Pete Smith

The story of the short film from the beginning of the movies in the 1890s, when all movies were shorts, through the 1950s when short subjects virtually disappeared from theaters.

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The original concept of the show was to allow the viewer to see the inner workings of a movie studio and featured interviews with MGM stars and explanations of how movies were made. Later, the format changed to show edited versions of MGM films.

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In this final entry in the Pete Smith Specialty series, Smith pays tribute to actor and stuntman Dave O'Brien, who took many falls and spills (and upon whom objects fell) when he played hapless characters throughout the series. Under the pseudonym "David Barclay", O'Brien also directed many of the Specialties. Clips from previous films highlight O'Brien's work.

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The profession of capturing animals in action on celluloid is both an art and science. Some of the most exciting footage can be obtained in different ways. Examples are: a large herd, such as of reindeer, moving as one; slow motion footage of fast moving animals, such as racing greyhounds, especially when they do something unexpected; mothers and their newborn offspring doing what comes naturally; animals placed among special props; animals placed in human situations; combining the exciting and dangerous, such as the running of the bulls in Pamplona and the bullfights to follow; placing animals that are not natural companions together; and placing animals in the situation of a challenge, such as a bunch of bananas just out of reach of a hungry monkey. Many of these elements are combined into the final sequence of a steeplechase race.

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Harry Horseknuckle tries to figure out what to do with some strange and unwanted gifts.

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A humorous look at some typical housework troubles that may arise. A Pete Smith Specialty short.

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This rare Technicolor entry in the Pete Smith Specialty series shows various events at a rodeo in Casper, Wyoming

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A man looks at stacks of canisters of film on shelves. He pulls out a few to show real-life events caught on camera. He pulls out spools of film that include clips of the effects of heavy rain, of early attempts to fly, of an auto race with a spectacular series of crashes, and, last, of the destruction of a suspension bridge newly-built near Tacoma, buffeted and then ruptured by wind. None of these events were staged, and the camera caught them.

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An amusing short film that looks at human and animal babies.

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A tense businessman seeks to find a relaxing pastime but proves himself inept at golf, duck-hunting, and model plane building.

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In this Pete Smith Specialty short, a friendly do-gooder's good deeds backfire.

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In this short film, champion fisherman Ernie St. Claire tries to catch a large salmon in Oregon's Rogue River.

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This comedic short looks at human foibles that lead to major aggravations.

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A Pete Smith Specialty shorts series entry. Dave demonstrates a variety of household items and furniture which, while modern, is much more trouble than the progress is worth.

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This "Pete Smith Specialty" features narrated clips of acrobats and stunt performers who earn their living in unusual and exciting ways.

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This Pete Smith Specialty short shows, humorously, the disastrous results when people save their money in unsafe places.

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A boy trains his new golden retriever for duck retrieving competition, much to the chagrin of his first dog, a lovable but untrained mutt.

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Tells the story of young Willie Mosconi. From growing up with his father's pool hall downstairs to his first US Championship.

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Pete Smith does his usual mocking observations while the overweight Maxine Gates goes through the trials and tribulations of losing weight. The agony of enduring the dieting and weight-losing programs and exercises is compounded by the usual food-and-sweets temptations.

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In this Pete Smith Specialty short, we take a music quiz, plus survey various unusual musical instruments.

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With Pete Smith providing dry off-screen commentary, we watch some serious fishing: a marlin caught near Catalina, a hammerhead shark caught then wrestled in a small rowboat near Baja, the largest (721 pounds) great white shark caught to date in California waters, Chinook Indians catching salmon at Celilo Falls in Oregon - each with his designated place on the river where his ancestors stood, and, last, a crew on a boat off Mexico hoisting and hurling tuna using unbarbed hooks (baited only with a feather) as fast as they can as long as the school is there - backbreaking work - but a $25,000 catch.

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In this comedic Pete Smith Specialty short, women battle for bargains in a department store.

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In this Pete Smith Specialty short, we see how real-life investigator Jo Goggin used a motion picture surveillance camera to gather evidence and disprove a fraudulent insurance claim.

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This Pete Smith Specialty shows newsreel footage events that live up to the title. They include, among others, a diaper derby (the father who puts a diaper on his child fastest wins), a fireman's ball (two teams of fire fighters use high-pressure water hoses to move a large ball to score goals), and a basket race (men run a footrace while balancing a "tower" of ten baskets on their heads).

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This Pete Smith Specialty short was produced in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor. Using humor, it shows what can happen when tools and machinery are misused and safety warnings are ignored.

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In this comedic Pete Smith Specialty short, average housewife Mrs. George T. Hardnose's day is recalled.

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This short looks at the following questions: How would you act as an expectant father? How many greeting cards are sold in the USA each year? Why do indoor radiators make that pounding noise? Why do mammals yawn?

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This Pete Smith Specialty short shows newsreel clips of people performing strange stunts. Among those featured are a motorcyclist driving through a pane of glass, a car being driven up a ramp and crashing on top of other cars, a human loop-the-loop, and a man who has a cannonball shot at his abdomen at close range.

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In this "Pete Smith Specialty Short," advice is given on how to deal with certain common pests.

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A Pete Smith Specialty showcasing athletic stunts.

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Humorous look at fantasy gadgets like ketchup in a tube, tilting book shelves, etc.

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In this Pete Smith Specialty, cameraman Charles T. Trego films water skiing champion Preston Petersen, as he and two unnamed female skiers perform various tricks and feats of skill in their sport.

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Life in mid-century America is humorously compared to life at the turn of the century. Subject covered are keeping accurate time, proposing marriage, waking up in the morning, and going to the movies.

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Pete Smith special about billiard.

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Short film covering a variety of topics that folks may have wondered about.

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This Pete Smith Specialty short provides a behind-the-scenes look at the Ice Capades practices with ice skating favorites of the time.

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In this final entry in the Pete Smith Specialty series, Smith pays tribute to actor and stuntman Dave O'Brien, who took many falls and spills (and upon whom objects fell) when he played hapless characters throughout the series. Under the pseudonym "David Barclay", O'Brien also directed many of the Specialties. Clips from previous films highlight O'Brien's work.

Open details →

The profession of capturing animals in action on celluloid is both an art and science. Some of the most exciting footage can be obtained in different ways. Examples are: a large herd, such as of reindeer, moving as one; slow motion footage of fast moving animals, such as racing greyhounds, especially when they do something unexpected; mothers and their newborn offspring doing what comes naturally; animals placed among special props; animals placed in human situations; combining the exciting and dangerous, such as the running of the bulls in Pamplona and the bullfights to follow; placing animals that are not natural companions together; and placing animals in the situation of a challenge, such as a bunch of bananas just out of reach of a hungry monkey. Many of these elements are combined into the final sequence of a steeplechase race.

Open details →

Harry Horseknuckle tries to figure out what to do with some strange and unwanted gifts.

Open details →

A humorous look at some typical housework troubles that may arise. A Pete Smith Specialty short.

Open details →

An amusing short film that looks at human and animal babies.

Open details →

In this Pete Smith Specialty short, a friendly do-gooder's good deeds backfire.

Open details →

In this short film, champion fisherman Ernie St. Claire tries to catch a large salmon in Oregon's Rogue River.

Open details →

This comedic short looks at human foibles that lead to major aggravations.

Open details →

A Pete Smith Specialty shorts series entry. Dave demonstrates a variety of household items and furniture which, while modern, is much more trouble than the progress is worth.

Open details →

This "Pete Smith Specialty" features narrated clips of acrobats and stunt performers who earn their living in unusual and exciting ways.

Open details →

This Pete Smith Specialty short shows, humorously, the disastrous results when people save their money in unsafe places.

Open details →

A boy trains his new golden retriever for duck retrieving competition, much to the chagrin of his first dog, a lovable but untrained mutt.

Open details →

Pete Smith does his usual mocking observations while the overweight Maxine Gates goes through the trials and tribulations of losing weight. The agony of enduring the dieting and weight-losing programs and exercises is compounded by the usual food-and-sweets temptations.

Open details →

In this Pete Smith Specialty short, we take a music quiz, plus survey various unusual musical instruments.

Open details →

With Pete Smith providing dry off-screen commentary, we watch some serious fishing: a marlin caught near Catalina, a hammerhead shark caught then wrestled in a small rowboat near Baja, the largest (721 pounds) great white shark caught to date in California waters, Chinook Indians catching salmon at Celilo Falls in Oregon - each with his designated place on the river where his ancestors stood, and, last, a crew on a boat off Mexico hoisting and hurling tuna using unbarbed hooks (baited only with a feather) as fast as they can as long as the school is there - backbreaking work - but a $25,000 catch.

Open details →

In this comedic Pete Smith Specialty short, women battle for bargains in a department store.

Open details →

In this Pete Smith Specialty short, we see how real-life investigator Jo Goggin used a motion picture surveillance camera to gather evidence and disprove a fraudulent insurance claim.

Open details →

This Pete Smith Specialty shows newsreel footage events that live up to the title. They include, among others, a diaper derby (the father who puts a diaper on his child fastest wins), a fireman's ball (two teams of fire fighters use high-pressure water hoses to move a large ball to score goals), and a basket race (men run a footrace while balancing a "tower" of ten baskets on their heads).

Open details →

This Pete Smith Specialty short was produced in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor. Using humor, it shows what can happen when tools and machinery are misused and safety warnings are ignored.

Open details →

In this comedic Pete Smith Specialty short, average housewife Mrs. George T. Hardnose's day is recalled.

Open details →

This short looks at the following questions: How would you act as an expectant father? How many greeting cards are sold in the USA each year? Why do indoor radiators make that pounding noise? Why do mammals yawn?

Open details →

This Pete Smith Specialty short shows newsreel clips of people performing strange stunts. Among those featured are a motorcyclist driving through a pane of glass, a car being driven up a ramp and crashing on top of other cars, a human loop-the-loop, and a man who has a cannonball shot at his abdomen at close range.

Open details →

In this Pete Smith Specialty, cameraman Charles T. Trego films water skiing champion Preston Petersen, as he and two unnamed female skiers perform various tricks and feats of skill in their sport.

Open details →

Short film covering a variety of topics that folks may have wondered about.

Open details →

This Pete Smith Specialty short provides a behind-the-scenes look at the Ice Capades practices with ice skating favorites of the time.

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An off-camera narrator takes us through various scenarios of "just suppose". First we watch what would happen if a private detective behaved at home as he does in the movies; it's a ticket to a domestic disturbance. Next, a son gets to treat his father the way his father treats him. In the third episode, to a shopkeeper's chagrin, a man shops for a hat the way a woman does. In the final sketch, we suppose a household in which the man gets pregnant and has a baby, while the mom, clueless about little children, is the one with the career.

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In this comedic Pete Smith Specialty short film, a homeowner experiences a series of mishaps while taking a day off from the office.

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In this Pete Smith Specialty short, a series of vignettes illustrate some ways that mothers-in-law irritate, and/or cause problems for, their son-in-law.

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In this Pete Smith Specialty short, answers are sought regarding some things people may have wondered about.

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A Pete Smith Specialty. The annual compendium of highlights from last season's major intercollegiate gridiron classics.

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Narrator Pete Smith talks about the different kinds of neighbors that can be pests, and how to deal with them.

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In this Pete Smith Specialty short, a husband endures the trials of being married to a wife with irritating traits.

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This Pete Smith Specialty short demonstrates the uses of micro- and macrophotography. We see extreme closeups of the mechanical workings of a tiny wristwatch, the surface of a cat's tongue, and several insects. The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Short Subject, One-Reel.

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In this Pete Smith Specialty short, a wife endures the trials of being married to a husband with traits that drive her crazy.

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This comedic Pete Smith Specialty short examines the folly of using "home remedies" for various ills.

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This short film presents an unusual Beverly Hills store called the Patio Shop, where trash is turned into art.

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