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. 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. O'Brien died, aged 57, of a heart attack while competing in a yachting race.
Known for
ActingBirthday
May 31, 1912Deathday
November 8, 1969Gender
MaleKnown Movie Credits
211Place of birth
Big Spring, Texas, USAAlso known as
David Poole Fronabarger, David Fronabarger, David O'Brien, Dave O'Brian, Dave Tex O'Brien, Dave 'Tex' O'Brien, Tex O'Brien, Tex Coe, David Barclay, Dave Barclay![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/15LzlUysJ66GEfZpRWz8EuwHfZG.jpg)
Cast credits
![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/2SaMCkP5SwtO3Xet8cwsqyF6Asu.jpg)
The Devil Bat
Johnny Layton![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/mDvuxjiZYo4FaEC0NW5fr5e3Du8.jpg)
Spooks Run Wild
Jeff Dixon![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/6LSqwjw6UsrGWPKsJUNxG3VA25a.jpg)
Tell Your Children
Ralph![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/lDWHvIotQkogG77wHVuMT8mF8P.jpg)
Bowery at Midnight
Det. Pete Crawford![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/qJdANRQy3BkTJGxXXHKMVoUigSD.jpg)
The Sign of the Cross
Christian on Stairway (uncredited)![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/5qStAny0z4ncFmF8viImDS59xNa.jpg)
The Kettles in the Ozarks
Conductor![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/9GY6QnwuH8lRZnvdDHcwu0Y3IUp.jpg)
Flying Wild
Tom Lawson![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/7uGM1CbGal6CM4nw74HrUkaLliK.jpg)
On the Spot
Charlie![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/7RtySUSH0TzXvvTlaIUfibDxI52.jpg)
Forbidden Trails
Jim Cramer![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/3hEcG2TZlkOIL8FVdDwMVTI9Iyv.jpg)
Frontier Scout
Steve Norris![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/oaQ8daPcupl1G5rEb23X7v801ah.jpg)
Riders of the Sage
Tom Martin![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/xK3xVMXwivPSge2pRSNJ0sf6zvV.jpg)
Whirlwind Horseman
Henchman Slade![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/noCvd3gFaPtk5y601WRDzERl217.jpg)
Wonder Bar
Chorus Boy (uncredited)![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/lP6NWEvzdynrxuGh94jx1U1FBYA.jpg)
Crashing Thru
Fred Chambers![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/vtDQcO0bI6FHGYtRbjg7issNsDC.jpg)
Enemy of the Law
Dave Wyatt![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/xQIHACzMC1lgFlI09mb3ZHwf5Lm.jpg)
Gangsters of the Frontier
Dave Wyatt![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/xfc7agRLndVXQh2DeSq4eBpyVpw.jpg)
The Phantom of 42nd Street
Tony Woolrich![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/cLZsKZNG8Bw3SD2l8BEG8Yz4X0E.jpg)
Frontier Fugitives
Dave Wyatt![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/oiIeAefuWZUx4bXC32togtw4kUQ.jpg)
Consolation Marriage
Man Picking Up Stack of Newspapers (uncredited)![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/acYi7w1pg6w51e60ImiI4oPNSHg.jpg)
Down Texas Way
Dave Dodge![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/izYR2BOfMR1VikLwgtDZVc6JCVY.jpg)
The Man Who Walked Alone
Marion Scott