Pete Smith
Born
September 4, 1892
Died
January 12, 1979 (86 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
New York City, New York, USA
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.
Known For
Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2002
The Fall Guy
Narrator (voice)
1955
Animals in Action
Narrator (voice)
1955
Just What I Needed
Narrator
1955
The Man Around the House
Narrator (voice)
1955
Rough Riding
Narrator
1954
The Camera Caught It
Narrator
1954
Film Antics
Narrator
1954
Out for Fun
Narrator
1954
Do Someone a Favor!
Narrator (voice)
1954
Fish Tales
Narrator (voice)
1954
Ain't It Aggravatin'
Narrator (voice)
1954
Things We Can Do Without
Narrator (voice)
1953
This Is a Living?
Narrator (voice)
1953
Cash Stashers
Narrator (voice)
1953
Dogs 'n Ducks
Narrator (voice)
1953
The Mosconi Story
Narrator
1953
Reducing
Narrator (voice)
1952
Musiquiz
Narrator (voice)
1952
Fishing Feats
Narrator (voice)
1951
Bargain Madness
Narrator (voice)
1951
Camera Sleuth
Narrator (voice)
1951
Curious Contests
Narrator (voice) (as a Smith named Pete)
1950
Wrong Way Butch
Narrator (voice)
1950
A Wife's Life
Narrator (voice)
1950
Did'ja Know?
Narrator (voice)
1950
Crashing the Movies
Narrator (voice)
1950
Sports Oddities
Narrator
1949
We Can Dream, Can't We?
Narrator
1949
Water Trix
Narrator (voice)
1949
Those Good Old Days
Narrator
1949
Super Cue Men
Narrator
1949
Let's Cogitate
Narrator (voice
1948
Ice Aces
Narrator (voice)
1948
Just Suppose
Narrator (voice)
1948
You Can't Win
Narrator (voice)
1948
I Love My Mother-In-Law But...
Narrator (voice)
1948
Bowling Tricks
Narrator(voice)
1948
Have You Ever Wondered?
Narrator (voice)
1947
Surfboard Rhythm
Narrator
1947
Football Thrills No. 10
1947
Neighbor Pests
Narrator
1947
I Love My Wife BUT!
Narrator (voice)
1947
Now You See It
Narrator (voice)
1947
Diamond Demon
Narrator (voice)
1947
Athletiquiz: What's Your I.Q.? No. 12
Narrator
1947
I Love My Husband, But!
Narrator (voice)
1946
Sure Cures
Narrator (voice)
1946
Football Thrills No. 9
Narrator
1946
Treasures from Trash
Narrator (voice)
1946
Equestrian Quiz: What's Your I.Q.? No. 11
Narrator (voice)
1946
Studio Visit
Narrator (voice)
1946
Gettin' Glamour
Narrator (voice)
1946
Fala at Hyde Park
Narrator
1946
Badminton
Narrator (voice)
1945
Guest Pests
Narrator
1945
Football Thrills of 1944
Narrator
1945
Hollywood Scout
Narrator / Chimp (voice)
1945
The Great Morgan
Narrator in 'Badminton' (voice) (archive footage) (uncredited)
1945
Safety Sleuth
Pete Smith - Narrator
1944
Football Thrills of 1943
Narrator
1944
Movie Pests
Narrator (voice)
1944
Sportsman's Memories
Narrator (voice)
1944
Groovie Movie
Narrator
1944
Home Maid
Narrator
1944
Water Wisdom
Narrator(voice)
1943
Football Thrills of 1942
Narrator
1943
Seventh Column
Narrator (voice)
1943
Seeing Hands
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
1943
Fala: The President's Dog
Narrator - Host
1943
Hollywood Daredevils
Narrator
1943
Marines in the Making
Narrator (voice)
1942
The Tree in a Test Tube
as Interlocutor (voice)
1942
Calling All Pa's
Narrator (voice)
1942
Football Thrills of 1941
Narrator
1942
Victory Quiz
1942
Acro-Batty
Narrator
1942
What About Daddy?
Narrator
1942
Aqua Antics
Narrator (voice)
1942
How to Hold Your Husband - BACK
Narrator (voice)
1941
Fancy Answers
Narrator (voice)
1941
Army Champions
Narrator (voice)
1941
Flicker Memories
Narrator (voice)
1941
Football Thrills of 1940
Narrator
1941
Water Bugs
Narrator (voice)
1941
Cuban Rhythm
Narrator (voice)
1941
Lions on the Loose
Narrator (voice)
1941
Aeronutics
Narrator (voice)
1941
Memory Tricks
1941
Third Dimensional Murder
Narrator (voice)
1941
Penny To the Rescue
Narrator
1941
Wedding Bills
Narrator (voice)
1940
Quicker'n a Wink
Narrator (voice)
1940
Please Answer (I.Q. #3)
Narrator
1940
'What's Your 'I.Q.'?': Number Two
Narrator (voice)
1940
Social Sea Lions
Narrator
1940
Spots Before Your Eyes
Narrator
1940
The Domineering Male
Narrator (voice)
1940
Stuffie
1940
Maintain the Right
Narrator
1940
Let's Talk Turkey
Narrator
1939
Set 'em Up
Narrator
1939
Take a Cue
Narrator (voice)
1939
Culinary Carving
Narrator
1939
Poetry of Nature
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
1939
Radio Hams
Narrator (voice)
1939
Weather Wizards
Narrator (voice)
1939
Marine Circus
Narrator
1939
Heroes at Leisure
Narrator (voice)
1939
Double Diving
Narrator
1939
Football Thrills of 1938
Narrator
1939
Penny's Picnic
1938
Man's Greatest Friend
Narrator
1938
Hot on Ice
Narrator
1938
Grid Rules
Narrator
1938
Football Thrills of 1937
Narrator
1938
Fisticuffs
Narrator (voice)
1938
Anaesthesia
Narrator
1938
Penny's Party
Narrator
1938
Three on a Rope
Narrator
1938
The New Audioscopiks
Narrator
1938
Friend Indeed
Narrator
1937
Candid Cameramaniacs
Narrator
1937
Romance of Radium
Narrator (voice)
1937
Pigskin Champions
Narrator (voice)
1937
Equestrian Acrobats
Narrator (voice)
1937
The Grand Bounce
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
1937
Penny Wisdom
Narrator (voice)
1937
Bar-Rac's Night Out
Narrator (voice)
1937
Dexterity
Narrator
1937
Wanted - A Master
Narrator (voice) / Dog (voice)
1936
Hurling
Narrator
1936
Killer Dog
Narrator (voice)
1936
Harnessed Rhythm
Narrator (voice)
1936
The Jonker Diamond
Narrator (voice)
1936
Let's Dance
Narrator (voice)
1936
Audioscopiks
Commentator (voice)
1935
La Fiesta de Santa Barbara
Narrator (voice)
1935
Water Sports
Narrator (voice)
1935
Trained Hoofs
Narrator (voice)
1935
Donkey Baseball
Narrator (voice)
1935
Goofy Movies Number Ten
Narrator (voice)
1934
Goofy Movies Number Nine
Narrator (voice)
1934
Strikes and Spares
Narrator (voice)
1934
Goofy Movies Number Eight
Narrator (voice)
1934
Pro Football
Narrator (voice)
1934
Goofy Movies Number Seven
Narrator (voice)
1934
Goofy Movies Number Six
Narrator (voice)
1934
Goofy Movies Number Five
Narrator (voice)
1934
Goofy Movies Number Four
Narrator (voice)
1934
Manhattan Melodrama
Racetrack Announcer (Voice) (uncredited)
1934
Goofy Movies Number Three
Narrator (voice)
1934
Goofy Movies Number Two
Narrator (voice)
1934
Roping Wild Bears
Narrator (voice)
1934
Goofy Movies Number One
Narrator (voice)
1933
Fine Feathers
Narrator
1933
Menu
Narrator (voice)
1933
Handlebars
Narrator (voice)
1933
Inflation
Narrator (voice)
1933
Throttle Pushers
Narrator(voice)
1933
Swing High
Narrator (voice)
1932
Microscopic Mysteries
Narrator (voice)
1932
Desert Regatta
Narrator (voice)
1932
Snow Birds
Narrator (voice)
1932
Color Scales
Narrator (voice)
1932
Olympic Events
Narrator (voice)
1932
Wild and Woolly
Narrator (voice)
1931
Trader Hound
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
1931
Football Thrills of 1939
Narrator