Edie (Eileen O'Brien), in Stockport.

Mary's boyfriend, Rod Norman (Christopher McHallem), tries to help Mary sort her life out so she can get her daughter back. Even though Mary seems to be better, Edie has grown so attached to Annie that she is unwilling to relinquish care. By December, Chris finally decides that Annie should be reunited with Mary. This is unpopular with Edie, and she tells Chris that he can only come home when he brings Annie back. On Christmas Eve 1987, after desperately trying to convince Mary to return to Stockport, a very drunk Chris abducts Annie and tries to drive her home, only to crash into a wall at the local bed and breakfast on Bridge Street.

Mary is forced to spend Christmas Day in hospital so Annie can be monitored. Chris desperately tries to make amends with Mary for his mistake, but she is initially unable to forgive him until Annie is given the all clear later that day, so a jubilant Mary accepts her father's apology.

In early 1988, Chris makes plans to open up a haulage company at a disused tyre shop in Albert Square, but finds out that his driving licence is to be suspended for 18 months following his drink driving accident. Nevertheless, he contacts his friend Harry Jameson (Anthony Dutton) to go into partnership and even manages to persuade Ali Osman (Nejdet Salih) to provide some capital. However, Ali pulls out of the deal, and Chris turns to alcohol, regularly drinking himself into a stupor to drown his sorrows. A concerned Mary then decides to contact her mother, who returns to Walford to help her husband.

By May 1988, Chris finally succeeds in getting the haulage company open by borrowing money from Walford Investments – the money lending organisation of The Firm — but the antics of his daughter, who starts to use drugs again and neglects Annie, cause further family strife. In a bid to help Mary out, Chris offers her a job at the haulage company, but Mary grows annoyed with her parents' interference, and after sabotaging her father's office with red paint, she takes Annie and leaves Walford.

Chris remains in Walford to run his business. Rod Norman works for the company as a bookkeeper and Charlie Cotton (Christopher Hancock) takes a job as lorry driver, although he is extremely unreliable. However, Chris is still short of drivers, so he starts to do the haulage deliveries himself, despite having a suspended licence. Darren Roberts (Gary McDonald), who had had several run-ins with Chris regarding the theft of his JCB earlier that year, informs the police that he is driving illegally and Chris is fined £1000. This severely cripples his business and he is unable to repay his loan. Gregory Mantel (Pavel Douglas), a member of The Firm, then arrives on the Square in search of Chris. He forces Chris to sign over his business to The Firm, after which Chris has no choice but to return to Stockport. His last appearance is in August 1988. The premises of the haulage company are eventually bought by Frank Butcher (Mike Reid), who converts it into the car lot.