Dave O'Brien (born David Poole Fronabarger; May 31, 1912 – November 8, 1969) was an American

film actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

, stunt man, film director, and Emmy awarded comedy writer. He was well known for his portrayal, in the 1942

serial film A serial film, film serial (or just serial), movie serial, or chapter play, is a motion picture form popular during the first half of the 20th century, consisting of a series of short subjects exhibited in consecutive order at one theater, gene ...

s of the title character in '' Captain Midnight'', performer and comedy writer in the '' Pete Smith Specialties'' and as one of

Red Skelton Richard Bernard Skelton (July 18, 1913September 17, 1997) was an American entertainer best known for his national old-time radio, radio and television shows between 1937 and 1971, especially as host of the television program ''The Red Skelto ...

's comedy writers.

Life and career

Born in

Big Spring, Texas Big Spring is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Texas, Howard County, Texas, United States, at the crossroads of U.S. Route 87 in Texas, U.S. Highway 87 and Interstate 20 in Texas, Interstate 20. The population was 26,144 at the ...

, to Mike Fronabarger and his wife, Mary Edith, he started his film career performing in choruses and working as a stunt double, then graduating into larger roles, mostly in B pictures. He adopted "O'Brien" as his acting pseudonym. He had roles in early Western movies such as '' Lightnin' Crandall'' (1937). O'Brien acted in the

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

comedy short film series ''Pete Smith Specialties''. O'Brien wrote and directed many of these subjects under the name David Barclay. In 1933, O'Brien also had a small dancing part with

Bebe Daniels Phyllis Virginia "Bebe" () Daniels (January 14, 1901 – March 16, 1971) was an American actress, singer, dancer, writer, and producer. She began her career in Hollywood during the silent film era as a child actress, became a star in musicals s ...

in the Busby Berkeley musical '' 42nd Street''. O'Brien portrayed a frantic drug abuser in the 1936

anti-drug Substance misuse, also known as drug misuse or, in older vernacular, substance abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods that are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder, differing definitions ...

film '' Tell Your Children'' (better known under its reissue title, ''Reefer Madness''). He appeared in several of the ''

East Side Kids The East Side Kids were characters in a series of 22 films released by Monogram Pictures from 1940 through 1945. The series was a low-budget imitation of the Dead End Kids, a successful film franchise of the late 1930s. History The 1935 Sidney ...

'' films. He appeared in low-budget Westerns, such as

Producers Releasing Corporation Producers Releasing Corporation (generally known as PRC) was the smallest and least prestigious of the 11 Hollywood film companies of the 1940s. It was considered a prime example of what was called " Poverty Row": a low-rent stretch of Gower St ...

's ''Texas Rangers'' series, billed as "Tex O'Brien". In 1940, he appeared in '' Queen of the Yukon'', ''The Devil Bat'' with

Bela Lugosi Blaskó Béla Ferenc Dezső (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), better known by the stage name Bela Lugosi ( ; ), was a Hungarian–American actor. He was best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the horror film classic Dracula (19 ...

, and ''Son of the Navy''. In 1942, he starred in the fifteen episode movie serial ''Captain Midnight''. In 1944, were roles in a series of Westerns, some of which were the

Billy the Kid Henry McCarty (September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), alias William H. Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid, was an American outlaw and gunfighter of the Old West who was linked to nine murders: four for which he was solely res ...

serials, and serials ''The Texas Rangers'', a lead role in '' Brand of the Devil''. In 1945, he appeared in '' The Man Who Walked Alone''. By 1953, he was in the MGM musical ''

Kiss Me, Kate ''Kiss Me, Kate'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and a book by Bella and Samuel Spewack. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew'' and the conflict on and off- ...

''.

Recognition and writing career, death

As a comedy writer for ''

The Red Skelton Show ''The Red Skelton Show'' is an American television comedy/variety show that aired from 1951 to 1971. In the decade prior to hosting the show, Richard "Red" Skelton had a successful career as a radio and motion pictures star. Although his tele ...

'', O'Brien shared an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series in 1961. Then, shared a nomination for the same award in 1963. At the time of his demise in 1969, O'Brien was a "top television comedy writer" on the ''Red Skelton Hour''.

Selected filmography

* ''

Consolation Marriage ''Consolation Marriage'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code drama film directed by Paul Sloane and written by Humphrey Pearson. The film stars Irene Dunne, Pat O'Brien, John Halliday, Myrna Loy, and Matt Moore. The film was released on November 2 ...

'' (1931) * '' The World Changes'' (1933) as Otto Peterson (uncredited) * '' Bright Eyes'' (1934) as Bill * '' The Black Coin'' (1936, serial) * ''

Reefer Madness ''Reefer Madness'' (originally made as ''Tell Your Children'' and sometimes titled ''The Burning Question'', ''Dope Addict'', ''Doped Youth'', and ''Love Madness'') is a 1938/1939 American exploitation film about drugs, revolving around the me ...

'' (1936) * '' Rough Riding Rhythm'' (1937) * '' Gun Packer'' (1938) * '' Frontier Scout'' (1938) as Steven Norris * '' Fighting Mad'' (1939) as Constable Kelly * '' Flaming Lead'' (1939) * '' Crashing Thru'' (1939) * '' Main Street Lawyer'' (1939) (uncredited) * ''

'' (1940) as 'Knuckles' Dolan * '' Boys of the City'' (1940) as 'Knuckles' Dolan * '' That Gang of Mine'' (1940) as 'Knuckles' Dolan * ''

Gun Code ''Gun Code'' is a 1940 American western film directed by Sam Newfield and starring Tim McCoy, Inna Gest and Carleton Young.Pitts p.134 It was distributed by the independent company PRC which specialized in handling low-budget second features. Th ...

'' (1940) as Gale * '' The Devil Bat'' (1940) as Johnny Layton * '' Isle of Destiny'' (1940) Navy Radio Man (uncredited) * '' Phantom Rancher'' (1940) as Henchman Luke * '' Son of the Navy'' (1940) as Chief Machinist's Mate * '' Hold That Woman'' (1940) as Miles Hanover * '' Sky Bandits'' (1940) as Constable Kelly * '' Buzzy Rides the Range'' (1940) as Ken Blair * '' Queen of the Yukon'' * '' Flying Wild'' (1941) as Tom Lawson * '' Buzzy and the Phantom Pinto'' (1941) * '' The Spider Returns'' (1941) * '' Murder by Invitation'' (1941) as Michael, the Chauffeur * '' Billy the Kid in Santa Fe'' (1941) as Texas Joe * '' Billy the Kid Wanted'' (1941) as Jeff * '' Spooks Run Wild'' (1941) as Jeff Dixon * '' Double Trouble'' (1941) as Sparky Marshall * '' Forbidden Trails'' (1941) as Jim Cramer * ''

Bowery at Midnight The Bowery () is a street and neighbourhood, neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City, New York. The street runs from Chatham Square at Park Row (Manhattan), Park Row, Worth Street, and Mott Street in the south to Cooper Square at 4th ...

'' (1942) as Peter Crawford * '' 'Neath Brooklyn Bridge'' (1942) as Sergeant Lyons * '' Billy the Kid's Smoking Guns'' (1942) as Jeff Travis * '' The Yanks Are Coming'' (1942) as Sgt. Callahan * '' The Rangers Take Over'' (1942) as Tex Wyatt * '' Bad Men of Thunder Gap'' (1943) as Tex Wyatt * '' West of Texas'' (1943) as Tex Wyatt * '' Border Buckaroos'' (1943) as Tex Wyatt * '' Fighting Valley'' (1943) as Tex Wyatt * '' Trail of Terror'' (1943) as Tex Wyatt * '' The Return of the Rangers'' (1943) as Tex Wyatt * '' Boss of Rawhide'' (1943) as Tex Wyatt * ''

Tahiti Nights ''Tahiti Nights'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Will Jason and written by Lillie Hayward. The film stars Jinx Falkenburg, Dave O'Brien, Mary Treen, Florence Bates, Cy Kendall and Eddie Bruce. The film was released on December 2 ...

'' (1944) * '' Outlaw Roundup'' (1944) as Tex Wyatt * '' Guns of the Law'' (1944) as Tex Wyatt * '' The Pinto Bandit'' (1944) as Tex Wyatt * '' Spook Town'' (1944) as Tex Wyatt * '' Brand of the Devil'' (1944) as Tex Wyatt * '' Gunsmoke Mesa'' (1944) as Tex Wyatt * ''

Gangsters of the Frontier ''Gangsters of the Frontier'' (also known as ''Raiders of the Frontier'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1944 American Western film written and directed by Elmer Clifton. The film stars Dave O'Brien, Tex Ritter and Guy Wilkerson, with Patti McCar ...

'' (1944) as Tex Wyatt * ''

Dead or Alive A wanted poster (or wanted sign) is a poster distributed to let the public know of a person whom authorities wish to apprehend. They generally include a picture of the person, either a photograph when one is available or of a facial composite ...

'' (1944) as Tex Wyatt * '' The Whispering Skull'' (1944) as Tex Wyatt * '' Marked for Murder'' (1945) as Tex Wyatt * '' The Phantom of 42nd Street'' (1945) as Tony Woolrich * '' Enemy of the Law'' (1945) as Tex Wyatt * '' Three in the Saddle'' (1945) as Tex Wyatt * '' Frontier Fugitives'' (1945) as Tex Wyatt * ''

Flaming Bullets ''Flaming Bullets'' is a 1945 American Western (genre), Western film written and directed by Harry L. Fraser. The film, the final of PRC's Texas Rangers film series, stars Tex Ritter, Dave O'Brien (actor), Dave O'Brien, Guy Wilkerson, Patricia ...

'' (1945) as Tex Wyatt * '' The Man Who Walked Alone'' (1945) * ''

'' (1953) * '' The Kettles in the Ozarks'' (1956) Conductor

Selected short subjects

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Obrien, Dave 1912 births 1969 deaths American male film actors People from Big Spring, Texas 20th-century American male actors Film directors from Texas People who died at sea