Complex sentence: Smith was born in 1878 in Boston, Massachusetts, and became a vaudeville actor at the age of 12 and was featured in a number of theatre and musical productions by the time he entered silent films near the age of 40.
Split into simpler sentences: Smith was born in 1878 in Boston, Massachusetts, and became a vaudeville actor at the age of twelve. He was featured in a number of theatre and musical productions by the time he entered silent films near the age of 40.