Pete Smith
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.

Killer Dog

Let's Cogitate
Those Good Old Days
Water Wisdom

Marine Circus

Throttle Pushers
Neighbor Pests

Film Antics

Inflation

Menu

Romance of Radium

Goofy Movies Number Seven

Strikes and Spares

Penny Wisdom

Friend Indeed
Pigskin Champions

The New Audioscopiks

Fisticuffs
Three on a Rope
Guest Pests
Out for Fun

Swing High
Super Cue Men
Double Diving

The Tree in a Test Tube

Hurling

Diamond Demon
Stuffie

The Grand Bounce
Let's Talk Turkey

Radio Hams
Set 'em Up

Trader Hound

Fala: The President's Dog
Hollywood Daredevils

The Jonker Diamond

Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story
We Can Dream, Can't We?
Ain't It Aggravatin'

Goofy Movies Number One

Goofy Movies Number Two

Goofy Movies Number Three

Goofy Movies Number Four

Goofy Movies Number Five

Goofy Movies Number Six
Goofy Movies Number Eight

Goofy Movies Number Nine
Goofy Movies Number Ten

Things We Can Do Without

Did'ja Know?
Third Dimensional Murder

Wedding Bills

Take a Cue

Handlebars
Let's Dance

Candid Cameramaniacs

Bar-Rac's Night Out
I Love My Husband, But!

Movie Pests

Sure Cures

Wanted - A Master

Fishing Feats
The Fall Guy

Weather Wizards
'What's Your 'I.Q.'?': Number Two
Equestrian Quiz: What's Your I.Q.? No. 11

Roping Wild Bears

Fancy Answers

Seeing Hands

Water Trix
Aeronutics
I Love My Wife BUT!
A Wife's Life
I Love My Mother-In-Law But...

Cash Stashers

Camera Sleuth
Just What I Needed

Snow Birds

Sports Oddities
The Man Around the House

Wrong Way Butch

You Can't Win
Do Someone a Favor!

Donkey Baseball

Acro-Batty

Hollywood Scout

The Great Morgan

Just Suppose
Gettin' Glamour

How to Hold Your Husband - BACK

Reducing
Fine Feathers

Rough Riding
The Camera Caught It

Water Sports
Animals in Action
Athletiquiz: What's Your I.Q.? No. 12
Have You Ever Wondered?

Bargain Madness

Victory Quiz

Calling All Pa's

Dogs 'n Ducks

Harnessed Rhythm
Lions on the Loose

Crashing the Movies

Ice Aces
Musiquiz

Fish Tales
Microscopic Mysteries

Heroes at Leisure

Flicker Memories

Audioscopiks

Now You See It

Quicker'n a Wink

Army Champions

La Fiesta de Santa Barbara

Marines in the Making

Groovie Movie
Safety Sleuth

The Domineering Male

Color Scales

Treasures from Trash

Trained Hoofs
Football Thrills of 1940
Football Thrills of 1944

Manhattan Melodrama

Seventh Column

Equestrian Acrobats

Pro Football
Badminton

Wild and Woolly

Desert Regatta

This Is a Living?
Water Bugs

Studio Visit
Sportsman's Memories

Aqua Antics
Olympic Events

Cuban Rhythm

Curious Contests
Penny's Party

Anaesthesia
Dexterity
Football Thrills of 1937
Grid Rules
Hot on Ice
Man's Greatest Friend
Penny's Picnic
Poetry of Nature

Bowling Tricks
Memory Tricks
Culinary Carving
Home Maid
The Mosconi Story

What About Daddy?

Spots Before Your Eyes
Maintain the Right
Football Thrills of 1938
Social Sea Lions
Please Answer (I.Q. #3)
Football Thrills of 1939
Penny To the Rescue
Football Thrills of 1941
Football Thrills of 1942
Football Thrills of 1943

Fala at Hyde Park
Football Thrills No. 9
Football Thrills No. 10
Surfboard Rhythm

The Jonker Diamond

The Jonker Diamond

Killer Dog

Goofy Movies Number Two

Goofy Movies Number One
Ain't It Aggravatin'

Goofy Movies Number Three

Goofy Movies Number Four

Goofy Movies Number Five

Goofy Movies Number Six

Goofy Movies Number Seven
Goofy Movies Number Eight

Goofy Movies Number Nine
Goofy Movies Number Ten

Things We Can Do Without

Did'ja Know?
Third Dimensional Murder

Inflation

Menu

Handlebars

Strikes and Spares
'What's Your 'I.Q.'?': Number Two
Equestrian Quiz: What's Your I.Q.? No. 11
I Love My Husband, But!

Movie Pests

Sure Cures

Wanted - A Master

Fishing Feats
The Fall Guy

Seeing Hands

Water Trix

Fancy Answers

Let's Cogitate
A Wife's Life
I Love My Wife BUT!
I Love My Mother-In-Law But...

Cash Stashers

Camera Sleuth
The Man Around the House
Just What I Needed

Wrong Way Butch

Penny Wisdom

You Can't Win

Film Antics
Do Someone a Favor!

Acro-Batty

Acro-Batty

Hollywood Scout

Donkey Baseball

Donkey Baseball

Just Suppose

Reducing
Gettin' Glamour

How to Hold Your Husband - BACK
Fine Feathers

Bargain Madness
Have You Ever Wondered?
Lions on the Loose

Fish Tales

Harnessed Rhythm

Crashing the Movies
Animals in Action

Ice Aces
Musiquiz

Ice Aces
Microscopic Mysteries

Army Champions

Romance of Radium

La Fiesta de Santa Barbara

Now You See It

Marines in the Making

Quicker'n a Wink

Wild and Woolly

Calling All Pa's

Dogs 'n Ducks

Color Scales

Water Sports

Treasures from Trash

Desert Regatta

Trained Hoofs

This Is a Living?

This Is a Living?

Bar-Rac's Night Out
Football Thrills of 1944

Seventh Column
Badminton

Studio Visit

Heroes at Leisure

Aqua Antics
Olympic Events

Cuban Rhythm

Curious Contests

Anaesthesia
Dexterity
Football Thrills of 1937
Football Thrills of 1937
Grid Rules
Hot on Ice
Man's Greatest Friend

What About Daddy?
