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Pete Smith (film producer)

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(Redirected from Pete Smith Specialties)
For other people with the same name, see Pete Smith (disambiguation).
"Goofy Movies" redirects here. Not to be confused with A Goofy Movie.
Pete Smith
Smith in a 1918 issue of The Moving Picture World
Born
Peter Schmidt

(1892-09-04)September 4, 1892
New York City, U.S.
DiedJanuary 12, 1979(1979-01-12) (aged 86)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Producer and narrator of short subjects, Publicist
Years active1931–1955
Known forPete Smith Specialties
Spouses
Marjorie Ganss
​
​
(m. 1918; died 1957)​
Anne Dunster
​
(m. 1962⁠–⁠1979)​
Children1
AwardsAcademy Award for Best Live Action Short Film (1938, 1941)
Academy Honorary Award (1953)

Peter Schmidt (September 4, 1892 – January 12, 1979[1]), Americanized to Pete Smith, was a film producer based in Hollywood, California. He is best known for the Pete Smith Specialties, a long-running series of general-interest short films, ranging from human-interest stories to sports subjects. Best remembered are the comedies, exaggerating common pet peeves and household problems, with Smith offering pointed commentary in his distinctive, nasal tenor.

Early life and career

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Peter Schmidt was born in 1892, in New York City.[2] He became interested in the theatrical business, working behind the scenes as an aide for a vaudeville performers union, an editor and critic for a trade magazine, and a press agent.[2][3] In 1915, as the new field of motion pictures was transforming show business, Smith became a publicity man for Bosworth, Inc., Oliver Morosco Photoplay Co., Artcraft Pictures Corporation, and Famous Players–Lasky.[4] He was one of the founding members of the Associated Motion Picture Advertisers.[5] By 1925 Smith was the manager of publicity for Louis B. Mayer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).[3]

In 1929, producer Jules White and his partner Zion Myers conceived the Dogville Comedies, featuring trained dogs in satires of then-current films (the successful musical The Broadway Melody became The Dogway Melody, for example). Pete Smith was pressed into service to provide some of the comic voices for the soundtracks. This led him into the field of voice-over work, and he narrated some of MGM's sports reels. As a lark, Smith embellished the action by running certain scenes in reverse and adding his own wisecracking comments. Beginning in 1933 MGM offered Goofy Movies, a series of short comedies based on antique silent films. Pete Smith received screen credit in these shorts, which he narrated in florid style. In 1935 Smith introduced the concept of 3-D movies to audiences, by offering explanatory remarks in the "MGM Miniature" Audioscopiks.

Pete Smith Specialties

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Because of Smith's flair for comedy, MGM gave him his own series, Pete Smith Specialties. He produced and narrated dozens of movie short subjects for MGM from the 1935 to 1955.

Most of Smith's movies were one reel in length (9 to 11 minutes). Short subjects were shown before a feature film in movie houses and theaters. The diverse subject matter Smith featured in these shorts were Emily Post-style household hints, insect life seen through a microscope, military training and hardware (during World War II), and dancing lessons. There were even several "series-within-the-series", such as general-knowledge quizzes, professional-football news, and features concerning different kinds of animals (Donkey Baseball and Social Sea Lions). During the war effort, Smith narrated a patriotic short movie for the U.S. Government, The Tree In a Test Tube (1943), filmed in color, featuring Laurel and Hardy in a demonstration of household wood products, with Smith explaining the various exhibits for the viewer.

In October 1943 Melville Danner, owner of a 250-seat theater in Granite, Oklahoma, printed an open letter to MGM, suggesting that Pete Smith should make a short subject about people who behave badly in theaters. Motion Picture Herald gave the suggestion a special headline: "Assignment for Pete Smith."[6] Smith took the suggestion and made Movie Pests (1944), with Dave O'Brien exemplifying the inconsiderate patron who causes problems for everyone around him. The short was so successful that it inspired three sequels: Guest Pests (1945), Bus Pests (1945), and Neighbor Pests (1947).

Poster for his 1936 short subject movie Audioscopiks

Dave O'Brien became the primary actor in the Pete Smith Specialties during the 1940s. The hapless O'Brien would personify everyday nuisances: demonstrating pet peeves, tackling hazardous home-improvement projects, and having other problems with which the audience could identify. O'Brien's scenes were silent, compelling O'Brien to express his satisfaction or frustration entirely in visual terms as narrator Smith offered commentary. O'Brien knew the format so well that he also directed many of the short movies, using the name "David Barclay". He staged many of the sight gags himself, taking stupendous falls for the camera.

The Pete Smith Specialties earned 14 Academy Award nominations and two Best Live Action Short Film Academy Awards.[7] At the 26th Academy Awards, Smith was awarded an Academy Honorary Award "for his witty and pungent observations on the American scene in his series of Pete Smith Specialties."[8]

Smith announced his retirement in 1954. The MGM unit that produced the Pete Smith Specialties was terminated the next year, a casualty of short movies' decreasing popularity at the time.[9] The final film in the series was a tribute to Dave O'Brien, featuring a collection of his spectacular stunts and pratfalls. The reel was appropriately titled The Fall Guy (1955).

Personal life

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Smith, under his birth name Peter J. Schmidt, married Marjorie Ganss on February 6, 1919, in Manhattan. They had one son, Douglas Mosely Schmidt (1919–1984), who later became a technician for RKO.[10] Smith and Ganss remained married until her death in 1957. Smith's second marriage was to his secretary, Anne Dunster, whom he married in Las Vegas in October 1962.[11]

Later years and death

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Smith's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Smith spent his later years in poor health at a convalescent home in Santa Monica, California.[2] On January 12, 1979, he committed suicide by leaping off the building's roof.[12] He was survived by his second wife, Anne, and his son Douglas.[13]

For his contribution to the movie industry, Smith received a star symbol on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 1621 Vine Street.[1]

Selected filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1931 Fishermen's Paradise Narrator Producer
1931 Whippet Racing Narrator Producer
1931 Wild and Woolly Narrator Producer
1932 Color Scales Narrator Producer
1932 Desert Regatta Narrator Producer
1932 Trout Fishing Narrator Producer
1932 Microscopic Mysteries Narrator Producer
1932 Swing High Narrator Producer
1932 Fast Life Race Announcer Appeared as himself
1932 Snow Birds Explanatory Remarks
1933 Goofy-Movies Number One Narrator
1933 Menu Narrator Producer
Nominated: Academy Award for Best Short Subject, Novelty
1933 Handlebars Narrator Producer
1933 Fine Feathers Narrator Producer
1934 Goofy Movies (Parts 1 - 9) Narrator 10 part series released February through December in 1934, with only the first 9 narrated by Smith.
1934 Roping Wild Bears Narrator
1934 Vital Victuals Narrator Producer
1934 Strikes and Spares Narrator Producer
Nominated: Academy Award for Best Short Subject, Novelty
1934 Pro Football Narrator
1935 Donkey Baseball Producer and writer. Does not narrate
1935 La Fiesta de Santa Barbara Narrator Producer
Nominated: Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Color)
1935 Audioscopiks Narrator Producer
Nominated: Academy Award for Best Short Subject, Novelty
1935 Water Sports Narrator
1935 Trained Hoofs Narrator
1936 Wanted – A Master Narrator/Voice of Dog Producer
Nominated: Academy Award for Best Short Subject, One-reel
1936 Killer-Dog Narrator Producer
1936 Harnessed Rhythm Narrator
1936 Bar-Rac's Night Out Narrator Producer
1937 The Grand Bounce Narrator
1937 Candid Cameramaniacs Narrator Producer
1937 Penny Wisdom Narrator Producer
Won: Academy Award for Best Short Subject, Color
1937 Pigskin Champions Narrator Producer
1937 Romance of Radium Narrator Producer
Nominated: Academy Award for Best Short Subject, One-reel
1938 Football Thrills of 1937 Narrator Producer, director
1938 Three on a Rope Narrator
1938 Fisticuffs Narrator Features Max Baer
1938 Hot on Ice Narrator Producer
1939 Football Thrills of 1938 Narrator Producer, director
1939 Radio Hams Narrator Producer
1939 Let's Talk Turkey Narrator
1939 Poetry of Nature Narrator
1939 Take a Cue Narrator
1939 Weather Wizards Narrator Producer
1940 Spots Before Your Eyes Narrator Producer
1940 Quicker'n a Wink Narrator Producer
Won: Academy Award for Best Short Subject, One-reel
1941 Aeronutics Narrator Producer
1941 Third Dimensional Murder Narrator Producer
1941 Army Champions Narrator Producer
Nominated: Academy Award for Best Short Subject, One-reel
1941 Lions on the Loose Narrator Producer
1941 How to Hold Your Husband Narrator
1942 Acro-Batty Narrator Producer, writer
1942 Marines in the Making Narrator Producer
Nominated: Academy Award for Best Short Subject, One-reel
1942 Calling All Pa's Narrator
1942 Victory Quiz Narrator Quiz about military names. Starring in one skit a young and uncredited Alan Hale Jr. on KP duty
1943 First Aid Narrator
1943 Seeing Hands Narrator Producer
Nominated: Academy Award for Best Short Subject, One-reel
1943 The Tree in a Test Tube Interlocutor (voice)
1944 Movie Pests Narrator Producer
Nominated: Academy Award for Best Short Subject, One-reel
1944 Football Thrills of 1944 Narrator Producer, director
1945 Hollywood Scout Narrator Producer
1945 Bus Pests Narrator Producer
1946 Treasures From Trash Narrator Producer
1946 Gettin' Glamour Narrator Producer
1946 Playing by Ear Narrator Producer
1946 Fala at Hyde Park Narrator Producer
1946 I Love My Husband, But! Narrator Producer
1946 Sure Cures Narrator Producer
Nominated: Academy Award for Best Short Subject, One-reel
1946 Studio Visit Narrator Producer - Pete Smith Specialty
1947 Now You See It Narrator Producer
Nominated: Academy Award for Best Short Subject, One-reel
1947 I Love My Wife, But! Narrator Producer
1947 What D'ya Know? Narrator Producer
1947 Have You Ever Wondered? Narrator Producer
1948 I Love My Mother-in-Law But... Narrator Producer
1948 Bowling Tricks With Andy Varipapa Narrator Producer
1948 You Can't Win Narrator Producer
Nominated: Academy Award for Best Short Subject, One-reel
1948 Just Suppose Narrator Producer
1948 Ice Aces Narrator
1948 Let's Cogitate Narrator Producer
1949 How Come? Narrator Producer
1949 Water Trix [de] Narrator Producer
Nominated: Academy Award for Best Short Subject, One-reel
1949 Did'ja Know? Have You Ever Wondered #3 Narrator Producer
1950 Wrong Way Butch Narrator Producer
Nominated: Academy Award for Best Short Subject, One-reel
1950 A Wife's Life Narrator Producer
1950 Curious Contests Narrator Producer
1951 Bargain Madness Narrator Producer
1951 Bandage Bait Narrator Producer
1951 Fishing Feats Narrator Producer
1952 Gymnastic Rhythm Narrator Producer
1952 I Love Children, But! Narrator Producer
1953 The Postman Narrator Producer
1953 Things We Can Do Without Narrator Producer
1954 Do Someone a Favor! Narrator Producer
1954 The Camera Caught It Narrator Producer
1954 Rough Riding Narrator Producer
(Color)
1954 Fish Tales Narrator Producer
(Color)
1955 The Man Around the House Narrator Producer
1955 Animals in Action Narrator Producer
1955 Fall Guy Narrator Producer

Home media availability

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Pete Smith’s short films are included as extras on DVDs of many classic Warner Home Video films of the era. These include:

References

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  1. ^ a b "Pete Smith". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
  2. ^ a b c "Pete Smith". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
  3. ^ a b "Specialty producer dies at 86". The Leader-Post. January 16, 1979. p. 25. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
  4. ^ "Moving Picture World Jul-Aug 1918". Moving Picture World. Chalmers Publishing Company. 1918. p. 392. Retrieved 2024-08-11. Peter began his business career as a stenographer in 1907, and admits that he was glad to get six dollars for a week's toil.
  5. ^ "Movie Ad Men in Association". The Fourth Estate. August 5, 1916. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
  6. ^ "Premiere Wows Granite". Motion Picture Herald: 12. July 8, 1944.
  7. ^ Zone, Ray (2007). Stereoscopic Cinema & the Origins of 3-D Film, 1838–1952. University Press of Kentucky. p. 147. ISBN 978-0-813-12461-2.
  8. ^ Maltin, Leonard (1972). The Great Movie Shorts. Crown Publishers. p. 145.
  9. ^ Doherty, Thomas Patrick (2013). Hollywood's Censor: Joseph I. Breen and the Production Code Administration. Columbia University Press. pp. 1864–1865. ISBN 978-0-231-51284-8.
  10. ^ "Following In Their Parents' Footsteps". The Sydney Morning Herald. July 6, 1937. p. 9. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
  11. ^ "Pete Smith Weds His Secretary". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. October 22, 1962. p. 1. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
  12. ^ "Pete Smith". Toledo Blade via Google. Associated Press. January 14, 1979. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
  13. ^ "Leap From Roof Kills Former Filmmaker". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. January 14, 1979. p. 4B.
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