Pete Smith

Acting · 0.6 popularity

Age

133

Movies

170

Born: September 4, 1892 – January 12, 1979
From: New York City, New York, USA

Biography

Born Peter Schmidt in New York City, Pete Smith got a job after graduating business college with The Player magazine and later with Billboard magazine. That led to his being hired as a publicist for Famous Players-Lasky and Artcraft Pictures, and he was later appointed publicity director at Paramount Pictures. Director Marshall Neilan hired Smith to be the publicist for his own production company, and Smith left New York for Hollywood. After Neilan's company closed, Smith freelanced for a short period before being hired by MGM in 1925 as the head of its publicity department, a position he held until 1930. The job that really brought him recognition, however, was his producing, writing and narrating a series of shorts known as "Pete Smith Specialties" for MGM. The one-reelers covered just about every subject imaginable, from the animal world to the latest technology to how to handle annoying patrons in movie theaters, all delivered with Smith's trademark wry, bemused narration. Many of the later shorts were written and directed by actor Dave O'Brien, using the name David Barclay. Sixteen entries in the series were nominated for Oscars, and two of them won. The series came to an end in 1954, though there were enough made to continue releasing into 1955. Smith's later years were plagued by bad health, and he spent more and more time being hospitalized. In 1979, with his health deteriorating rapidly, he committed suicide by jumping out of the window of his ninth-floor hospital room. He was 86 years old.

Works

170 films

Diamond Demon

19477.6

Do Someone a Favor!

19547.0

Fala at Hyde Park

19469.0

Fala: The President's Dog

19437.0

Swing High

19327.1

The Jonker Diamond

19364.9

Film Antics

19546.0

Manhattan Melodrama

19347.0

Army Champions

19416.0

Fancy Answers

19417.0

Killer Dog

19365.6

Camera Sleuth

19517.0

Fishing Feats

19517.5

Safety Sleuth

1944

Radio Hams

19397.3

Ice Aces

19487.0

Aqua Antics

19427.0

Studio Visit

19465.5

Marines in the Making

19426.3

Olympic Events

193210.0

Just Suppose

19487.0

Dexterity

19379.0

Water Trix

19496.3

La Fiesta de Santa Barbara

19356.1

Flicker Memories

19415.8

Hollywood Daredevils

1943

Social Sea Lions

19407.0

I Love My Wife BUT!

19477.0

Pest Control

1950

Fisticuffs

19387.0

Curious Contests

195010.0

Hollywood Scout

19456.5

Aeronutics

19417.0

Acro-Batty

19427.5

Musiquiz

19525.5

Cuban Rhythm

19417.0

Treasures from Trash

19467.0

Romance of Radium

19376.2

Donkey Baseball

19356.0

A Wife's Life

19506.0

Snow Birds

19326.3

19335.4

The Fall Guy

19557.5

Wanted - A Master

19366.8

Victory Quiz

19426.3

Ain't It Aggravatin'

19546.0

What About Daddy?

19427.0

Guest Pests

19457.0

Neighbor Pests

1947

Wedding Bills

19408.5

Bowling Tricks

19486.5

Microscopic Mysteries

19326.7

Handlebars

19336.0

Weather Wizards

19397.0

Have You Ever Wondered?

19476.5

Pro Football

19347.0

Desert Regatta

19326.3

Rough Riding

19546.5

Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story

20027.0

Sportsman's Memories

1944

Dogs 'n Ducks

19535.0

Let's Dance

19367.0

Seeing Hands

19436.3

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

19487.2

Bargain Madness

19516.7

Water Sports

19356.5

The Domineering Male

19407.3

The Great Morgan

19456.0

Groovie Movie

19446.3

Trader Hound

19316.0

Man's Greatest Friend

19388.0

Audioscopiks

19355.7

Fish Tales

19547.0

Anaesthesia

19387.0

Pigskin Champions

1937

The Man Around the House

1955

Strikes and Spares

19346.4

The Tree in a Test Tube

19425.2

Out for Fun

19549.0

This Is a Living?

19536.0

Water Wisdom

19439.0

Harnessed Rhythm

19365.5

Equestrian Quiz: What's Your I.Q.? No. 11

19466.5

The Mosconi Story

1953

Inflation

19338.0

Wild and Woolly

19317.0

Culinary Carving

19397.0

Spots Before Your Eyes

19409.0

Fine Feathers

19336.7

Color Scales

19327.0

Goofy Movies Number One

19336.0

Quicker'n a Wink

19407.0

Friend Indeed

19376.7

Let's Talk Turkey

19396.3

How to Hold Your Husband - BACK

19416.3

Hurling

19369.0

Heroes at Leisure

19397.0

Let's Cogitate

19487.5

'What's Your 'I.Q.'?': Number Two

19408.0

Sports Oddities

19499.0

Football Thrills of 1940

1941

Double Diving

193910.0

Movie Pests

19446.1

Please Answer (I.Q. #3)

19409.0

Equestrian Acrobats

19378.0

Penny's Party

19388.0

Those Good Old Days

19498.0

Roping Wild Bears

19347.0

We Can Dream, Can't We?

1949

Water Bugs

19418.5

Stuffie

194010.0

Crashing the Movies

19507.0

The Grand Bounce

19377.0

Did'ja Know?

19505.0

Set 'em Up

193910.0

Penny's Picnic

19388.0

Lions on the Loose

19416.5

Take a Cue

19398.5

Goofy Movies Number Two

19346.6

Seventh Column

19437.0

Memory Tricks

19417.0

Trained Hoofs

19357.5

The New Audioscopiks

19386.7

Cash Stashers

19537.0

Hot on Ice

19388.0

Wrong Way Butch

19506.4

Third Dimensional Murder

19418.0

Animals in Action

19557.0

Three on a Rope

19387.5

I Love My Husband, But!

194610.0

Grid Rules

19389.0

Super Cue Men

19498.0

Athletiquiz: What's Your I.Q.? No. 12

19478.0

Football Thrills of 1938

19397.0

Poetry of Nature

19396.0

Home Maid

19447.0

Football Thrills No. 10

19478.0

The Camera Caught It

1954

Throttle Pushers

19337.5

Football Thrills No. 9

1946

Calling All Pa's

19426.7

Goofy Movies Number Eight

19347.0

Now You See It

19476.6

Goofy Movies Number Five

19347.5

You Can't Win

19484.9

Penny Wisdom

19376.3

Goofy Movies Number Nine

19347.0

Reducing

19525.3

Goofy Movies Number Six

19346.0

Goofy Movies Number Seven

19345.7

Goofy Movies Number Four

19344.8

Badminton

19459.0

Goofy Movies Number Three

19345.8

Gettin' Glamour

19465.0

Bar-Rac's Night Out

19376.5

Football Thrills of 1939

2026

Just What I Needed

1955

Football Thrills of 1937

193810.0

Maintain the Right

19407.0

Candid Cameramaniacs

19377.5

Sure Cures

19465.7

Penny To the Rescue

19417.0

Goofy Movies Number Ten

19346.5

Football Thrills of 1941

1942

Football Thrills of 1944

19456.5

Football Thrills of 1943

1944

Football Thrills of 1942

1943

Things We Can Do Without

19537.3

Surfboard Rhythm

19479.0

Marine Circus

19396.0