Movies: Pete Smith

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

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 mo...

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 "D...

Pete Smith tells the story of 'Sparky', a German shepherd dog trained to lead his blind master, a country doctor who lost his sight in a fire, and now has to depend upon the dog to lead him in his daily rounds. 'Sparky" was the dog who was responsibl...

Questions and answers on various subjects, from Lady Godiva to the Panama Canal....

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....

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 spectac...

A humorous look at various circus and other acrobatic feats. One of the "Pete Smith Specialties" produced and narrated by "A Smith named Pete."...

A man writes a check for $1,000 to cover a gambling debt. The problem is that he doesn't have enough money in his bank account to cover it. The check was written on Friday afternoon, but cannot be cashed before the following Tuesday. The check is use...

Shows how the game of football developed, and how its rules came to be....

A 3-D short subject in which the narrator goes to a creepy old house in search of his missing aunt. There he encounters the Frankenstein monster, a witch, a wooden Indian who comes to life, and assorted other monsters and frightening characters, all ...

Trader Hound, a dog who walks upright, wears human clothes, and speaks English, is in darkest Africa with a young sheik who is looking for adventure. With their native guides, they are searching for a lost princess, Nina T-Bone. After sleepless mosqu...

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....

The second "Pete Smith Special" dealing with Fala, the pet dog of the late-President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who died long before the release of this short. Smith provides the commenary and narration from Fala's "diary" as the dog visits his favorite ...

Another in the long series of "Pete Smith" shorts from M-G-M in which William Newell meets and falls in love with Sally Payne, and begins to budget for their plans to get married. His budget, alas, does not include nor anticipate the plans of Sally a...

In this Pete Smith Specialty comedic short, we see various ways a wife may unintentionally hold her husband back....

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

Short comedic subject on the history of photography from the daguerrotype to modern amateur photographers....

A satire on movie newsreels combines with humorous narration of silent screen footage in this one reel comedy short....

This short features professional bowler Andy Varipapa. He first shows the correct way to grip a bowling ball and the proper form for delivering the ball down the alley. He then performs several trick shots....