Pete Smith

Pete Smith

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.
Known For: Acting
Birthday: 1892-09-04
Place of Birth: New York City, New York, USA
Also Known As: Peter Schmidt

Movies List of Pete Smith

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Killer Dog

1936 Movie
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Let's Cogitate

1948 Movie
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Those Good Old Days

1949 Movie
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Water Wisdom

1943 Movie
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Marine Circus

1939 Movie
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Throttle Pushers

1933 Movie
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Neighbor Pests

1947 Movie
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Film Antics

1954 Movie
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Inflation

1933 Movie
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Menu

1933 Movie
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Romance of Radium

1937 Movie
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Strikes and Spares

1934 Movie
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Penny Wisdom

1937 Movie
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Friend Indeed

1937 Movie
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Pigskin Champions

1937 Movie
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Fisticuffs

1938 Movie
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The New Audioscopiks

1938 Movie
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Three on a Rope

1938 Movie
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Guest Pests

1945 Movie
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Out for Fun

1954 Movie
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Swing High

1932 Movie
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Super Cue Men

1949 Movie
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Double Diving

1939 Movie
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Hurling

1936 Movie
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Diamond Demon

1947 Movie
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Stuffie

1940 Movie
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The Grand Bounce

1937 Movie
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Set 'em Up

1939 Movie
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Let's Talk Turkey

1939 Movie
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Radio Hams

1939 Movie
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Trader Hound

1931 Movie
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Hollywood Daredevils

1943 Movie
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The Jonker Diamond

1936 Movie
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Ain't It Aggravatin'

1954 Movie
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Did'ja Know?

1950 Movie
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Wedding Bills

1940 Movie
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Handlebars

1933 Movie
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Take a Cue

1939 Movie
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Let's Dance

1936 Movie
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Candid Cameramaniacs

1937 Movie
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Bar-Rac's Night Out

1937 Movie
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Fishing Feats

1951 Movie
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The Fall Guy

1955 Movie
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Movie Pests

1944 Movie
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Sure Cures

1946 Movie
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Wanted - A Master

1936 Movie
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Weather Wizards

1939 Movie
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Roping Wild Bears

1934 Movie
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Fancy Answers

1941 Movie
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Seeing Hands

1943 Movie
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Water Trix

1949 Movie
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Aeronutics

1941 Movie
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I Love My Wife BUT!

1947 Movie
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A Wife's Life

1950 Movie
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Cash Stashers

1953 Movie
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Camera Sleuth

1951 Movie
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Just What I Needed

1955 Movie
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Sports Oddities

1949 Movie
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Snow Birds

1932 Movie
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Wrong Way Butch

1950 Movie
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You Can't Win

1948 Movie
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Do Someone a Favor!

1954 Movie
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Donkey Baseball

1935 Movie
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Acro-Batty

1942 Movie
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Hollywood Scout

1945 Movie
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The Great Morgan

1945 Movie
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Just Suppose

1948 Movie
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Gettin' Glamour

1946 Movie
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Reducing

1952 Movie
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Rough Riding

1954 Movie
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Fine Feathers

1933 Movie
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The Camera Caught It

1954 Movie
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Animals in Action

1955 Movie
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Water Sports

1935 Movie
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Bargain Madness

1951 Movie
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Victory Quiz

1942 Movie
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Dogs 'n Ducks

1953 Movie
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Calling All Pa's

1942 Movie
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Harnessed Rhythm

1936 Movie
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Lions on the Loose

1941 Movie
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Crashing the Movies

1950 Movie
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Ice Aces

1948 Movie
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Musiquiz

1952 Movie
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Fish Tales

1954 Movie
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Microscopic Mysteries

1932 Movie
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Heroes at Leisure

1939 Movie
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Flicker Memories

1941 Movie
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Audioscopiks

1935 Movie
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Now You See It

1947 Movie
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Quicker'n a Wink

1940 Movie
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Army Champions

1941 Movie
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Marines in the Making

1942 Movie
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Groovie Movie

1944 Movie
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Safety Sleuth

1944 Movie
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The Domineering Male

1940 Movie
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Color Scales

1932 Movie
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Treasures from Trash

1946 Movie
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Trained Hoofs

1935 Movie
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Manhattan Melodrama

1934 Movie
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Seventh Column

1943 Movie
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Equestrian Acrobats

1937 Movie
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Pro Football

1934 Movie
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Badminton

1945 Movie
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This Is a Living?

1953 Movie
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Desert Regatta

1932 Movie
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Wild and Woolly

1931 Movie
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Water Bugs

1941 Movie
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Studio Visit

1946 Movie
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Sportsman's Memories

1944 Movie
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Aqua Antics

1942 Movie
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Olympic Events

1932 Movie
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Cuban Rhythm

1941 Movie
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Curious Contests

1950 Movie
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Penny's Party

1938 Movie
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Dexterity

1937 Movie
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Hot on Ice

1938 Movie
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Anaesthesia

1938 Movie
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Grid Rules

1938 Movie
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Man's Greatest Friend

1938 Movie
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Penny's Picnic

1938 Movie
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Poetry of Nature

1939 Movie
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Bowling Tricks

1948 Movie
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Memory Tricks

1941 Movie
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Culinary Carving

1939 Movie
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Home Maid

1944 Movie