Dave O'Brien
Age: 57 | From: Big Spring, Texas, USA
Person Details
Birthday: 1912-05-31 02:14:07
Death: 1969-11-08 02:14:07
Aliases: David Poole Fronabarger , David Fronabarger , David O'Brien , Dave O'Brian , Dave Tex O'Brien , Dave 'Tex' O'Brien , Tex O'Brien , Tex Coe , David Barclay , Dave Barclay
Gender: Male
Place of birth: Big Spring, Texas, USA
Homepage:
Movie Involvements: 180
TV Involvements: 0
Most Famous Work
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.
Most Famous Work
Tell Your Children
(1938) Ralph
The Sign of the Cross
(1932) Christian on Stairway (uncredited)
The Devil Bat
(1940) Johnny Layton
That's Entertainment, Part II
(1976) (archive footage)
Rasputin and the Empress
(1932) Soldier (uncredited)
Bowery at Midnight
(1942) Det. Pete Crawford
The Phantom of 42nd Street
(1945) Tony Woolrich
Wyoming Outlaw
(1939) Acacia Park Game WardenActing
| Year | Character | Movie/Tv |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Self (archive footage) | |
| 1976 | (archive footage) | |
| 1964 | (archive footage) | |
| 1956 | Dock Lapman / Mr. Brown | |
| Conductor | ||
| 1955 | Himself as Various Characters (archive footage) | |
| Harry Horseknuckle | ||
| Hugo Hightonsil (uncredited) | ||
| 1954 | George Dibson | |
| Luke MacWade | ||
| Parking Space Hog / Apartment House Manager / Frugal Man / Harry Hollowhead | ||
| 1953 | Thaddeus E. Thud III | |
| Ralph | ||
| A Shmoe Named Joe | ||
| Man on TV | ||
| 1952 | The Daddy | |
| Man on Bench (uncredited) | ||
| 1950 | Butch | |
| George T. Hardnose (uncredited) | ||
| Expectant Father / Greeting Card Shopper / Hospital Patient / Job Applicant | ||
| 1949 | N/A | |
| 1948 | Oliver T. Aseltafel | |
| Husband (uncredited) | ||
| Harried Homeowner | ||
| The Son-In-Law / Husband | ||
| 1947 | Husband / Driver / Man at Gumball Machine / Toupee Wearer | |
| N/A | ||
| The Husband | ||
| 1946 | The Husband | |
| Xavier T. Schneckendorf | ||
| Alonzo T. Mousebrain | ||
| Horace | ||
| O'Brien | ||
| 1945 | Dave Wyatt / Steve Carson | |
| Dave Wyatt | ||
| Dave Wyatt | ||
| Dave Wyatt | ||
| Tony Woolrich | ||
| Marion Scott | ||
| Dave Wyatt | ||
| 1944 | Dave Wyatt | |
| Careless Man | ||
| Dave Wyatt | ||
| Dave Wyatt | ||
| Tex Wyatt | ||
| Tex Wyatt | ||
| Feet-in-the-Aisle Pest | ||
| Tex Wyatt | ||
| Tex Wyatt | ||
| Fabian Tecumseh 'Joe' Funk (uncredited) | ||
| Tex Wyatt | ||
| Tex Wyatt | ||
| 1943 | Tex Wyatt | |
| Tex Wyatt | ||
| Tex Wyatt / Curly Wyatt | ||
| Tex Wyatt | ||
| Falstaff Pratt the Indestructible Man | ||
| Tex Wyatt | ||
| Tex Wyatt | ||
| Tex Wyatt | ||
| 1942 | Tex Wyatt | |
| Sgt. Phil Lyons | ||
| Sgt. Callahan | ||
| Det. Pete Crawford | ||
| Joe Thunderstruck | ||
| N/A | ||
| Jeff | ||
| Jeff Travis | ||
| U. S. Marine | ||
| Dave Dodge | ||
| N/A | ||
| Jeff | ||
| Captain Albright / Captain Midnight | ||
| 1941 | Jim Cramer | |
| Sparky Barton | ||
| Jeff Dixon | ||
| Jeff | ||
| Joe Martin | ||
| Ralph Spencer | ||
| Buzz Weston | ||
| Texas Joe | ||
| Michael, the chauffeur | ||
| Jackson, Wentworth's Aide | ||
| Jim Dana | ||
| Tom Lawson | ||
| 1940 | Johnny Layton | |
| Knuckles Dolan | ||
| Steve Davis | ||
| Bob Adams | ||
| Henchman Gale | ||
| Knuckles Dolan | ||
| Constable Kelly | ||
| Miles Hanover | ||
| Charlie | ||
| Henchman Lucke | ||
| Nelson | ||
| Whitey - Navy Radio Man | ||
| Constable Kelly | ||
| Knuckles Dolan | ||
| Corporal Kelly | ||
| Constable Kelly | ||
| 1939 | Fred Chambers | |
| Carson | ||
| Constable Kelly | ||
| Frank Gordon | ||
| Daniels | ||
| Man in Audience | ||
| Soldier | ||
| Dr. Jerry Leonard | ||
| Jerry Morgan | ||
| Jason Braddock | ||
| Tom Martin | ||
| Acacia Park Game Warden | ||
| Billiards Player | ||
| Henchman Meggs | ||
| Ed Arden | ||
| Duke | ||
| Ranch hand Red | ||
| Bob Swane | ||
| Henchman Trigger | ||
| Bob Lawson | ||
| 1938 | Tex Alden | |
| Red Baker - Henchman | ||
| Jeff Gray | ||
| Steve Norris | ||
| Henchman | ||
| Mason - Bookkeeper | ||
| Bat | ||
| Ralph | ||
| Dick Williams | ||
| Henchman Slade | ||
| Det. Jameson [Chs. 4-7] | ||
| Trucker (uncredited) | ||
| 1937 | Johnny Henessey | |
| Detective Waters | ||
| Bart | ||
| Tommy Shannon | ||
| 1936 | Dog's Master (uncredited) | |
| Nightclub Patron | ||
| Terry Navarro | ||
| George Baldwin | ||
| 1935 | Young Man (uncredited) | |
| Stanley Phillips | ||
| Steve - Tap Dancer at Baxter's Party (uncredited) | ||
| Member of Audience | ||
| Party Guest (uncredited) | ||
| 1934 | Student | |
| Dancer (uncredited) | ||
| Pete (uncredited) | ||
| Interne (uncredited) | ||
| Chorus Boy (uncredited) | ||
| Talent Contestant (uncredited) | ||
| 1933 | Assistant Cameraman (uncredited) | |
| Student on Tennis Court (uncredited) | ||
| Dance Extra (uncredited) | ||
| Student | ||
| Party Boy (uncredited) | ||
| 1932 | Soldier (uncredited) | |
| Christian on Stairway (uncredited) | ||
| Party Guest (Uncredited) | ||
| Football Player (uncredited) | ||
| Submarine Crewman | ||
| Chorus Boy (uncredited) | ||
| 1931 | Man Picking Up Stack of Newspapers (uncredited) | |
| Dancer (uncredited) | ||
| 1930 | Student | |
| Pilot (uncredited) | ||
| Year | Character | Movie/Tv |
Directing
| Year | Role | Movie/Tv |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Director | |
| Director | ||
| Director | ||
| 1954 | Director | |
| Director | ||
| Director | ||
| 1953 | Director | |
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| 1952 | Director | |
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| 1951 | Director | |
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| 1950 | Director | |
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| 1949 | Director | |
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| 1948 | Director | |
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| 1947 | Director | |
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| 1946 | Director | |
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| Director | ||
| Year | Role | Movie/Tv |
Writing
| Year | Role | Movie/Tv |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Screenplay | |
| Story | ||
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| 1954 | Screenplay | |
| Story | ||
| 1953 | Screenplay | |
| Story | ||
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| Original Story | ||
| 1952 | Writer | |
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| Original Story | ||
| 1951 | Writer | |
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| 1950 | Original Story | |
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| 1948 | Writer | |
| Writer | ||
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| Original Story | ||
| 1947 | Writer | |
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| 1946 | Story | |
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| Writer | ||
| Year | Role | Movie/Tv |
Crew
| Year | Role | Movie/Tv |
|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Stunts | |
| Stunts | ||
| 1938 | Stunts | |
| Year | Role | Movie/Tv |
