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