Pete Smith
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.
Personal Details
Also Known As
Movies (49)
Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2002
The Fall Guy
as Narrator (voice)
1955
Animals in Action
as Narrator (voice)
1955
Just What I Needed
as Narrator
1955
The Man Around the House
as Narrator (voice)
1955
Rough Riding
as Narrator
1954
The Camera Caught It
as Narrator
1954
Film Antics
as Narrator
1954
Out for Fun
as Narrator
1954
Do Someone a Favor!
as Narrator (voice)
1954
Fish Tales
as Narrator (voice)
1954
Ain't It Aggravatin'
as Narrator (voice)
1954
Things We Can Do Without
as Narrator (voice)
1953
This Is a Living?
as Narrator (voice)
1953
Cash Stashers
as Narrator (voice)
1953
Dogs 'n Ducks
as Narrator (voice)
1953
The Mosconi Story
as Narrator
1953
Reducing
as Narrator (voice)
1952
Musiquiz
as Narrator (voice)
1952
Fishing Feats
as Narrator (voice)
1951
Bargain Madness
as Narrator (voice)
1951
Camera Sleuth
as Narrator (voice)
1951
Curious Contests
as Narrator (voice) (as a Smith named Pete)
1950
Wrong Way Butch
as Narrator (voice)
1950
A Wife's Life
as Narrator (voice)
1950
Did'ja Know?
as Narrator (voice)
1950
Crashing the Movies
as Narrator (voice)
1950
Sports Oddities
as Narrator
1949
We Can Dream, Can't We?
as Narrator
1949
Water Trix
as Narrator (voice)
1949
Those Good Old Days
as Narrator
1949
Super Cue Men
as Narrator
1949
Let's Cogitate
as Narrator (voice
1948
Ice Aces
as Narrator (voice)
1948
Just Suppose
as Narrator (voice)
1948
You Can't Win
as Narrator (voice)
1948
I Love My Mother-In-Law But...
as Narrator (voice)
1948
Bowling Tricks
as Narrator(voice)
1948
Have You Ever Wondered?
as Narrator (voice)
1947
Surfboard Rhythm
as Narrator
1947
Football Thrills No. 10
1947
Neighbor Pests
as Narrator
1947
I Love My Wife BUT!
as Narrator (voice)
1947
Now You See It
as Narrator (voice)
1947
Diamond Demon
as Narrator (voice)
1947
Athletiquiz: What's Your I.Q.? No. 12
as Narrator
1947
I Love My Husband, But!
as Narrator (voice)
1946
Sure Cures
as Narrator (voice)
1946
Football Thrills No. 9
as Narrator
1946
