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 Fall Guy as Himself as Various Characters (archive footage)
- The Man Around the House as Hugo Hightonsil (uncredited)
- Just What I Needed as Harry Horseknuckle
1954
- Tennessee Champ as Luke MacWade
- Do Someone a Favor! as George Dibson
- Ain't It Aggravatin' as Parking Space Hog / Apartment House Manager / Frugal Man / Harry Hollowhead
- Meet the O'Briens as Dave
- Film Antics ... (Director)
- Out for Fun as Businessman Seeking Relaxation
1953
- Kiss Me Kate as Ralph
- Cash Stashers as A Shmoe Named Joe
- T.V. of Tomorrow as Man on TV
- Dogs 'n Ducks ... (Screenplay)
- The Mosconi Story ... (Director)
- Things We Can Do Without as Thaddeus E. Thud III
1952
- Reducing as Man on Bench (uncredited)
- Musiquiz ... (Director)
- I Love Children, But! as The Daddy
1951
- The Red Skelton Show ... (Writer)
- Camera Sleuth ... (Writer)
- Bargain Madness ... (Writer)
1950
- Did'ja Know? as Expectant Father / Greeting Card Shopper / Hospital Patient / Job Applicant
- Crashing the Movies ... (Director)
- A Wife's Life as George T. Hardnose (uncredited)
- Wrong Way Butch as Butch
- Pest Control as Cruising Wolf
1949
- Those Good Old Days
- Super Cue Men ... (Director)
- We Can Dream, Can't We? ... (Director)
1948
- Just Suppose as Husband (uncredited)
- Ice Aces ... (Writer)
- I Love My Mother-In-Law But... as The Son-In-Law / Husband
- Let's Cogitate as Oliver T. Aseltafel
- Bowling Tricks ... (Director)
- You Can't Win as Harried Homeowner
1947
- Diamond Demon ... (Writer)
- Neighbor Pests
- Have You Ever Wondered? as Husband / Driver / Man at Gumball Machine / Toupee Wearer
- Football Thrills No. 10 ... (Director)
- I Love My Wife BUT! as The Husband
- Surfboard Rhythm ... (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
- Equestrian Quiz: What's Your I.Q.? No. 11 as Horace
- Treasures from Trash as Alonzo T. Mousebrain
- Studio Visit as O'Brien
1945
- The Phantom of 42nd Street as Tony Woolrich
- Frontier Fugitives as Dave Wyatt
- The Man Who Walked Alone as Marion Scott
- Marked for Murder as Dave Wyatt
- Flaming Bullets as Dave Wyatt / Steve Carson
- Enemy of the Law as Dave Wyatt
- Three in the Saddle as Dave Wyatt
1944
- Guns of the Law as Tex Wyatt
- Spook Town as Tex Wyatt
- Tahiti Nights as Jack
- Movie Pests as Feet-in-the-Aisle Pest
- Dead or Alive as Dave Wyatt
- Gangsters of the Frontier as Dave Wyatt
- Brand of the Devil as Tex Wyatt
- Gunsmoke Mesa as Tex Wyatt
- The Pinto Bandit as Tex Wyatt
- Outlaw Roundup as Tex Wyatt
- The Whispering Skull as Dave Wyatt
- Sportsman's Memories as Fabian Tecumseh 'Joe' Funk (uncredited)
- Safety Sleuth as Careless Man
1943
- Bad Men of Thunder Gap as Tex Wyatt
- The Return of the Rangers as Tex Wyatt
- Boss of Rawhide as Tex Wyatt
- Seventh Column as Falstaff Pratt the Indestructible Man
- Trail of Terror as Tex Wyatt / Curly Wyatt
- Fighting Valley as Tex Wyatt
- West of Texas as Tex Wyatt
- Border Buckaroos as Tex Wyatt
1942
- Bowery at Midnight as Det. Pete Crawford
- Law and Order as Jeff Travis
- The Rangers Take Over as Tex Wyatt
- The Yanks Are Coming as Sgt. Callahan
- 'Neath Brooklyn Bridge as Sgt. Phil Lyons
- Sheriff of Sage Valley as Jeff
- Victory Quiz
- Down Texas Way as Dave Dodge
- King of the Stallions
- Captain Midnight as Captain Albright / Captain Midnight
- Carry Harry as Arthur - Harry's Friend
- Prisoner of Japan as U. S. Marine
- Billy the Kid's Smoking Guns as Jeff
- Calling All Pa's as Joe Thunderstruck
- What About Daddy? as The Husband
1941
- Spooks Run Wild as Jeff Dixon
- Forbidden Trails as Jim Cramer
- Flying Wild as Tom Lawson
- The Spider Returns as Jackson, Wentworth's Aide
- Sky Raiders ... (Stunts)
- The Gunman From Bodie as Joe Martin
- Murder by Invitation as Michael, the chauffeur
- Billy the Kid in Santa Fe as Texas Joe
- The Deadly Game as Ralph Spencer
- Billy the Kid Wanted as Jeff
- Double Trouble as Sparky Barton
- Buzzy and the Phantom Pinto as Jim Dana
- The Iron Claw ... (Stunts)
- The Texas Marshal as Buzz Weston
1940
- The Devil Bat as Johnny Layton
- Yukon Flight as Constable Kelly
- That Gang of Mine as Knuckles Dolan
- Son of the Navy as Nelson
- Sky Bandits as Constable Kelly
- Phantom Rancher as Henchman Lucke
- East Side Kids as Knuckles Dolan
- Danger Ahead as Corporal Kelly
- Hold That Woman! as Miles Hanover
- On the Spot as Charlie
- The Cowboy from Sundown as Steve Davis
- Gun Code as Henchman Gale
- Murder on the Yukon as Constable Kelly
- Boys of the City as Knuckles Dolan
- Isle Of Destiny as Whitey - Navy Radio Man
- Queen of the Yukon as Bob Adams
1939
- Buried Alive as Carson
- New Frontier as Jason Braddock
- Wyoming Outlaw as Acacia Park Game Warden
- Rollin' Westward as Ranch hand Red
- The Arizona Kid as Soldier
- Code of the Cactus as Bob Swane
- Undercover Agent as Billiards Player
- Fighting Mad as Constable Kelly
- Outlaws' Paradise as Henchman Meggs
- On Your Toes as Man in Audience
- Riders of the Sage as Tom Martin
- Water Rustlers as Bob Lawson
- Drifting Westward as Henchman Trigger
- The Fighting Renegade as Dr. Jerry Leonard
- Mutiny in the Big House as Daniels
- Trigger Smith as Duke
- Daughter of the Tong as Jerry Morgan
- Crashing Thru as Fred Chambers
- Texas Wildcats as Ed Arden
- Flaming Lead as Frank Gordon
1938
- Starlight Over Texas as Henchman
- Tell Your Children as Ralph
- Whirlwind Horseman as Henchman Slade
- Born to Be Wild as Trucker (uncredited)
- The Spider's Web ... (Stunts)
- Utah Trail as Mason - Bookkeeper
- Gun Packer as Red Baker - Henchman
- Where the Buffalo Roam as Jeff Gray
- Song of the Buckaroo as Tex Alden
- Frontier Scout as Steve Norris
- The Singing Cowgirl as Dick Williams
- The Secret of Treasure Island as Det. Jameson [Chs. 4-7]
- Man's Country as Bat
1937
- Million Dollar Racket as Johnny Henessey
- Brothers of the West as Bart
- Lightnin' Crandall as Tommy Shannon
- Rough Riding Rhythm as Detective Waters
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
- Woman Wanted as Steve - Tap Dancer at Baxter's Party (uncredited)
- Ship Cafe as Young Man (uncredited)
- Doubting Thomas as Member of Audience
- She Married Her Boss as Shopper
- Welcome Home as Stanley Phillips
- No More Ladies as Party Guest (uncredited)
1934
- Music in the Air as Karl Roder (singing voice) (uncredited)
- Wonder Bar as Chorus Boy (uncredited)
- Tomorrow's Children as Interne (uncredited)
- Gift of Gab as Dancer (uncredited)
- Student Tour as Student
- We're Rich Again as Pete (uncredited)
- Murder at the Vanities as Chorus Boy (uncredited)
- Search for Beauty as Talent Contestant (uncredited)
1933
- 42nd Street as Chorus Boy (uncredited)
- The World Changes as Otto Peterson (uncredited)
- College Coach as Student on Tennis Court (uncredited)
- Pick-up as Party Boy (uncredited)
- College Humor as Student
- 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)
- Hot Saturday as Party Guest (Uncredited)
- Devil and the Deep as Submarine Crewman (uncredited)
- Is My Face Red? as Chorus Boy (uncredited)
- Roar of the Dragon as Submarine Crewman
- 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