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