Dave O'Brien
Known for Acting · 182 credits
- Born
- 1912-05-31
- Died
- 1969-11-08
- Place of birth
- Big Spring, Texas, USA
- Also known as
- David Poole Fronabarger · David Fronabarger · David O'Brien · Dave O'Brian · Dave Tex O'Brien · Dave 'Tex' 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.
Known For
TV Shows (1)
Movies (181)
The Sign of the Cross
1932
as Christian on Stairway (uncredited)
Ship Cafe
1935
as Young Man (uncredited)
Rollin' Westward
1939
as Ranch hand Red
Texas Wildcats
1939
as Ed Arden
Forbidden Trails
1941
as Jim Cramer
42nd Street
1933
as Chorus Boy (uncredited)
Cash Stashers
1953
as A Shmoe Named Joe
Tell Your Children
1938
as Ralph
Tahiti Nights
1944
as Jack
Woman Wanted
1935
as Steve - Tap Dancer at Baxter's Party (uncredited)
Buried Alive
1939
as Carson
Flaming Lead
1939
as Frank Gordon
Student Tour
1934
as Student
Victory Quiz
1942
Studio Visit
1946
as O'Brien
Good News
1930
as Student
Seventh Column
1943
as Falstaff Pratt the Indestructible Man
Pest Control
1950
as Cruising Wolf
Madam Satan
1930
as Zeppelin Reveler
Kiss Me Kate
1953
as Ralph
That's Entertainment, Part II
1976
as (archive footage)
Isle Of Destiny
1940
as Whitey - Navy Radio Man
Carry Harry
1942
as Arthur - Harry's Friend
Pick-up
1933
as Party Boy (uncredited)
One Man's Journey
1933
as Dance Extra (uncredited)
Captain Midnight
1942
as Captain Albright / Captain Midnight
The Big Parade of Comedy
1964
as Actor in the Pete Smith Shorts (archive footage)
Wonder Bar
1934
as Chorus Boy (uncredited)
Fighting Mad
1939
as Constable Kelly
Fighting Valley
1943
as Tex Wyatt
Hot Saturday
1932
as Party Guest (Uncredited)
Undercover Agent
1939
as Billiards Player
Rasputin and the Empress
1932
as Soldier (uncredited)
Gunsmoke Mesa
1944
as Tex Wyatt
Double Trouble
1941
as Sparky Barton
College Humor
1933
as Student
The Man Who Walked Alone
1945
as Marion Scott
Doubting Thomas
1935
as Member of Audience
The Singing Cowgirl
1938
as Dick Williams
Devil and the Deep
1932
as Submarine Crewman (uncredited)
The Fall Guy
1955
as Himself as Various Characters (archive footage)
70,000 Witnesses
1932
as Football Player (uncredited)
The Dawn Patrol
1930
as Pilot (uncredited)
The Devil Bat
1940
as Johnny Layton
Tomorrow's Children
1934
as Interne (uncredited)
Gun Code
1940
as Henchman Gale
New Frontier
1939
as Jason Braddock
Murder at the Vanities
1934
as Chorus Boy (uncredited)
The Deadly Game
1941
as Ralph Spencer
Flying High
1931
as Dancer (uncredited)
Gun Packer
1938
as Red Baker - Henchman
Wyoming Outlaw
1939
as Acacia Park Game Warden
The World Changes
1933
as Otto Peterson (uncredited)
Music in the Air
1934
as Karl Roder (singing voice) (uncredited)
Mutiny in the Big House
1939
as Daniels
Water Rustlers
1939
as Bob Lawson
Bowery at Midnight
1942
as Det. Pete Crawford
Welcome Home
1935
as Stanley Phillips
Murder on the Yukon
1940
as Constable Kelly
Sure Cures
1946
as Xavier T. Schneckendorf
Hold That Woman!
1940
as Miles Hanover
A Wife's Life
1950
as George T. Hardnose (uncredited)
Crashing Thru
1939
as Fred Chambers
East Side Kids
1940
as Knuckles Dolan
We're Rich Again
1934
as Pete (uncredited)
Riders of the Sage
1939
as Tom Martin
Flying Wild
1941
as Tom Lawson
'Neath Brooklyn Bridge
1942
as Sgt. Phil Lyons
Boss of Rawhide
1943
as Tex Wyatt
Is My Face Red?
1932
as Chorus Boy (uncredited)
Tennessee Champ
1954
as Luke MacWade
On Your Toes
1939
as Man in Audience
Law and Order
1942
as Jeff Travis
She Married Her Boss
1935
as Shopper
Whirlwind Horseman
1938
as Henchman Slade
Bad Men of Thunder Gap
1943
as Tex Wyatt
That Gang of Mine
1940
as Knuckles Dolan
The Girl on the Front Page
1936
as Nightclub Patron
College Coach
1933
as Student on Tennis Court (uncredited)
Boys of the City
1940
as Knuckles Dolan
42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage
2006
as Self (archive footage)
Where the Buffalo Roam
1938
as Jeff Gray
The Spider Returns
1941
as Jackson, Wentworth's Aide
Billy the Kid in Santa Fe
1941
as Texas Joe
T.V. of Tomorrow
1953
as Man on TV
Man's Country
1938
as Bat
No More Ladies
1935
as Party Guest (uncredited)
The Kettles in the Ozarks
1956
as Conductor
Spooks Run Wild
1941
as Jeff Dixon
Frontier Fugitives
1945
as Dave Wyatt
Murder by Invitation
1941
as Michael, the chauffeur
Roar of the Dragon
1932
as Submarine Crewman
Billy the Kid Wanted
1941
as Jeff
Million Dollar Racket
1937
as Johnny Henessey
Three in the Saddle
1945
as Dave Wyatt
Brand of the Devil
1944
as Tex Wyatt
The Phantom of 42nd Street
1945
as Tony Woolrich
The Whispering Skull
1944
as Dave Wyatt
Utah Trail
1938
as Mason - Bookkeeper
Down Texas Way
1942
as Dave Dodge
The Fighting Renegade
1939
as Dr. Jerry Leonard
The Desperados Are in Town
1956
as Dock Lapman / Mr. Brown
The Cowboy from Sundown
1940
as Steve Davis
Born to Be Wild
1938
as Trucker (uncredited)
Wanted - A Master
1936
as Dog's Master (uncredited)
Spook Town
1944
as Tex Wyatt
Treasures from Trash
1946
as Alonzo T. Mousebrain
The Gunman From Bodie
1941
as Joe Martin
Phantom Rancher
1940
as Henchman Lucke
Flaming Bullets
1945
as Dave Wyatt / Steve Carson
Son of the Navy
1940
as Nelson
Outlaw Roundup
1944
as Tex Wyatt
West of Texas
1943
as Tex Wyatt
The Arizona Kid
1939
as Soldier
Consolation Marriage
1931
as Man Picking Up Stack of Newspapers (uncredited)
Sheriff of Sage Valley
1942
as Jeff
I Love My Wife BUT!
1947
as The Husband
Search for Beauty
1934
as Talent Contestant (uncredited)
Movie Pests
1944
as Feet-in-the-Aisle Pest
Frontier Scout
1938
as Steve Norris
About Dave O'Brien
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.… With 182 credits spanning from 1930 to 2006, Dave O'Brien has appeared in 181 films and 1 TV show.
Fans searching for Dave O'Brien movies, Dave O'Brien filmography, or the latest projects starring Dave O'Brien can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Dave O'Brien Movies
- The Sign of the Cross (1932) — as Christian on Stairway (uncredited)
- Ship Cafe (1935) — as Young Man (uncredited)
- Rollin' Westward (1939) — as Ranch hand Red
- Texas Wildcats (1939) — as Ed Arden
- Forbidden Trails (1941) — as Jim Cramer
Where to Watch Dave O'Brien Films
Most Dave O'Brien movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Dave O'Brien, check our movies catalogue and browse page.