Dave O'Brien
Born: 1912-05-31 in Big Spring, Texas, USA
Died: 1969-11-08
Known For: Acting
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Dave O'Brien (born David Poole Fronabarger, May 31, 1912 – November 8, 1969) was an American film actor, director, and writer. O'Brien was best known to movie audiences in the 1940s as the hero of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer comedy short film series Pete Smith Specialties narrated by Pete Smith. O'Brien wrote and directed many of these subjects under the name David Barclay. He also appeared in many low-budget Westerns, often billed as Tex O'Brien. In 1942, O'Brien starred in the movie serial Captain Midnight. Modern audiences perhaps best remember O'Brien as a frantic dope addict in the 1936 low-budget exploitation film Tell Your Children (better known under its reissue title, Reefer Madness). As a writer for The Red Skelton Show, O'Brien shared an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series in 1961 and shared a nomination for the same award in 1963. O'Brien died, aged 57, of a heart attack while competing in a yachting race.
Filmography
2006
- 42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage as Self (archive footage)
1976
- That's Entertainment, Part II as (archive footage) (uncredited)
1964
- The Big Parade of Comedy as Actor in the Pete Smith Shorts (archive footage)
1956
- The Kettles in the Ozarks as Conductor
- The Desperados Are in Town as Dock Lapman / Mr. Brown
1955
- MGM Parade
- The Man Around the House as Hugo Hightonsil (uncredited)
- Just What I Needed as Harry Horseknuckle
- The Fall Guy as Himself as Various Characters (archive footage)
1954
- Tennessee Champ as Luke MacWade
- Meet the O'Briens as Dave
- Film Antics ... (Director)
- Do Someone a Favor! as George Dibson
- Ain't It Aggravatin' as Parking Space Hog / Apartment House Manager / Frugal Man / Harry Hollowhead
- Out for Fun as Businessman Seeking Relaxation
1953
- Kiss Me Kate as Ralph
- T.V. of Tomorrow as Man on TV
- Things We Can Do Without as Thaddeus E. Thud III
- The Mosconi Story ... (Director)
- Dogs 'n Ducks ... (Screenplay)
- Cash Stashers as A Shmoe Named Joe
1952
- Musiquiz ... (Director)
- I Love Children, But! as The Daddy
- Reducing as Man on Bench (uncredited)
1951
- The Red Skelton Show ... (Writer)
- Camera Sleuth ... (Writer)
- Bargain Madness ... (Director)
1950
- Pest Control as Cruising Wolf
- A Wife's Life as George T. Hardnose (uncredited)
- Crashing the Movies ... (Director)
- Did'ja Know? as Expectant Father / Greeting Card Shopper / Hospital Patient / Job Applicant
- Wrong Way Butch as Butch
1949
- We Can Dream, Can't We? ... (Director)
- Those Good Old Days
- Super Cue Men ... (Director)
1948
- Ice Aces ... (Writer)
- Just Suppose as Husband (uncredited)
- Bowling Tricks ... (Director)
- I Love My Mother-In-Law But... as The Son-In-Law / Husband
- Let's Cogitate as Oliver T. Aseltafel
- You Can't Win as Harried Homeowner
1947
- Diamond Demon ... (Director)
- Have You Ever Wondered? as Husband / Driver / Man at Gumball Machine / Toupee Wearer
- I Love My Wife BUT! as The Husband
- Neighbor Pests
- Football Thrills No. 10 ... (Director)
- Early Sports Quiz: What's Your I.Q. No. 13 ... (Director)
- Surfboard Rhythm ... (Director)
1946
- Studio Visit as O'Brien
- Equestrian Quiz: What's Your I.Q.? No. 11 as Horace
- I Love My Husband, But! as The Husband
- Treasures from Trash as Alonzo T. Mousebrain
- Sure Cures as Xavier T. Schneckendorf
1945
- The Man Who Walked Alone as Marion Scott
- Three in the Saddle as Dave Wyatt
- Flaming Bullets as Dave Wyatt / Steve Carson
- Enemy of the Law as Dave Wyatt
- The Phantom of 42nd Street as Tony Woolrich
- Frontier Fugitives as Dave Wyatt
- Marked for Murder as Dave Wyatt
1944
- Gangsters of the Frontier as Dave Wyatt
- Guns of the Law as Tex Wyatt
- Dead or Alive as Dave Wyatt
- Safety Sleuth as Careless Man
- Brand of the Devil as Tex Wyatt
- Tahiti Nights as Jack
- Outlaw Roundup as Tex Wyatt
- The Pinto Bandit as Tex Wyatt
- The Whispering Skull as Dave Wyatt
- Spook Town as Tex Wyatt
- Movie Pests as Feet-in-the-Aisle Pest
- Sportsman's Memories as Fabian Tecumseh 'Joe' Funk (uncredited)
- Gunsmoke Mesa as Tex Wyatt
1943
- Fighting Valley as Tex Wyatt
- Bad Men of Thunder Gap as Tex Wyatt
- The Return of the Rangers as Tex Wyatt
- Boss of Rawhide as Tex Wyatt
- Trail of Terror as Tex Wyatt / Curly Wyatt
- West of Texas as Tex Wyatt
- Border Buckaroos as Tex Wyatt
- Seventh Column as Falstaff Pratt the Indestructible Man
1942
- Captain Midnight as Captain Albright / Captain Midnight
- The Rangers Take Over as Tex Wyatt
- Victory Quiz
- King of the Stallions
- Carry Harry as Arthur - Harry's Friend
- Sheriff of Sage Valley as Jeff
- The Yanks Are Coming as Sgt. Callahan
- Billy the Kid's Smoking Guns as Jeff
- Prisoner of Japan as U. S. Marine
- Bowery at Midnight as Det. Pete Crawford
- Calling All Pa's as Joe Thunderstruck
- 'Neath Brooklyn Bridge as Sgt. Phil Lyons
- Down Texas Way as Dave Dodge
- Law and Order as Jeff Travis
- What About Daddy? as The Husband
1941
- Double Trouble as Sparky Barton
- The Gunman From Bodie as Joe Martin
- Billy the Kid in Santa Fe as Texas Joe
- Forbidden Trails as Jim Cramer
- Spooks Run Wild as Jeff Dixon
- Billy the Kid Wanted as Jeff
- The Spider Returns as Jackson, Wentworth's Aide
- Sky Raiders ... (Stunts)
- Buzzy and the Phantom Pinto as Jim Dana
- The Deadly Game as Ralph Spencer
- The Iron Claw ... (Stunts)
- Murder by Invitation as Michael, the chauffeur
- Flying Wild as Tom Lawson
- The Texas Marshal as Buzz Weston
1940
- The Cowboy from Sundown as Steve Davis
- That Gang of Mine as Knuckles Dolan
- Murder on the Yukon as Constable Kelly
- Son of the Navy as Nelson
- Boys of the City as Knuckles Dolan
- Queen of the Yukon as Bob Adams
- Isle Of Destiny as Whitey - Navy Radio Man
- Phantom Rancher as Henchman Lucke
- The Devil Bat as Johnny Layton
- Hold That Woman! as Miles Hanover
- Sky Bandits as Constable Kelly
- Danger Ahead as Corporal Kelly
- East Side Kids as Knuckles Dolan
- On the Spot as Charlie
- Yukon Flight as Constable Kelly
- Gun Code as Henchman Gale
1939
- Water Rustlers as Bob Lawson
- Undercover Agent as Billiards Player
- Mutiny in the Big House as Daniels
- Wyoming Outlaw as Acacia Park Game Warden
- New Frontier as Jason Braddock
- Riders of the Sage as Tom Martin
- Daughter of the Tong as Jerry Morgan
- Code of the Cactus as Bob Swane
- On Your Toes as Man in Audience
- The Arizona Kid as Soldier
- Flaming Lead as Frank Gordon
- Fighting Mad as Constable Kelly
- Crashing Thru as Fred Chambers
- The Fighting Renegade as Dr. Jerry Leonard
- Buried Alive as Carson
- Rollin' Westward as Ranch hand Red
- Trigger Smith as Duke
- Texas Wildcats as Ed Arden
- Outlaws' Paradise as Henchman Meggs
- Drifting Westward as Henchman Trigger
1938
- Tell Your Children as Ralph
- Born to Be Wild as Trucker (uncredited)
- The Spider's Web ... (Stunts)
- Song of the Buckaroo as Tex Alden
- Where the Buffalo Roam as Jeff Gray
- The Secret of Treasure Island as Det. Jameson [Chs. 4-7]
- Starlight Over Texas as Henchman
- Frontier Scout as Steve Norris
- Whirlwind Horseman as Henchman Slade
- Man's Country as Bat
- Gun Packer as Red Baker - Henchman
- The Singing Cowgirl as Dick Williams
- Utah Trail as Mason - Bookkeeper
1937
- Lightnin' Crandall as Tommy Shannon
- Brothers of the West as Bart
- Rough Riding Rhythm as Detective Waters
- Million Dollar Racket as Johnny Henessey
1936
- The Girl on the Front Page as Nightclub Patron
- The Adventures of Frank Merriwell as George Baldwin
- The Black Coin as Terry Navarro
- Wanted - A Master as Dog's Master (uncredited)
1935
- She Married Her Boss as Shopper
- No More Ladies as Party Guest (uncredited)
- Woman Wanted as Steve - Tap Dancer at Baxter's Party (uncredited)
- Ship Cafe as Young Man (uncredited)
- Doubting Thomas as Member of Audience
- Welcome Home as Stanley Phillips
1934
- Murder at the Vanities as Chorus Boy (uncredited)
- Wonder Bar as Chorus Boy (uncredited)
- Music in the Air as Karl Roder (singing voice) (uncredited)
- We're Rich Again as Pete (uncredited)
- Tomorrow's Children as Interne (uncredited)
- Gift of Gab as Dancer (uncredited)
- Student Tour as Student
- Search for Beauty as Talent Contestant (uncredited)
1933
- 42nd Street as Chorus Boy (uncredited)
- Pick-up as Party Boy (uncredited)
- One Man's Journey as Dance Extra (uncredited)
- The World Changes as Otto Peterson (uncredited)
- College Humor as Student
- College Coach as Student on Tennis Court (uncredited)
- Sitting Pretty as Assistant Cameraman (uncredited)
1932
- The Sign of the Cross as Christian on Stairway (uncredited)
- Devil and the Deep as Submarine Crewman (uncredited)
- Rasputin and the Empress as Soldier (uncredited)
- Is My Face Red? as Chorus Boy (uncredited)
- Roar of the Dragon as Submarine Crewman
- Hot Saturday as Party Guest (Uncredited)
- 70,000 Witnesses as Football Player (uncredited)
1931
- Flying High as Dancer (uncredited)
- Consolation Marriage as Man Picking Up Stack of Newspapers (uncredited)
- Lover Come Back as Pool Party Boy (uncredited)
1930
- Madam Satan as Zeppelin Reveler
- The Dawn Patrol as Pilot (uncredited)
- Good News as Student