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
- Just What I Needed as Harry Horseknuckle
- The Fall Guy as Himself as Various Characters (archive footage)
- The Man Around the House as Hugo Hightonsil (uncredited)
1954
- Tennessee Champ as Luke MacWade
- 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
- Dogs 'n Ducks ... (Original Story)
- The Mosconi Story ... (Director)
- Cash Stashers as A Shmoe Named Joe
1952
- Reducing as Man on Bench (uncredited)
- Musiquiz ... (Director)
- I Love Children, But! as The Daddy
1951
- Camera Sleuth ... (Director)
- Bargain Madness ... (Director)
1950
- Wrong Way Butch as Butch
- Did'ja Know? as Expectant Father / Greeting Card Shopper / Hospital Patient / Job Applicant
- A Wife's Life as George T. Hardnose (uncredited)
- Crashing the Movies ... (Director)
- Pest Control ... (Director)
1949
- We Can Dream, Can't We? ... (Director)
- Those Good Old Days
- Super Cue Men ... (Director)
1948
- Just Suppose as Husband (uncredited)
- Let's Cogitate as Oliver T. Aseltafel
- Bowling Tricks ... (Director)
- Ice Aces ... (Writer)
- I Love My Mother-In-Law But... as The Son-In-Law / Husband
- You Can't Win as Harried Homeowner
1947
- Have You Ever Wondered? as Husband / Driver / Man at Gumball Machine / Toupee Wearer
- I Love My Wife BUT! as The Husband
- Diamond Demon ... (Director)
- Neighbor Pests
- Surfboard Rhythm ... (Director)
- Football Thrills No. 10 ... (Director)
- Early Sports Quiz: What's Your I.Q. No. 13 ... (Director)
1946
- Sure Cures as Xavier T. Schneckendorf
- I Love My Husband, But! as The Husband
- Treasures from Trash as Alonzo T. Mousebrain
- Studio Visit as O'Brien
- Equestrian Quiz: What's Your I.Q.? No. 11 as Horace
1945
- Frontier Fugitives as Dave Wyatt
- The Phantom of 42nd Street as Tony Woolrich
- The Man Who Walked Alone as Marion Scott
- Enemy of the Law as Dave Wyatt
- Three in the Saddle as Dave Wyatt
- Flaming Bullets as Dave Wyatt / Steve Carson
- Marked for Murder as Dave Wyatt
1944
- Gunsmoke Mesa as Tex Wyatt
- Tahiti Nights as Jack
- Outlaw Roundup as Tex Wyatt
- The Pinto Bandit as Tex Wyatt
- Guns of the Law as Tex Wyatt
- Dead or Alive as Dave Wyatt
- Safety Sleuth as Careless Man
- Gangsters of the Frontier as Dave Wyatt
- Brand of the Devil as Tex Wyatt
- Sportsman's Memories as Fabian Tecumseh 'Joe' Funk (uncredited)
- Spook Town as Tex Wyatt
- The Whispering Skull as Dave Wyatt
- Movie Pests as Feet-in-the-Aisle Pest
1943
- Border Buckaroos as Tex Wyatt
- Seventh Column as Falstaff Pratt the Indestructible Man
- The Return of the Rangers as Tex Wyatt
- Fighting Valley as Tex Wyatt
- Boss of Rawhide as Tex Wyatt
- Trail of Terror as Tex Wyatt / Curly Wyatt
- West of Texas as Tex Wyatt
- Bad Men of Thunder Gap as Tex Wyatt
1942
- 'Neath Brooklyn Bridge as Sgt. Phil Lyons
- Bowery at Midnight as Det. Pete Crawford
- The Yanks Are Coming as Sgt. Callahan
- The Rangers Take Over as Tex Wyatt
- Sheriff of Sage Valley as Jeff
- Carry Harry as Arthur - Harry's Friend
- Calling All Pa's as Joe Thunderstruck
- Victory Quiz
- Prisoner of Japan as U. S. Marine
- What About Daddy? as The Husband
- Law and Order as Jeff Travis
- Captain Midnight as Captain Albright / Captain Midnight
- King of the Stallions
- Down Texas Way as Dave Dodge
- Billy the Kid's Smoking Guns as Jeff
1941
- Sky Raiders ... (Stunts)
- Flying Wild as Tom Lawson
- Double Trouble as Sparky Barton
- The Gunman From Bodie as Joe Martin
- Murder by Invitation as Michael, the chauffeur
- Billy the Kid in Santa Fe as Texas Joe
- Spooks Run Wild as Jeff Dixon
- The Deadly Game as Ralph Spencer
- Billy the Kid Wanted as Jeff
- The Spider Returns as Jackson, Wentworth's Aide
- Forbidden Trails as Jim Cramer
- The Texas Marshal as Buzz Weston
- The Iron Claw ... (Stunts)
- Buzzy and the Phantom Pinto as Jim Dana
1940
- Danger Ahead as Corporal Kelly
- Yukon Flight as Constable Kelly
- Phantom Rancher as Henchman Lucke
- Gun Code as Henchman Gale
- Isle Of Destiny as Whitey - Navy Radio Man
- Murder on the Yukon as Constable Kelly
- Boys of the City as Knuckles Dolan
- Queen of the Yukon as Bob Adams
- The Devil Bat as Johnny Layton
- That Gang of Mine as Knuckles Dolan
- Hold That Woman! as Miles Hanover
- Sky Bandits as Constable Kelly
- Son of the Navy as Nelson
- The Cowboy from Sundown as Steve Davis
- On the Spot as Charlie
- East Side Kids as Knuckles Dolan
1939
- Crashing Thru as Fred Chambers
- Wyoming Outlaw as Acacia Park Game Warden
- Buried Alive as Carson
- New Frontier as Jason Braddock
- Outlaws' Paradise as Henchman Meggs
- Texas Wildcats as Ed Arden
- Drifting Westward as Henchman Trigger
- Fighting Mad as Constable Kelly
- Rollin' Westward as Ranch hand Red
- Trigger Smith as Duke
- The Arizona Kid as Soldier
- Mutiny in the Big House as Daniels
- Daughter of the Tong as Jerry Morgan
- Riders of the Sage as Tom Martin
- On Your Toes as Man in Audience
- The Fighting Renegade as Dr. Jerry Leonard
- Undercover Agent as Billiards Player
- Water Rustlers as Bob Lawson
- Code of the Cactus as Bob Swane
- Flaming Lead as Frank Gordon
1938
- Utah Trail as Mason - Bookkeeper
- Gun Packer as Red Baker - Henchman
- Frontier Scout as Steve Norris
- Where the Buffalo Roam as Jeff Gray
- Song of the Buckaroo as Tex Alden
- The Secret of Treasure Island as Det. Jameson [Chs. 4-7]
- The Spider's Web ... (Stunts)
- Tell Your Children as Ralph
- Man's Country as Bat
- The Singing Cowgirl as Dick Williams
- Born to Be Wild as Trucker (uncredited)
- Whirlwind Horseman as Henchman Slade
- Starlight Over Texas as Henchman
1937
- Lightnin' Crandall as Tommy Shannon
- Brothers of the West as Bart
- Million Dollar Racket as Johnny Henessey
- Rough Riding Rhythm as Detective Waters
1936
- The Black Coin as Terry Navarro
- The Girl on the Front Page as Nightclub Patron
- Wanted - A Master as Dog's Master (uncredited)
- The Adventures of Frank Merriwell as George Baldwin
1935
- Ship Cafe as Young Man (uncredited)
- Doubting Thomas as Member of Audience
- Woman Wanted as Steve - Tap Dancer at Baxter's Party (uncredited)
- No More Ladies as Party Guest (uncredited)
- Welcome Home as Stanley Phillips
- She Married Her Boss as Shopper
1934
- Wonder Bar as Chorus Boy (uncredited)
- Student Tour as Student
- We're Rich Again as Pete (uncredited)
- Murder at the Vanities as Chorus Boy (uncredited)
- Music in the Air as Karl Roder (singing voice) (uncredited)
- Gift of Gab as Dancer (uncredited)
- Tomorrow's Children as Interne (uncredited)
- Search for Beauty as Talent Contestant (uncredited)
1933
- Pick-up as Party Boy (uncredited)
- College Coach as Student on Tennis Court (uncredited)
- Sitting Pretty as Assistant Cameraman (uncredited)
- One Man's Journey as Dance Extra (uncredited)
- College Humor as Student
- The World Changes as Otto Peterson (uncredited)
1932
- Rasputin and the Empress as Soldier (uncredited)
- The Sign of the Cross as Christian on Stairway (uncredited)
- Devil and the Deep as Submarine Crewman (uncredited)
- Hot Saturday as Party Guest (Uncredited)
- 70,000 Witnesses as Football Player (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)
- Flying High as Dancer (uncredited)
1930
- Good News as Student
- Madam Satan as Zeppelin Reveler
- The Dawn Patrol as Pilot (uncredited)