Dave O'Brien

Dave O'Brien

1912-05-31 Big Spring, Texas, USA Male 177 Known Credits

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.

Personal Info

Gender

Male

Birthday

1912-05-31

Place of Birth

Big Spring, Texas, USA

Known Credits

177

Known For

Acting

Also Known As

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

Photos

Dave O'Brien Photo
Dave O'Brien Photo

Tagged Images

No tagged images available.

Known For Movies

Known For TV Shows

No known TV shows available.

Movie Credits

College Coach

1933

Student on Tennis Court (uncredited)

Yukon Flight

1940

Constable Kelly

New Frontier

1939

Jason Braddock

Outlaw Roundup

1944

Tex Wyatt

Wyoming Outlaw

1939

Acacia Park Game Warden

Tennessee Champ

1954

Luke MacWade

Flaming Bullets

1945

Dave Wyatt / Steve Carson

Trigger Smith

1939

Duke

Doubting Thomas

1935

Member of Audience

Undercover Agent

1939

Billiards Player

Madam Satan

1930

Zeppelin Reveler

Pick-up

1933

Party Boy (uncredited)

Good News

1930

Student

Buried Alive

1939

Carson

Woman Wanted

1935

Steve - Tap Dancer at Baxter's Party (uncredited)

Outlaws' Paradise

1939

Henchman Meggs

Double Trouble

1941

Sparky Barton

Ship Cafe

1935

Young Man (uncredited)

Fighting Valley

1943

Tex Wyatt

Gift of Gab

1934

Dancer (uncredited)

Consolation Marriage

1931

Man Picking Up Stack of Newspapers (uncredited)

Music in the Air

1934

Karl Roder (singing voice) (uncredited)

Fighting Mad

1939

Constable Kelly

Rough Riding Rhythm

1937

Detective Waters

The Singing Cowgirl

1938

Dick Williams

I Love My Mother-In-Law But...

1948

The Son-In-Law / Husband

Rollin' Westward

1939

Ranch hand Red

Flying Wild

1941

Tom Lawson

On Your Toes

1939

Man in Audience

Kiss Me Kate

1953

Ralph

Sure Cures

1946

Xavier T. Schneckendorf

Devil and the Deep

1932

Submarine Crewman (uncredited)

The Dawn Patrol

1930

Pilot (uncredited)

T.V. of Tomorrow

1953

Man on TV

Murder by Invitation

1941

Michael, the chauffeur

Forbidden Trails

1941

Jim Cramer

Tahiti Nights

1944

Jack

Water Rustlers

1939

Bob Lawson

Spooks Run Wild

1941

Jeff Dixon

Safety Sleuth

1944

Careless Man

Welcome Home

1935

Stanley Phillips

'Neath Brooklyn Bridge

1942

Sgt. Phil Lyons

Wanted - A Master

1936

Dog's Master (uncredited)

Drifting Westward

1939

Henchman Trigger

Tomorrow's Children

1934

Interne (uncredited)

Boys of the City

1940

Knuckles Dolan

Ain't It Aggravatin'

1954

Parking Space Hog / Apartment House Manager / Frugal Man / Harry Hollowhead

Seventh Column

1943

Falstaff Pratt the Indestructible Man

Song of the Buckaroo

1938

Tex Alden

The Texas Marshal

1941

Buzz Weston

Calling All Pa's

1942

Joe Thunderstruck

Law and Order

1942

Jeff Travis

We're Rich Again

1934

Pete (uncredited)

Boss of Rawhide

1943

Tex Wyatt

Gun Packer

1938

Red Baker - Henchman

Daughter of the Tong

1939

Jerry Morgan

The Deadly Game

1941

Ralph Spencer

Texas Wildcats

1939

Ed Arden

Border Buckaroos

1943

Tex Wyatt

I Love My Husband, But!

1946

The Husband

A Wife's Life

1950

George T. Hardnose (uncredited)

Trail of Terror

1943

Tex Wyatt / Curly Wyatt

Carry Harry

1942

Arthur - Harry's Friend

Isle Of Destiny

1940

Whitey - Navy Radio Man

Do Someone a Favor!

1954

George Dibson

The Pinto Bandit

1944

Tex Wyatt

Crashing Thru

1939

Fred Chambers

What About Daddy?

1942

The Husband

Prisoner of Japan

1942

U. S. Marine

Reducing

1952

Man on Bench (uncredited)

Sitting Pretty

1933

Assistant Cameraman (uncredited)

College Humor

1933

Student

The Fall Guy

1955

Himself as Various Characters (archive footage)

Guns of the Law

1944

Tex Wyatt

The Arizona Kid

1939

Soldier

Phantom Rancher

1940

Henchman Lucke

Frontier Fugitives

1945

Dave Wyatt

Murder at the Vanities

1934

Chorus Boy (uncredited)

Just Suppose

1948

Husband (uncredited)

The Black Coin

1936

Terry Navarro

Enemy of the Law

1945

Dave Wyatt

Treasures from Trash

1946

Alonzo T. Mousebrain

I Love My Wife BUT!

1947

The Husband

Danger Ahead

1940

Corporal Kelly

Wonder Bar

1934

Chorus Boy (uncredited)

That Gang of Mine

1940

Knuckles Dolan

The Big Parade of Comedy

1964

Actor in the Pete Smith Shorts (archive footage)

West of Texas

1943

Tex Wyatt

70,000 Witnesses

1932

Football Player (uncredited)

Dead or Alive

1944

Dave Wyatt

Studio Visit

1946

O'Brien

Three in the Saddle

1945

Dave Wyatt

Hot Saturday

1932

Party Guest (Uncredited)

The Man Who Walked Alone

1945

Marion Scott

Have You Ever Wondered?

1947

Husband / Driver / Man at Gumball Machine / Toupee Wearer

The Man Around the House

1955

Hugo Hightonsil (uncredited)

The Sign of the Cross

1932

Christian on Stairway (uncredited)

Let's Cogitate

1948

Oliver T. Aseltafel

Lightnin' Crandall

1937

Tommy Shannon

Captain Midnight

1942

Captain Albright / Captain Midnight

Sportsman's Memories

1944

Fabian Tecumseh 'Joe' Funk (uncredited)

Rasputin and the Empress

1932

Soldier (uncredited)

That's Entertainment, Part II

1976

(archive footage)

The Devil Bat

1940

Johnny Layton

The Whispering Skull

1944

Dave Wyatt

Bowery at Midnight

1942

Det. Pete Crawford

Roar of the Dragon

1932

Submarine Crewman

The Fighting Renegade

1939

Dr. Jerry Leonard

One Man's Journey

1933

Dance Extra (uncredited)

The Phantom of 42nd Street

1945

Tony Woolrich

Just What I Needed

1955

Harry Horseknuckle

No More Ladies

1935

Party Guest (uncredited)

Flying High

1931

Dancer (uncredited)

The Secret of Treasure Island

1938

Det. Jameson [Chs. 4-7]

Did'ja Know?

1950

Expectant Father / Greeting Card Shopper / Hospital Patient / Job Applicant

Search for Beauty

1934

Talent Contestant (uncredited)

Riders of the Sage

1939

Tom Martin

Out for Fun

1954

Businessman Seeking Relaxation

Son of the Navy

1940

Nelson

The Spider Returns

1941

Jackson, Wentworth's Aide

Marked for Murder

1945

Dave Wyatt

The Gunman From Bodie

1941

Joe Martin

The Girl on the Front Page

1936

Nightclub Patron

Down Texas Way

1942

Dave Dodge

Frontier Scout

1938

Steve Norris

Student Tour

1934

Student

Flaming Lead

1939

Frank Gordon

Is My Face Red?

1932

Chorus Boy (uncredited)

The World Changes

1933

Otto Peterson (uncredited)

Spook Town

1944

Tex Wyatt

Million Dollar Racket

1937

Johnny Henessey

The Cowboy from Sundown

1940

Steve Davis

Code of the Cactus

1939

Bob Swane

Gunsmoke Mesa

1944

Tex Wyatt

Murder on the Yukon

1940

Constable Kelly

Brand of the Devil

1944

Tex Wyatt

On the Spot

1940

Charlie

Hold That Woman!

1940

Miles Hanover

Movie Pests

1944

Feet-in-the-Aisle Pest

Utah Trail

1938

Mason - Bookkeeper

Gun Code

1940

Henchman Gale

Born to Be Wild

1938

Trucker (uncredited)

Sky Bandits

1940

Constable Kelly

Queen of the Yukon

1940

Bob Adams

East Side Kids

1940

Knuckles Dolan

The Desperados Are in Town

1956

Dock Lapman / Mr. Brown

Cash Stashers

1953

A Shmoe Named Joe

The Yanks Are Coming

1942

Sgt. Callahan

Whirlwind Horseman

1938

Henchman Slade

Things We Can Do Without

1953

Thaddeus E. Thud III

You Can't Win

1948

Harried Homeowner

TV Credits

No TV credits available.

Movie Production Credits

Bargain Madness

Director

1951

Sky Raiders

Stunts

1941

Sure Cures

Writer

1946

Film Antics

Director

1954

Diamond Demon

Director

1947

Dogs 'n Ducks

Original Story

1953

A Wife's Life

Director

1950

Do Someone a Favor!

Director

1954

Camera Sleuth

Director

1951

Reducing

Director

1952

The Fall Guy

Director

1955

Bowling Tricks

Director

1948

Crashing the Movies

Director

1950

The Spider's Web

Stunts

1938

Just Suppose

Director

1948

I Love My Wife BUT!

Director

1947

Pest Control

Director

1950

Super Cue Men

Director

1949

The Mosconi Story

Director

1953

Those Good Old Days

Director

1949

Let's Cogitate

Director

1948

Ice Aces

Writer

1948

Musiquiz

Director

1952

The Iron Claw

Stunts

1941

Just What I Needed

Director

1955

Wrong Way Butch

Director

1950

Neighbor Pests

Director

1947

Did'ja Know?

Director

1950

Out for Fun

Writer

1954

Cash Stashers

Director

1953

You Can't Win

Writer

1948

Surfboard Rhythm

Director

1947

TV Production Credits

No TV production credits available.