DAVE O'BRIEN BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Dave O'Brien was born on May 31st, 1912 in Big Spring, Texas with the birth name David Poole Fronabarger.  He first became involved in the entertainment industry working as a chorus boy.  He moved to Hollywood in the 1930's and was determined to get involved in the film industry. 

He first began working with Warner Brothers in musicals as a dancer and chorus boy such as his appearance on, "42nd Street" (1933).  He was very athletic and therefore did a variety of stunt work, mostly western films. 
 
Throughout his career he was not only an actor but also got involved in producing, directing and even writing for television.  He first became known by viewers for his role in the 1940's on MGM's comedy short film series, "Pete Smith Specialties" in which he wrote and directed many of these under another stage name, David Barclay.
 
He was also known as Tex O'Brien from many of his appearances in westerns.  Some of his film work was in, "Reefer Madness" (1936), "Queen Of The Yukon" (1940), "The Devil Bat" (1940), "Son of the Navy" (1940), "The Man Who Walked Alone" (1945) and "Kiss Me, Kate" (1953).

O'Brien was also responsible for making a television pilot called, "Meet the O'Brien's", however it was never picked up.  Dave did however, write for television for the show, "Red Skelton" and won an Emmy for his talent.   
 
It is said that O'Brien always felt slightly embarrassed by his lack of education and bad use of grammar and spelling.  Most of his scripts were his ideas, but someone else actually putting it down on paper.  
 
O'Brien married twice, first to Dorothy Short from 1936 through 1954 and the couple had two children.  He then married his second and final wife, Nancy O'Brien in 1955 and they had three children together.  They remained married until O'Brien passed away on November 8th, 1969 on Catalina Island, California from a heart attack while competing in a yacht race at the age of fifty seven.  He was survived by his wife Nancy, two sons, Jib, Skippy and three daughters, Patty, Pam and Wendy.
 

Filmography

1955-1959  The Red Skelton Hour 
1956   The Desperados Are in Town 
1956   The Kettles in the Ozarks 
1955   MGM Parade 
1955   Just What I Needed
1955   The Bob Cummings Show 
1955   Keep Young 
1955   The Man Around the House
1954   Climax!
1954   Safe at Home
1954   Out for Fun 
1954   Do Someone a Favor!
1954   Tennessee Champ 
1954   Ain't It Aggravatin'
1953   Things We Can Do Without
1953   Landlording It
1953   Kiss Me Kate 
1953   It Would Serve 'Em Right
1953   Cash Stashers
1953   T.V. of Tomorrow
1953   The Postman
1952   I Love Children, But!
1952   I Sweet Memories
1952   Reducing 
1952   It Could Happen to You
1951   That's What You Think
1951   Bandage Bait
1951   Fixin' Fool
1950   Wanted: One Egg
1950   A Wife's Life
1950   Wrong Way Butch 
1950   That's His Story
1950   Did'ja Know?
1950   Pest Control 
1949   Sports Oddities
1949   We Can Dream, Can't We?
1949   So You Want to Be an Actor 
1949   How Come?
1949   Those Good Old Days
1948   Let's Cogitate 
1948   Why Is It? 
1948   Just Suppose
1948   You Can't Win
1948   I Love My Mother-in-Law But...
1947   Have You Ever Wondered? 
1947   What D'ya Know?
1947   Pet Peeves
1947   Neighbor Pests
1947   I Love My Wife But!
1947   Early Sports Quiz: What's Your I.Q. No. 13
1946   I Love My Husband, But!
1946   Studio Visit
1945   Bus Pests 1945 Flaming Bullets
1945   Frontier Fugitives  
1945   Three in the Saddle 
1945   Enemy of the Law 
1945   The Phantom of 42nd Street  
1945   The Man Who Walked Alone 
1945   Marked for Murder 
1944   The Whispering Skull 
1944   Tahiti Nights  
1944   Safety Sleuth
1944   Dead or Alive 
1944   Gangsters of the Frontier
1944   Gunsmoke Mesa  
1944   Brand of the Devil 
1944   Movie Pests
1944   Spook Town
1944   The Pinto Bandit
1944   Guns of the Law
1944   Outlaw Roundup
1943   Boss of Rawhide 
1943   Return of the Rangers
1943   Fixin' Tricks
1943   Trail of Terror   
1943   Salute to the Marines 
1943   Seventh Column
1943   Border Buckaroos  
1943   West of Texas
1943   Who's Superstitious?
1943   Bad Men of Thunder Gap 
1943   First Aid (short) 
1942   The Rangers Take Over
1942   'Neath Brooklyn Bridge 
1942   The Yanks Are Coming 
1942   Bowery at Midnight 
1942   Calling All Pa's
1942   Victory Vittles 
1942   King of the Stallions 
1942   Carry Harry
1942   Sheriff of Sage Valley 
1942   Law and Order 
1942   Prisoner of Japan 
1942   Down Texas Way  
1942   Victory Quiz (short) 
1942   Billy the Kid's Smoking Guns 
1942   What About Daddy?
1942   Captain Midnight
1941   Forbidden Trails 
1941   Double Trouble 
1941   Spooks Run Wild
1941   Billy the Kid Wanted 
1941   The Gunman from Bodie
1941   The Deadly Game 
1941   The Texas Marshal  
1941   Billy the Kid in Santa Fe
1941   Murder by Invitation 
1941   The Spider Returns
1941   Buzzy and the Phantom Pinto 
1941   Flying Wild  
1940   The Devil Bat 
1940   That Gang of Mine 
1940   Queen of the Yukon  
1940   Gun Code 
1940   Boys of the City 
1940   Sky Bandits  
1940   Hold That Woman! 
1940   On the Spot  
1940   The Kid from Santa Fe 
1940   The Cowboy from Sundown  
1940   Son of the Navy 
1940   Phantom Rancher
1940   Isle of Destiny 
1940   Murder on the Yukon (short) 
1940   East Side Kids 
1940   Danger Ahead 
1940   Yukon Flight 
1940   Buzzy Rides the Range 
1939   Crashing Thru  
1939   Buried Alive 
1939   Fighting Mad
1939   Main Street Lawyer 
1939   Flaming Lead 
1939   Mutiny in the Big House
1939   The Arizona Kid
1939   The Fighting Renegade 
1939   Daughter of the Tong 
1939   New Frontier 
1939   Riders of the Sage 
1939   Wyoming Outlaw 
1939   Outlaws' Paradise 
1939   Texas Wildcats
1939   Trigger Smith 
1939   Rollin' Westward 
1939   Code of the Cactus  
1939   Drifting Westward 
1939   Water Rustlers 
1938   Song of the Buckaroo 
1938   Gun Packer 
1938   Law of the Texan 
1938   Where the Buffalo Roam 
1938   Frontier Scout
1938   Starlight Over Texas
1938   The Utah Trail 
1938   Man's Country 
1938   The Singing Cowgirl 
1938   Whirlwind Horseman
1938   The Secret of Treasure Island 
1938   Born to Be Wild 
1937   Youth on Parole 
1937   Million Dollar Racket 
1937   Renfrew of the Royal Mounted 
1937   Rough Riding Rhythm 
1937   Mr. Dodd Takes the Air 
1937   Brothers of the West
1937   Lightnin' Crandall
1937   When You're in Love
1936   The Girl on the Front Page
1936   The Black Coin
1936   The Crime of Dr. Forbes
1936   The Oregon Trail
1936   The Adventures of Frank Merriwell 
1936   Tell Your Children 
1935   Ship Cafe 
1935   Fighting Youth
1935   Red Salute
1935   Welcome Home 
1935   Woman Wanted  
1935   Doubting Thomas 
1935   Hooray for Love
1935   No More Ladies
1935   The Little Colonel
1935   Sweet Music
1935   Rumba
1934   Bright Eyes 
1934   Music in the Air
1934   The Silver Streak  
1934   College Rhythm 
1934   Student Tour  
1934   Gift of Gab 
1934   We're Rich Again 
1934   The Hell Cat 
1934   Murder at the Vanities 
1934   Good Dame
1934   Coming-Out Party
1934   Wonder Bar 
1934   Search for Beauty
1934   Tomorrow's Children 
1933   The World Changes 
1933   Sitting Pretty
1933   College Coach 
1933   Footlight Parade
1933   One Man's Journey
1933   College Humor
1933   Jennie Gerhardt 
1933   Night of Terror  
1933   Pick-up
1933   42nd Street  
1932   Rasputin and the Empress 
1932   The Sign of the Cross 
1932   Hot Saturday 
1932   Pack Up Your Troubles 
1932   70,000 Witnesses 
1932   Speak Easily 
1932   Devil and the Deep 
1932   Roar of the Dragon 
1932   Is My Face Red? 
1931   Flying High 
1931   Consolation Marriage 
1931   Lover Come Back 
1930   Maybe It's Love 
1930   The Dawn Patrol