Pete Smith
Acting • Born 1892-09-04 – Died 1979-01-12
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.
Filmography
171 credits
Killer Dog
Movie • 1936
Narrator (voice)
Let's Cogitate
Movie • 1948
Narrator (voice
Those Good Old Days
Movie • 1949
Narrator
Water Wisdom
Movie • 1943
Narrator(voice)
Marine Circus
Movie • 1939
Narrator
Throttle Pushers
Movie • 1933
Narrator(voice)
Neighbor Pests
Movie • 1947
Narrator
Film Antics
Movie • 1954
Narrator
Menu
Movie • 1933
Narrator (voice)
Inflation
Movie • 1933
Narrator (voice)
Romance of Radium
Movie • 1937
Narrator (voice)
Strikes and Spares
Movie • 1934
Narrator (voice)
Goofy Movies Number Seven
Movie • 1934
Narrator (voice)
Penny Wisdom
Movie • 1937
Narrator (voice)
Friend Indeed
Movie • 1937
Narrator
Pigskin Champions
Movie • 1937
Narrator (voice)
The New Audioscopiks
Movie • 1938
Narrator
Fisticuffs
Movie • 1938
Narrator (voice)
Three on a Rope
Movie • 1938
Narrator
Guest Pests
Movie • 1945
Narrator
Out for Fun
Movie • 1954
Narrator
Swing High
Movie • 1932
Narrator (voice)
Super Cue Men
Movie • 1949
Narrator
Double Diving
Movie • 1939
Narrator
The Tree in a Test Tube
Movie • 1942
as Interlocutor (voice)
Hurling
Movie • 1936
Narrator
Diamond Demon
Movie • 1947
Narrator (voice)
Stuffie
Movie • 1940
The Grand Bounce
Movie • 1937
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Let's Talk Turkey
Movie • 1939
Narrator
Set 'em Up
Movie • 1939
Narrator
Radio Hams
Movie • 1939
Narrator (voice)
Trader Hound
Movie • 1931
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Fala: The President's Dog
Movie • 1943
Narrator - Host
Hollywood Daredevils
Movie • 1943
Narrator
The Jonker Diamond
Movie • 1936
Narrator (voice)
Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story
Movie • 2002
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
We Can Dream, Can't We?
Movie • 1949
Narrator
Ain't It Aggravatin'
Movie • 1954
Narrator (voice)
Goofy Movies Number Six
Movie • 1934
Narrator (voice)
Goofy Movies Number Ten
Movie • 1934
Narrator (voice)
Goofy Movies Number Eight
Movie • 1934
Narrator (voice)
Take a Cue
Movie • 1939
Narrator (voice)
Goofy Movies Number One
Movie • 1933
Narrator (voice)
Things We Can Do Without
Movie • 1953
Narrator (voice)
Did'ja Know?
Movie • 1950
Narrator (voice)
Goofy Movies Number Four
Movie • 1934
Narrator (voice)
Goofy Movies Number Five
Movie • 1934
Narrator (voice)
Handlebars
Movie • 1933
Narrator (voice)
Wedding Bills
Movie • 1940
Narrator (voice)
Third Dimensional Murder
Movie • 1941
Narrator (voice)
Goofy Movies Number Two
Movie • 1934
Narrator (voice)
Goofy Movies Number Three
Movie • 1934
Narrator (voice)
Goofy Movies Number Nine
Movie • 1934
Narrator (voice)
Let's Dance
Movie • 1936
Narrator (voice)
Candid Cameramaniacs
Movie • 1937
Narrator
Bar-Rac's Night Out
Movie • 1937
Narrator (voice)
Sure Cures
Movie • 1946
Narrator (voice)
Wanted - A Master
Movie • 1936
Narrator (voice) / Dog (voice)
Fishing Feats
Movie • 1951
Narrator (voice)
The Fall Guy
Movie • 1955
Narrator (voice)
Movie Pests
Movie • 1944
Narrator (voice)
I Love My Husband, But!
Movie • 1946
Narrator (voice)
Weather Wizards
Movie • 1939
Narrator (voice)
'What's Your 'I.Q.'?': Number Two
Movie • 1940
Narrator (voice)
Equestrian Quiz: What's Your I.Q.? No. 11
Movie • 1946
Narrator (voice)
Roping Wild Bears
Movie • 1934
Narrator (voice)
Fancy Answers
Movie • 1941
Narrator (voice)
Seeing Hands
Movie • 1943
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Water Trix
Movie • 1949
Narrator (voice)
Aeronutics
Movie • 1941
Narrator (voice)
I Love My Wife BUT!
Movie • 1947
Narrator (voice)
A Wife's Life
Movie • 1950
Narrator (voice)
I Love My Mother-In-Law But...
Movie • 1948
Narrator (voice)
Cash Stashers
Movie • 1953
Narrator (voice)
Camera Sleuth
Movie • 1951
Narrator (voice)
Just What I Needed
Movie • 1955
Narrator
Sports Oddities
Movie • 1949
Narrator
Snow Birds
Movie • 1932
Narrator (voice)
The Man Around the House
Movie • 1955
Narrator (voice)
Wrong Way Butch
Movie • 1950
Narrator (voice)
You Can't Win
Movie • 1948
Narrator (voice)
Do Someone a Favor!
Movie • 1954
Narrator (voice)
Donkey Baseball
Movie • 1935
Narrator (voice)
Acro-Batty
Movie • 1942
Narrator
Hollywood Scout
Movie • 1945
Narrator / Chimp (voice)
The Great Morgan
Movie • 1945
Narrator in 'Badminton' (voice) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Just Suppose
Movie • 1948
Narrator (voice)
How to Hold Your Husband - BACK
Movie • 1941
Narrator (voice)
Gettin' Glamour
Movie • 1946
Narrator (voice)
Reducing
Movie • 1952
Narrator (voice)
Athletiquiz: What's Your I.Q.? No. 12
Movie • 1947
Narrator
Water Sports
Movie • 1935
Narrator (voice)
Fine Feathers
Movie • 1933
Narrator
The Camera Caught It
Movie • 1954
Narrator
Animals in Action
Movie • 1955
Narrator (voice)
Rough Riding
Movie • 1954
Narrator
Have You Ever Wondered?
Movie • 1947
Narrator (voice)
Bargain Madness
Movie • 1951
Narrator (voice)
Dogs 'n Ducks
Movie • 1953
Narrator (voice)
Victory Quiz
Movie • 1942
Calling All Pa's
Movie • 1942
Narrator (voice)
Harnessed Rhythm
Movie • 1936
Narrator (voice)
Lions on the Loose
Movie • 1941
Narrator (voice)
Crashing the Movies
Movie • 1950
Narrator (voice)
Ice Aces
Movie • 1948
Narrator (voice)
Musiquiz
Movie • 1952
Narrator (voice)
Fish Tales
Movie • 1954
Narrator (voice)
Microscopic Mysteries
Movie • 1932
Narrator (voice)
Heroes at Leisure
Movie • 1939
Narrator (voice)
Flicker Memories
Movie • 1941
Narrator (voice)
Audioscopiks
Movie • 1935
Commentator (voice)
Now You See It
Movie • 1947
Narrator (voice)
Quicker'n a Wink
Movie • 1940
Narrator (voice)
Army Champions
Movie • 1941
Narrator (voice)
La Fiesta de Santa Barbara
Movie • 1935
Narrator (voice)
Marines in the Making
Movie • 1942
Narrator (voice)
Safety Sleuth
Movie • 1944
Pete Smith - Narrator
Groovie Movie
Movie • 1944
Narrator
The Domineering Male
Movie • 1940
Narrator (voice)
Color Scales
Movie • 1932
Narrator (voice)
Treasures from Trash
Movie • 1946
Narrator (voice)
Trained Hoofs
Movie • 1935
Narrator (voice)
Football Thrills of 1940
Movie • 1941
Narrator
Football Thrills of 1944
Movie • 1945
Narrator
Manhattan Melodrama
Movie • 1934
Racetrack Announcer (Voice) (uncredited)
Seventh Column
Movie • 1943
Narrator (voice)
Equestrian Acrobats
Movie • 1937
Narrator (voice)
Pro Football
Movie • 1934
Narrator (voice)
Desert Regatta
Movie • 1932
Narrator (voice)
Badminton
Movie • 1945
Narrator (voice)
Wild and Woolly
Movie • 1931
Narrator (voice)
This Is a Living?
Movie • 1953
Narrator (voice)
Water Bugs
Movie • 1941
Narrator (voice)
Studio Visit
Movie • 1946
Narrator (voice)
Sportsman's Memories
Movie • 1944
Narrator (voice)
Aqua Antics
Movie • 1942
Narrator (voice)
Olympic Events
Movie • 1932
Narrator (voice)
Cuban Rhythm
Movie • 1941
Narrator (voice)
Curious Contests
Movie • 1950
Narrator (voice) (as a Smith named Pete)
Hot on Ice
Movie • 1938
Narrator
Grid Rules
Movie • 1938
Narrator
Penny's Party
Movie • 1938
Narrator
Dexterity
Movie • 1937
Narrator
Man's Greatest Friend
Movie • 1938
Narrator
Anaesthesia
Movie • 1938
Narrator
Football Thrills of 1937
Movie • 1938
Narrator
Penny's Picnic
Movie • 1938
Poetry of Nature
Movie • 1939
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Bowling Tricks
Movie • 1948
Narrator(voice)
Memory Tricks
Movie • 1941
Culinary Carving
Movie • 1939
Narrator
Home Maid
Movie • 1944
Narrator
The Mosconi Story
Movie • 1953
Narrator
What About Daddy?
Movie • 1942
Narrator
Spots Before Your Eyes
Movie • 1940
Narrator
Maintain the Right
Movie • 1940
Narrator
Football Thrills of 1938
Movie • 1939
Narrator
Social Sea Lions
Movie • 1940
Narrator
Please Answer (I.Q. #3)
Movie • 1940
Narrator
Football Thrills of 1939
Movie
Narrator
Penny To the Rescue
Movie • 1941
Narrator
Football Thrills of 1941
Movie • 1942
Narrator
Football Thrills of 1942
Movie • 1943
Narrator
Football Thrills of 1943
Movie • 1944
Narrator
Fala at Hyde Park
Movie • 1946
Narrator
Football Thrills No. 9
Movie • 1946
Narrator
Football Thrills No. 10
Movie • 1947
Surfboard Rhythm
Movie • 1947
Narrator
MGM Parade
TV • 1955
MGM Parade
TV • 1955
Self