Pete Smith
Acting
🎂 1892-09-04
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.
Cast credits(169)
Racetrack Announcer (Voice) (uncredited)
1934
Narrator (voice)
1935
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2002
as Interlocutor (voice)
1942
Narrator
1939
Narrator (voice)
1944
Narrator (voice)
1943
Narrator (voice)
1933
Narrator
1938
Narrator (voice)
1952
Narrator (voice)
1937
Narrator (voice)
1941
Narrator (voice)
1948
Narrator (voice)
1954
Narrator (voice)
1951
Narrator (voice)
1955
Narrator (voice)
1934
Narrator (voice)
1939
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
1943
Narrator (voice)
1939
Narrator (voice)
1941
Narrator (voice)
1953
Narrator
1940
Narrator (voice)
1933
Narrator (voice)
1947
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
1937
Narrator (voice)
1940
Narrator (voice)
1950
Narrator (voice)
1941
Narrator
1945
Narrator (voice)
1934
Narrator in 'Badminton' (voice) (archive footage) (uncredited)
1945
Narrator
1939
Narrator (voice) (as a Smith named Pete)
1950
1941
Narrator (voice)
1939
Narrator
1954
Narrator (voice)
1954
Narrator (voice)
1945
Narrator (voice)
1933
1940
Commentator (voice)
1935
Narrator / Chimp (voice)
1945
Narrator (voice)
1937
Narrator (voice)
1932
Narrator (voice)
1941
Narrator (voice)
1947
Narrator (voice)
1938
Narrator
1938
Narrator (voice)
1952
Narrator
1937
Narrator (voice)
1937
Narrator (voice)
1942
Narrator (voice)
1946
Narrator
1939
Narrator
1938
Narrator (voice)
1940
Narrator (voice)
1932
Narrator
1949
Narrator
1937
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
1931
Narrator (voice)
1946
Narrator
1936
Narrator
1942
Narrator (voice)
1932
1938
Narrator (voice)
1947
Narrator (voice)
1936
Narrator (voice)
1951
Narrator
1949
Narrator
1949
Narrator (voice)
1946
Narrator (voice) / Dog (voice)
1936
Narrator (voice)
1955
Narrator
1954
Narrator (voice)
1937
Narrator (voice)
1954
Narrator (voice)
1935
Narrator (voice)
1946
Narrator (voice)
1932
Narrator
1938
Narrator
1938
Narrator
1946
Narrator (voice)
1939
Narrator
1947
Narrator
1943
Narrator (voice)
1951
Narrator(voice)
1948
Narrator (voice)
1941
Narrator (voice)
1936
Narrator
1954
Narrator (voice)
1955
Narrator
1941
Narrator (voice)
1946
Narrator (voice)
1941
Narrator (voice)
1935
Narrator (voice)
1934
1942
Narrator (voice)
1949
Narrator (voice)
1934
Narrator
1940
Narrator (voice)
1947
Narrator
1938
Narrator
1937
Narrator (voice)
1940
Narrator
1939
Narrator
1955
Narrator (voice)
1948
Narrator (voice)
1936
Narrator (voice)
1953
Narrator (voice)
1950
Narrator (voice)
1940
Narrator(voice)
1933
Narrator
1933
Narrator
1939
Narrator (voice)
1944
Narrator (voice)
1950
Narrator (voice)
1934
Narrator (voice
1948
Narrator (voice)
1932
Narrator (voice)
1942
Narrator (voice)
1934
Narrator (voice)
1953
Narrator (voice)
1941
Narrator (voice)
1934
Narrator (voice)
1953
Narrator (voice)
1942
Pete Smith - Narrator
1944
Narrator
1942
Narrator (voice)
1948
Narrator (voice)
1946
Narrator(voice)
1943
Narrator (voice)
1941
Narrator (voice)
1931
Narrator - Host
1943
Narrator
1953
Narrator (voice)
1934
Narrator (voice)
1948
Narrator
1944
Narrator (voice)
1935
Narrator
1945
Narrator
1938
Narrator
1938
Narrator (voice)
1933
Narrator (voice)
1937
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
1939
Narrator
1940
Narrator (voice)
1934
Narrator (voice)
1936
Narrator
1941
Narrator
1939
Narrator (voice)
1941
Narrator
1947
Narrator
1943
Narrator (voice)
1950
Narrator
1954
Narrator (voice)
1934
Narrator (voice)
1932
Narrator
1942
Narrator
1944
1947
Narrator (voice)
1934
Narrator
1944
Narrator
1949
Narrator
1947
Narrator
1940
Narrator
Narrator (voice)
1934
Narrator
1946
Production (95)
Producer
1935
Producer
1944
Producer
1943
Producer
1933
Producer
1938
Producer
1952
Producer
1937
Producer
1941
Producer
1948
Producer
1954
Producer
1951
Producer
1955
Producer
1934
Producer
1943
Producer
1953
Producer
1933
Producer
1947
Producer
1950
Producer
1941
Producer
1934
Producer
1950
Producer
1939
Producer
1954
Producer
1954
Producer
1945
Producer
1933
Producer
1945
Producer
1941
Producer
1947
Producer
1952
Producer
1937
Producer
1937
Producer
1942
Producer
1946
Producer
1938
Producer
1940
Producer
1932
Producer
1946
Producer
1942
Producer
1932
Producer
1936
Producer
1951
Producer
1946
Producer
1936
Producer
1955
Producer
1954
Producer
1935
Producer
1946
Producer
1938
Producer
1938
Producer
1951
Producer
1941
Producer
1936
Producer
1955
Producer
1946
Producer
1941
Producer
1934
Producer
1949
Producer
1934
Producer
1940
Producer
1947
Producer
1940
Producer
1955
Producer
1948
Producer
1936
Producer
1953
Producer
1950
Producer
1933
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1950
Producer
1948
Producer
1932
Producer
1942
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1934
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1953
Producer
1941
Producer
1953
Producer
1942
Producer
1942
Producer
1948
Producer
1946
Producer
1931
Producer
1934
Producer
1948
Producer
1935
Producer
1938
Producer
1938
Producer
1933
Producer
1937
Producer
1934
Producer
1947
Producer
1950
Producer
1934
Producer
1932
Producer
1934
Producer
1934