1892-09-04 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.
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Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 2002-02-05 |
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The Fall Guy | Narrator (voice) | 1955-06-04 |
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Animals in Action | Narrator (voice) | 1955-05-21 |
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Just What I Needed | Narrator | 1955-04-15 |
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The Man Around the House | Narrator (voice) | 1955-01-01 |
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Ain't It Aggravatin' | Narrator (voice) | 1954-02-06 |
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Rough Riding | Narrator | 1954-12-11 |
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The Camera Caught It | Narrator | 1954-10-09 |
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Do Someone a Favor! | Narrator (voice) | 1954-04-10 |
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Fish Tales | Narrator (voice) | 1954-03-13 |
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Out for Fun | Narrator | 1954-05-08 |
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Film Antics | Narrator | 1954-07-08 |
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Dogs 'n Ducks | Narrator (voice) | 1953-06-27 |
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Things We Can Do Without | Narrator (voice) | 1953-12-05 |
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This Is a Living? | Narrator (voice) | 1953-10-10 |
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Cash Stashers | Narrator (voice) | 1953-08-29 |
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The Mosconi Story | Narrator | 1953-02-07 |
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Musiquiz | Narrator (voice) | 1952-02-16 |
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Reducing | Narrator (voice) | 1952-03-22 |
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Camera Sleuth | Narrator (voice) | 1951-04-28 |
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Bargain Madness | Narrator (voice) | 1951-07-04 |
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Fishing Feats | Narrator (voice) | 1951-12-22 |
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Wrong Way Butch | Narrator (voice) | 1950-09-02 |
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A Wife's Life | Narrator (voice) | 1950-09-01 |
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Pest Control | Narrator | 1950-01-14 |
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Did'ja Know? | Narrator (voice) | 1950-05-06 |
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Curious Contests | Narrator (voice) (as a Smith named Pete) | 1950-11-11 |
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Crashing the Movies | Narrator (voice) | 1950-01-28 |
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Those Good Old Days | Narrator | 1949-04-16 |
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Sports Oddities | Narrator | 1949-12-31 |
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Super Cue Men | Narrator | 1949-01-29 |
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Water Trix | Narrator (voice) | 1949-11-05 |
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We Can Dream, Can't We? | Narrator | 1949-12-03 |
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Ice Aces | Narrator (voice) | 1948-11-06 |
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You Can't Win | Narrator (voice) | 1948-05-29 |
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Bowling Tricks | Narrator(voice) | 1948-01-10 |
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Just Suppose | Narrator (voice) | 1948-07-17 |
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I Love My Mother-In-Law But... | Narrator (voice) | 1948-02-07 |
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Let's Cogitate | Narrator (voice | 1948-12-25 |
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Athletiquiz: What's Your I.Q.? No. 12 | Narrator | 1947-01-11 |
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I Love My Wife BUT! | Narrator (voice) | 1947-04-05 |
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Have You Ever Wondered? | Narrator (voice) | 1947-12-13 |
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Now You See It | Narrator (voice) | 1947-03-20 |
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Diamond Demon | Narrator (voice) | 1947-02-01 |
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Neighbor Pests | Narrator | 1947-05-03 |
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Football Thrills No. 10 | 1947-09-06 | |
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Surfboard Rhythm | Narrator | 1947-10-18 |
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I Love My Husband, But! | Narrator (voice) | 1946-12-07 |
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Studio Visit | Narrator (voice) | 1946-05-11 |
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Gettin' Glamour | Narrator (voice) | 1946-02-02 |
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Equestrian Quiz: What's Your I.Q.? No. 11 | Narrator (voice) | 1946-05-18 |
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Sure Cures | Narrator (voice) | 1946-11-02 |
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Football Thrills No. 9 | Narrator | 1946-09-07 |
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Treasures from Trash | Narrator (voice) | 1946-06-08 |
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Fala at Hyde Park | Narrator | 1946-01-19 |
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Hollywood Scout | Narrator / Chimp (voice) | 1945-04-14 |
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The Great Morgan | Narrator in 'Badminton' (voice) (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1945-01-01 |
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Football Thrills of 1944 | Narrator | 1945-09-08 |
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Guest Pests | Narrator | 1945-10-20 |
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Badminton | Narrator (voice) | 1945-12-08 |
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Home Maid | Narrator | 1944-02-19 |
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Football Thrills of 1943 | Narrator | 1944-09-23 |
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Movie Pests | Narrator (voice) | 1944-07-08 |
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Groovie Movie | Narrator | 1944-02-19 |
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Safety Sleuth | Pete Smith - Narrator | 1944-11-25 |
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Sportsman's Memories | Narrator (voice) | 1944-04-22 |
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Water Wisdom | Narrator(voice) | 1943-11-27 |
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Fala: The President's Dog | Narrator - Host | 1943-04-10 |
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Hollywood Daredevils | Narrator | 1943-03-20 |
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Football Thrills of 1942 | Narrator | 1943-09-25 |
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Seventh Column | Narrator (voice) | 1943-07-31 |
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Seeing Hands | Narrator (voice) (uncredited) | 1943-07-03 |
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Aqua Antics | Narrator (voice) | 1942-01-24 |
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Calling All Pa's | Narrator (voice) | 1942-10-24 |
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Victory Quiz | 1942-05-09 | |
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Football Thrills of 1941 | Narrator | 1942-09-26 |
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Marines in the Making | Narrator (voice) | 1942-12-26 |
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What About Daddy? | Narrator | 1942-02-28 |
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Acro-Batty | Narrator | 1942-03-28 |
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The Tree in a Test Tube | as Interlocutor (voice) | 1942-11-19 |
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How to Hold Your Husband - BACK | Narrator (voice) | 1941-12-30 |
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Lions on the Loose | Narrator (voice) | 1941-05-24 |
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Army Champions | Narrator (voice) | 1941-10-11 |
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Cuban Rhythm | Narrator (voice) | 1941-06-21 |
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Memory Tricks | 1941-03-15 | |
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Third Dimensional Murder | Narrator (voice) | 1941-03-01 |
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Water Bugs | Narrator (voice) | 1941-08-16 |
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Fancy Answers | Narrator (voice) | 1941-11-01 |
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Aeronutics | Narrator (voice) | 1941-04-26 |
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Flicker Memories | Narrator (voice) | 1941-10-04 |
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Penny To the Rescue | Narrator | 1941-01-25 |
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Football Thrills of 1940 | Narrator | 1941-09-20 |
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The Domineering Male | Narrator (voice) | 1940-03-30 |
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Wedding Bills | Narrator (voice) | 1940-11-13 |
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Stuffie | 1940-03-02 | |
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Spots Before Your Eyes | Narrator | 1940-05-04 |
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Social Sea Lions | Narrator | 1940-07-20 |
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Please Answer (I.Q. #3) | Narrator | 1940-08-24 |
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'What's Your 'I.Q.'?': Number Two | Narrator (voice) | 1940-08-08 |
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Quicker'n a Wink | Narrator (voice) | 1940-10-12 |
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Maintain the Right | Narrator | 1940-01-13 |
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Radio Hams | Narrator (voice) | 1939-05-19 |
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Poetry of Nature | Narrator (voice) (uncredited) | 1939-06-17 |
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Football Thrills of 1938 | Narrator | 1939-01-13 |
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Marine Circus | Narrator | 1939-03-11 |
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Culinary Carving | Narrator | 1939-07-01 |
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Heroes at Leisure | Narrator (voice) | 1939-02-02 |
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Double Diving | Narrator | 1939-01-14 |
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Let's Talk Turkey | Narrator | 1939-10-28 |
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Set 'em Up | Narrator | 1939-10-06 |
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Take a Cue | Narrator (voice) | 1939-08-12 |
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Weather Wizards | Narrator (voice) | 1939-04-08 |
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Grid Rules | Narrator | 1938-10-15 |
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Hot on Ice | Narrator | 1938-10-22 |
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Football Thrills of 1937 | Narrator | 1938-09-10 |
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Anaesthesia | Narrator | 1938-07-09 |
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Penny's Picnic | 1938-12-17 | |
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Fisticuffs | Narrator (voice) | 1938-08-27 |
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The New Audioscopiks | Narrator | 1938-01-16 |
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Penny's Party | Narrator | 1938-04-09 |
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Man's Greatest Friend | Narrator | 1938-11-19 |
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Three on a Rope | Narrator | 1938-02-19 |
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Candid Cameramaniacs | Narrator | 1937-12-11 |
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Friend Indeed | Narrator | 1937-12-28 |
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Pigskin Champions | Narrator (voice) | 1937-08-14 |
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Dexterity | Narrator | 1937-01-16 |
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Penny Wisdom | Narrator (voice) | 1937-04-10 |
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Bar-Rac's Night Out | Narrator (voice) | 1937-02-27 |
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Equestrian Acrobats | Narrator (voice) | 1937-08-14 |
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The Grand Bounce | Narrator (voice) (uncredited) | 1937-05-22 |
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Romance of Radium | Narrator (voice) | 1937-10-23 |
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Hurling | Narrator | 1936-11-16 |
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Let's Dance | Narrator (voice) | 1936-01-04 |
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Killer Dog | Narrator (voice) | 1936-08-29 |
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Harnessed Rhythm | Narrator (voice) | 1936-06-06 |
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The Jonker Diamond | Narrator (voice) | 1936-03-27 |
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Wanted - A Master | Narrator (voice) / Dog (voice) | 1936-12-26 |
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Trained Hoofs | Narrator (voice) | 1935-10-12 |
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Water Sports | Narrator (voice) | 1935-10-26 |
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Donkey Baseball | Narrator (voice) | 1935-03-02 |
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Audioscopiks | Commentator (voice) | 1935-12-26 |
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La Fiesta de Santa Barbara | Narrator (voice) | 1935-12-07 |
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Goofy Movies Number Two | Narrator (voice) | 1934-02-24 |
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Strikes and Spares | Narrator (voice) | 1934-10-20 |
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Goofy Movies Number Seven | Narrator (voice) | 1934-09-18 |
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Goofy Movies Number Eight | Narrator (voice) | 1934-10-06 |
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Goofy Movies Number Ten | Narrator (voice) | 1934-12-01 |
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Goofy Movies Number Three | Narrator (voice) | 1934-03-24 |
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Roping Wild Bears | Narrator (voice) | 1934-02-10 |
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Pro Football | Narrator (voice) | 1934-09-22 |
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Manhattan Melodrama | Racetrack Announcer (Voice) (uncredited) | 1934-05-04 |
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Goofy Movies Number Six | Narrator (voice) | 1934-07-28 |
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Goofy Movies Number Nine | Narrator (voice) | 1934-11-03 |
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Goofy Movies Number Five | Narrator (voice) | 1934-06-06 |
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Goofy Movies Number Four | Narrator (voice) | 1934-05-05 |
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Fine Feathers | Narrator | 1933-11-18 |
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Menu | Narrator (voice) | 1933-09-23 |
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Goofy Movies Number One | Narrator (voice) | 1933-12-23 |
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Throttle Pushers | Narrator(voice) | 1933-04-01 |
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Handlebars | Narrator (voice) | 1933-08-26 |
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Inflation | Narrator (voice) | 1933-06-15 |
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Snow Birds | Narrator (voice) | 1932-08-20 |
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Swing High | Narrator (voice) | 1932-11-12 |
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Color Scales | Narrator (voice) | 1932-04-23 |
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Olympic Events | Narrator (voice) | 1932-03-05 |
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Microscopic Mysteries | Narrator (voice) | 1932-10-18 |
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Desert Regatta | Narrator (voice) | 1932-09-17 |
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Trader Hound | Narrator (voice) (uncredited) | 1931-04-08 |
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Wild and Woolly | Narrator (voice) | 1931-11-07 |
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Football Thrills of 1939 | Narrator |
