Meet The O'Briens - Failed 1950s TV Pilot Starring Dave O'Brien and Jeff Donnell (1954)

DVD: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012K53R2/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=d... http://thefilmarchived.blogspot.com/

Dave O'Brien (May 31, 1912 -- November 8, 1969) was an American film actor, director and writer. Born David Poole Fronabarger in Big Spring, Texas, O'Brien started his film career in bit parts before gradually winning larger roles, mostly in B pictures.

O'Brien became familiar to movie audiences in the 1940s as the hero of the famous MGM comedy short film series Pete Smith Specialties narrated by Pete Smith. O'Brien wrote and directed many of these subjects under the name David Barclay.

He also appeared in many low-budget Westerns, often billed as 'Tex' O'Brien, alluding to his home state. To modern audiences, he is most likely best to be remembered as a frantic dope addict in the low-budget exploitation film Reefer Madness (1936), yelling "Play it faster, play it faster!!" to a piano-playing girl. He appeared in Queen Of The Yukon (1940) as Bob Adams. In 1940, he appeared in The Devil Bat as part of a comedy team with Donald Kerr. They also appeared together in Son of the Navy (1940) and The Man Who Walked Alone (1945).

In 1942, O'Brien starred in the movie serial Captain Midnight.

One of his later roles was in the film musical version of Kiss Me, Kate (1953), a rare featured role for the actor in an 'A' list big-budget production.

O'Brien married one of his co-stars of Reefer Madness, Dorothy Short, in 1936, but they divorced in 1954 after having two children. In 1955, he married Nancy O'Brien and had three more children. A very keen yachtsman and sailor, he died aged 57 of a heart attack aboard a 60-foot sloop named The White Cloud while competing in a yachting race off the California coast near Catalina Island.

Jeff Donnell (July 10, 1921 — April 11, 1988) was an American film and television actress. Born Jean Marie Donnell, she grew up in South Windham, Maine. As a child, she adopted the nickname "Jeff" after the character in her favorite comic strip, Mutt and Jeff.

Donnell graduated from Towson High School, Towson, Maryland, in 1938 and attended the Leland Powers Drama School in Boston, Massachusetts. Later, she studied at the Yale School of Drama. She was signed to a contract by Columbia Pictures in 1942 and made her film debut in My Sister Eileen. She later had roles in some RKO films.

She was not a major star, but she did have a lengthy film and television career in various supporting roles, including the role of Gidget's mother, "Dorothy Lawrence", opposite Carl Reiner in the 1961 movie Gidget Goes Hawaiian.

Her other notable appearances in movies and television include: * "Winnie Slade" in The Boogie Man Will Get You (1942) * Doughboys in Ireland (1943) * "Butch" in Nine Girls (1944) * "Sylvia Nicolai" in In a Lonely Place (1950) * Thief of Damascus (Leading Lady) Movie (1952) * "Alice Gobel" in the George Gobel TV show (1954--1958) * "Miriam Fisher" in The Iron Maiden (1962; released in the U.S. as Swinging Maiden) * "Cornelia," (Cornelia Fort), a flying instructor in Tora, Tora, Tora (1970) * "Aunt May Parker" in The Amazing Spider-Man (1977) * "Stella Fields" in the TV soap opera General Hospital (1980--1988)

Donnell died of a heart attack on April 11, 1988, aged 66. Her sudden absence from General Hospital, on which she had a recurring role as the Quartermaines' housekeeper at the time of her death, was explained away by the writers as her character having won the lottery and quit her job.

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[DMAGSTER]

This was good enough that they could do a 21st century version of the same show with a slightly update script. If the actors were as good as these actors it could be a big hit without all the sex and junk like today's TV shows.

[joanekins123]

When I was young child, Pete Smith and Dave O'Brien used to be part of the picture show before the Movies, I always loved them. Thank you so much for your Video.Brings back old memories.:)

[fromthesidelines]

...and, like all Roland Reed productions, this was filmed at Hal Roach Studios.

[fromthesidelines]

This unsold pilot was produced by Roland Reed, best known for "MY LITTLE MARGIE", "TROUBLE WITH FATHER" {Stu Erwin}, and "ROCKY JONES- SPACE RANGER" [Willie Best, coincidentally, also appeared in recurring roles on "FATHER" and "MARGIE"]. O'Brien also co-wrote and directed this under his alias, "David Barclay". You forgot to mention that Dave was also one of Red Skelton's writers in the late '50s and early '60s....

[thaxdouglas]

Willie Best! he's looking a little haggard tho...

[NorbertZF]

Dave O'Brien, veteran of all those Pete Smith shorts at MGM. This flopped as a pilot?

Shame because it's better than what's on TV now a days. They don't have actors/comedians like this anymore.