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 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)
- The Fall Guy as Himself as Various Characters (archive footage)
- Just What I Needed as Harry Horseknuckle
1954
- Film Antics ... (Director)
- Meet the O'Briens as Dave
- 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
- Out for Fun as Businessman Seeking Relaxation
1953
- Kiss Me Kate as Ralph
- T.V. of Tomorrow as Man on TV
- Dogs 'n Ducks ... (Screenplay)
- The Mosconi Story ... (Director)
- Cash Stashers as A Shmoe Named Joe
- Things We Can Do Without as Thaddeus E. Thud III
1952
- Musiquiz ... (Director)
- Reducing as Man on Bench (uncredited)
- I Love Children, But! as The Daddy
1951
- The Red Skelton Show ... (Writer)
- Camera Sleuth ... (Writer)
- Bargain Madness ... (Director)
1950
- A Wife's Life as George T. Hardnose (uncredited)
- Pest Control as Cruising Wolf
- Crashing the Movies ... (Director)
- Wrong Way Butch as Butch
- Did'ja Know? as Expectant Father / Greeting Card Shopper / Hospital Patient / Job Applicant
1949
- Those Good Old Days
- We Can Dream, Can't We? ... (Director)
- Super Cue Men ... (Director)
1948
- Ice Aces ... (Writer)
- Bowling Tricks ... (Director)
- Just Suppose as Husband (uncredited)
- 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)
- I Love My Wife BUT! as The Husband
- Have You Ever Wondered? as Husband / Driver / Man at Gumball Machine / Toupee Wearer
- Neighbor Pests
- Early Sports Quiz: What's Your I.Q. No. 13 ... (Director)
- Football Thrills No. 10 ... (Director)
- Surfboard Rhythm ... (Director)
1946
- Studio Visit as O'Brien
- Treasures from Trash as Alonzo T. Mousebrain
- 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
1945
- Flaming Bullets as Dave Wyatt / Steve Carson
- The Man Who Walked Alone as Marion Scott
- Three in the Saddle as Dave Wyatt
- The Phantom of 42nd Street as Tony Woolrich
- Frontier Fugitives as Dave Wyatt
- Enemy of the Law as Dave Wyatt
- Marked for Murder as Dave Wyatt
1944
- Gangsters of the Frontier as Dave Wyatt
- Safety Sleuth as Careless Man
- Dead or Alive as Dave Wyatt
- Spook Town as Tex Wyatt
- Sportsman's Memories as Fabian Tecumseh 'Joe' Funk (uncredited)
- Brand of the Devil as Tex Wyatt
- Guns of the Law as Tex Wyatt
- Movie Pests as Feet-in-the-Aisle Pest
- Outlaw Roundup as Tex Wyatt
- Gunsmoke Mesa as Tex Wyatt
- The Pinto Bandit as Tex Wyatt
- Tahiti Nights as Jack
- The Whispering Skull as Dave Wyatt
1943
- Fighting Valley as Tex Wyatt
- Trail of Terror as Tex Wyatt / Curly Wyatt
- Bad Men of Thunder Gap as Tex Wyatt
- Boss of Rawhide as Tex Wyatt
- The Return of the Rangers as Tex Wyatt
- West of Texas as Tex Wyatt
- Border Buckaroos as Tex Wyatt
- Seventh Column as Falstaff Pratt the Indestructible Man
1942
- Prisoner of Japan as U. S. Marine
- Victory Quiz
- King of the Stallions
- Bowery at Midnight as Det. Pete Crawford
- Captain Midnight as Captain Albright / Captain Midnight
- Carry Harry as Arthur - Harry's Friend
- Billy the Kid's Smoking Guns as Jeff
- The Rangers Take Over as Tex Wyatt
- What About Daddy? as The Husband
- 'Neath Brooklyn Bridge as Sgt. Phil Lyons
- Down Texas Way as Dave Dodge
- Calling All Pa's as Joe Thunderstruck
- The Yanks Are Coming as Sgt. Callahan
- Law and Order as Jeff Travis
- Sheriff of Sage Valley as Jeff
1941
- Double Trouble as Sparky Barton
- Forbidden Trails as Jim Cramer
- Spooks Run Wild as Jeff Dixon
- Sky Raiders ... (Stunts)
- Billy the Kid Wanted as Jeff
- Flying Wild as Tom Lawson
- The Deadly Game as Ralph Spencer
- The Texas Marshal as Buzz Weston
- The Spider Returns as Jackson, Wentworth's Aide
- The Gunman From Bodie as Joe Martin
- The Iron Claw ... (Stunts)
- Billy the Kid in Santa Fe as Texas Joe
- Murder by Invitation as Michael, the chauffeur
- Buzzy and the Phantom Pinto as Jim Dana
1940
- Isle Of Destiny as Whitey - Navy Radio Man
- That Gang of Mine as Knuckles Dolan
- The Devil Bat as Johnny Layton
- Queen of the Yukon as Bob Adams
- Phantom Rancher as Henchman Lucke
- Son of the Navy as Nelson
- Sky Bandits as Constable Kelly
- Hold That Woman! as Miles Hanover
- Danger Ahead as Corporal Kelly
- East Side Kids as Knuckles Dolan
- Gun Code as Henchman Gale
- The Cowboy from Sundown as Steve Davis
- Yukon Flight as Constable Kelly
- On the Spot as Charlie
- Murder on the Yukon as Constable Kelly
- Boys of the City as Knuckles Dolan
1939
- Undercover Agent as Billiards Player
- On Your Toes as Man in Audience
- Water Rustlers as Bob Lawson
- New Frontier as Jason Braddock
- Fighting Mad as Constable Kelly
- Wyoming Outlaw as Acacia Park Game Warden
- Crashing Thru as Fred Chambers
- Mutiny in the Big House as Daniels
- Code of the Cactus as Bob Swane
- The Arizona Kid as Soldier
- Buried Alive as Carson
- The Fighting Renegade as Dr. Jerry Leonard
- Riders of the Sage as Tom Martin
- Daughter of the Tong as Jerry Morgan
- Rollin' Westward as Ranch hand Red
- Trigger Smith as Duke
- Outlaws' Paradise as Henchman Meggs
- Flaming Lead as Frank Gordon
- Texas Wildcats as Ed Arden
- Drifting Westward as Henchman Trigger
1938
- The Spider's Web ... (Stunts)
- Born to Be Wild as Trucker (uncredited)
- Where the Buffalo Roam as Jeff Gray
- Man's Country as Bat
- Tell Your Children as Ralph
- Gun Packer as Red Baker - Henchman
- The Singing Cowgirl as Dick Williams
- The Secret of Treasure Island as Det. Jameson [Chs. 4-7]
- Frontier Scout as Steve Norris
- Whirlwind Horseman as Henchman Slade
- Song of the Buckaroo as Tex Alden
- Starlight Over Texas as Henchman
- Utah Trail as Mason - Bookkeeper
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
- Wanted - A Master as Dog's Master (uncredited)
- The Adventures of Frank Merriwell as George Baldwin
- The Girl on the Front Page as Nightclub Patron
- The Black Coin as Terry Navarro
1935
- She Married Her Boss as Shopper
- Woman Wanted as Steve - Tap Dancer at Baxter's Party (uncredited)
- No More Ladies as Party Guest (uncredited)
- Doubting Thomas as Member of Audience
- Welcome Home as Stanley Phillips
- Ship Cafe as Young Man (uncredited)
1934
- Wonder Bar as Chorus Boy (uncredited)
- Tomorrow's Children as Interne (uncredited)
- Gift of Gab as Dancer (uncredited)
- Murder at the Vanities as Chorus Boy (uncredited)
- Student Tour as Student
- We're Rich Again as Pete (uncredited)
- Music in the Air as Karl Roder (singing voice) (uncredited)
- Search for Beauty as Talent Contestant (uncredited)
1933
- College Humor as Student
- 42nd Street as Chorus Boy (uncredited)
- Pick-up as Party Boy (uncredited)
- The World Changes as Otto Peterson (uncredited)
- 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)
- 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)
- Lover Come Back as Pool Party Boy (uncredited)
- Consolation Marriage as Man Picking Up Stack of Newspapers (uncredited)
1930
- The Dawn Patrol as Pilot (uncredited)
- Madam Satan as Zeppelin Reveler
- Good News as Student