From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia Dave OBrien born David Poole Fronabarger May 31 1912 November 8 1969 was an American film actor director and writer OBrien was best known to movie audiences in the 1940s as the hero of the MetroGoldwynMayer comedy short film series Pete Smith Specialties narrated by Pete Smith OBrien wrote and directed many of these subjects under the name David Barclay He also appeared in many lowbudget Westerns often billed as Tex OBrien In 1942 OBrien starred in the movie serial Captain Midnight Modern audiences perhaps best remember OBrien as a frantic dope addict in the 1936 lowbudget exploitation film Tell Your Children better known under its reissue title Reefer Madness As a writer for The Red Skelton Show OBrien shared an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series in 1961 and shared a nomination for the same award in 1963 OBrien died aged 57 of a heart attack while competing in a yachting race