Dave O'Brien (born David Poole Fronabarger; May 31, 1912 – November 8, 1969) was an American film actor, stunt man, film director, and Emmy awarded comedy writer. In Hollywood, he was known as an innovative stunt man, among other of his talents. He was well known for his portrayal, in the 1942 serial films of the children's hero, the aviator, Captain Midnight (serial), performer and comedy writer in the Pete Smith Specialties and as one of Red Skelton's comedy writers.

Life and career

Born in Big Spring, Texas, 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 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 in the Busby Berkeley musical 42nd Street. O'Brien portrayed a frantic drug abuser in the 1936 anti-drug film Tell Your Children (better known under its reissue title, Reefer Madness). He appeared in several of the East Side Kids films. He appeared in low-budget Westerns, such as Producers Releasing Corporation's Texas Rangers series, billed as "Tex O'Brien". In 1940, he appeared in Queen of the Yukon, The Devil Bat with Bela Lugosi, 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 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.

Recognition and writing career, death

As a comedy writer for The Red Skelton Show, 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, Mr. O'Brien was a "top television comedy writer" on the Red Skelton Hour.

Selected filmography

Selected short subjects