Dave O'Brien (actor)

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David Poole Fronabarger (born May 31, 1912 in Big Spring , Texas , † November 8, 1969 at sea near Catalina Island , California ) was an American filmmaker. He was mainly active as an actor and stuntman under the name Dave O'Brien . When he was active as a director or screenwriter, he mostly used the name David Barclay .

life and work

Dave O'Brien began his film career in 1930 with a minor role in Howard Hawks ' film Start into the Twilight . As a result, he played in several films, but was initially never mentioned in the opening credits of a film. In the mid-1930s he also began working as a stuntman. In 1936 he played his first leading role in the serial The Black Coin . In the same year he had one of the leading roles in the exploitation film Reefer Madness , which became a cult film in the late 1960s after initially unsuccessful . As a result, he was seen in several films, such as in 1945 in The Man Who Walked Alone in the lead role, and also in serials, such as 1942 in the title role of Captain Midnight . At that time, however, he mainly appeared in B-Westerns, for example in seven of the eight films in the Renfrew of the Royal Mounted film series from 1937 to 1940 or in the 22 films by Texas Riders , which ran from 1942 to 1945. In this series he played Texas Ranger Dave 'Tex' Wyatt; he appeared in the films as Dave 'Tex' O'Brien. With the entry of Tex Ritter into the series, however, the name "Tex" disappeared from both O'Brien's name and his role.

From 1942 Dave O'Brien appeared in Pete Smith's Specialties , humorously commented on by Pete Smith, about 10 minutes long short films on various, often everyday topics. From 1945 to 1955 he shot almost exclusively these specialties, often directing or writing the script. Three of Specialties with Dave O'Brien participation were for a Oscar in the category Best Short Film nomination: 1947 it was Sure Cures , 1949 You Can not Win and 1951 Wrong Way Butch . Dave O'Brien was director, screenwriter and leading actor in all three films; however, only Pete Smith was nominated. O'Brien stayed with these productions until Pete Smith retired from the business.

After he had only made specialties for several years, from 1953 he appeared again, albeit rarely, in films, including Kiss me, Katchen! , Tennessee Champ and The Desperados Are in Town , his last film according to Neil Summers . Above all, however, he worked for the Red Skelton Show from 1955 . He was seen as an actor in only six episodes, but was involved in the script in well over 200 episodes. When he died he was the lead writer on that show.

Dave O'Brien was married twice. In 1936 he married his fellow actor Dorothy Short . The two appeared together in several films, both in leading roles or in important supporting roles such as in Reefer Madness , Tom cleans up , The Singing Cowgirl or The Mysterious Rider . The two starred in the serial Captain Midnight . Dave O'Brien also used his wife in several specialties in a leading role, for example in A Wife's Life , Wanted: One Egg , In Case You're Curious or Things We Can Do Without . The marriage ended in divorce in the mid-1950s. Shortly thereafter, O'Brien married Nancy Lee Lister. He remained married to her until his death.

Dave O'Brien died of a heart attack on November 8, 1969 on his boat The White Cloud near Catalina Island . In addition to his wife Nancy, he left two sons and three daughters.

Filmography (selection)

actor

  • 1930: Dawn Patrol (The Dawn Patrol)
  • 1930: Madam Satan
  • 1930: Maybe It's Love
  • 1931: Consolation Marriage
  • 1931: Flying High
  • 1932: The Woman in the Submarine (Devil and the Deep)
  • 1932: The Theater Professor (Speak Easily)
  • 1932: Laurel and Hardy: The Devil Brothers (Pack Up Your Troubles)
  • 1932: Hot Saturday
  • 1932: Under the Sign of the Cross (The Sign of the Cross)
  • 1932: Rasputin: The Demon of Russia (Rasputin and the Empress)
  • 1933: The 42nd Street (42nd Street)
  • 1933: Escape from Yesterday (Pick-Up)
  • 1933: Jennie Gerhardt
  • 1933: The World Changes
  • 1934: Wonder Bar
  • 1934: Belle of the Nineties
  • 1934: Laughing Eyes (Bright Eyes)
  • 1935: Colonel Shirley (The Little Colonel)
  • 1935: No More Ladies
  • 1935: Welcome Home
  • 1935: She Married Her Boss
  • 1936: The Adventures of Frank Merriwell ( Serial )
  • 1936: The Black Coin (Serial)
  • 1936: Reefer Madness
  • 1937: Lightnin 'Crandall
  • 1937: Tom cleans up (Brothers of the West)
  • 1937: Mr. Dodd Takes the Air
  • 1938: The Secret of Treasure Island (Serial)
  • 1938: The Singing Cowgirl
  • 1938: Where the Buffalo Roam
  • 1939: Water Rustlers
  • 1939: Code of the Cactus
  • 1939: Daughter of the Tong
  • 1940: East Side Kids
  • 1940: The Mysterious Horseman (Phantom Rancher)
  • 1940: Hold That Woman!
  • 1940: Boys of the City
  • 1940: Queen of the Yukon
  • 1940: That Gang of Mine
  • 1940: The Devil Bat
  • 1941: The Spider Returns (Serial)
  • 1942: Captain Midnight (Serial)
  • 1944: Movie Pests (short film)
  • 1945: The Man Who Walked Alone
  • 1945: The Phantom of 42nd Street
  • 1946: Sure Cures (short film)
  • 1948: You Can't Win (short film)
  • 1950: Wrong Way Butch (short film)
  • 1950: A Wife's Life (short film)
  • 1950: Wanted: One Egg (short film)
  • 1951: In Case You 'Curious (short film)
  • 1953: Things We Can Do Without (short film)
  • 1953: Kiss me, Katchen! (Kiss Me Kate)
  • 1954: Tennessee Champ
  • 1954: Meet the O'Briens (short film, unsuccessful pilot film)
  • 1955–1959: The Red Skelton Show (TV series, 6 episodes, 6 roles)
  • 1956: The Kettles in the Ozarks
  • 1956: The Desperados Are in Town

Screenwriter and director

  • 1946: Sure Cures (short film, D, R)
  • 1948: You Can't Win (short film, D, R)
  • 1950: Wrong Way Butch (short film, R)
  • 1950: A Wife's Life (short film, D, R) h3 after narrator and wife
  • 1950: Wanted: One Egg (short film, R) h3 after narrator and woman
  • 1951: In Case You 'Curious (short film, R)
  • 1953: Things We Can Do Without (short film, D, R)
  • 1954: Meet the O'Briens (short film, D)
  • 1955–1959: The Red Skelton Show (TV series, 274 episodes, D)

Awards and nominations

Dave O'Brien was nominated for an Emmy in the category Best Comedy Screenplay in 1961 , 1962 and 1963, along with other writers on The Red Skelton Show . In 1961 he and his colleagues won, in the other two years the Emmy went to Carl Reiner for The Dick Van Dyke Show .

On February 8, 1960, Dave O'Brien was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (6251 Hollywood Blvd.).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c d e Neil Summers: Dave O'Brien. In: Westernclippings. Retrieved May 31, 2018 .
  2. ↑ Bruce Eder: Dave “Tex” O'Brien. In: Allmovie . Retrieved May 31, 2018 .
  3. ↑ a b c d Dave O'Brien in the Find a Grave database . Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  4. ↑ a b Dave O'Brien . In: Los Angeles Times . November 10, 1969 (English, online [accessed May 31, 2018]).
  5. ↑ Dave O'Brien. In: Emmys.com. Retrieved May 31, 2018 .
  6. ↑ Dave O'Brien. In: Walk of Fame. Retrieved May 31, 2018 .
personal data
SURNAME O'Brien, Dave
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Fronabarger, David Poole; Barclay, David
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American filmmaker
DATE OF BIRTH May 31, 1912
PLACE OF BIRTH Big Spring , Texas , United States
DATE OF DEATH November 8, 1969
Place of death near Catalina Island , California , United States