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