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