 (From Old Corral image collection) Above is a duotone title lobby card for the re-release of BILLY THE KID'S FIGHTING PALS (PRC, 1941). Steele has an armlock around Dave O'Brien, while veteran Rex Lease (in white shirt) is shown in the inset on the top left and bottom right. The interesting thing with this lobby card is that the cast shown in the photo insets doesn't match the FIGHTING PALS movie and cast. The scenes and cast are probably from BILLY THE KID IN SANTA FE (1941) - in that film, Rex Lease played Steele's helper Jeff (instead of Carleton Young) and Dave O'Brien was a baddie.  (From Old Corral image collection) From L-to-R are John Merton, Dave O'Brien (in blue shirt), Buster Crabbe (seated), Lynton Brent and Curley Dresden in a lobby card from SHERIFF OF SAGE VALLEY (1942). Crabbe had a dual role as both Billy the Kid and Kansas Ed Bonney. Buster is wearing the suit, and 'the other Crabbe' is facing him on the far left. Note the 'Tex O'Brien' billing on this lobby card.  (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above is the title lobby card from SHERIFF OF SAGE VALLEY (PRC, 1942) in which Buster Crabbe (on his palomino Falcon). Sidekicks Dave 'Tex' O'Brien is on the left and Al St. John is on the right.  (Courtesy of Les Adams) O'Brien, Chief Thunder Cloud (next to O'Brien in bottom left), and Ric Vallin (white buckskins above Daniels head) were the stars of KING OF THE STALLIONS (Monogram, 1942), alternate title: CODE OF THE REDMAN.  (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above is a blurb on Dave O'Brien's hoss 'King' from the BOSS OF RAWHIDE (PRC, 1943) pressbook.  (Courtesy of John F. White) Above right is Dan White mixing it up with the masked Dave O'Brien in a lobby card from TRAIL OF TERROR (PRC, 1943), one of the Texas Rangers series. In this film, O'Brien plays his lawman self as well as his evil twin brother. |
 (From Old Corral image collection) Above, O'Brien signs the contract with Pete Smith for starring in - as well as writing/directing - the Pete Smith comedy shorts at MGM beginning around 1945. It was during these films that O'Brien adopted the name of 'David Barclay' to use for the writing credits while still using 'Dave O'Brien' for his screen appearance credits in the Pete Smith shorts. |  (Courtesy of Minard Coons) Above - O'Brien as Captain Midnight. |
Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has information on Dave O'Brien: http://imdb.com/name/nm0639495/
If you have a high speed cable or DSL connection, you can download or stream REEFER MADNESS and the unsold MEET THE O'BRIEN'S TV pilot from the Internet Archive website:
REEFER MADNESS: http://www.archive.org/movies/details-db.php?collection=feature_films&collectionid=reefer_madness1938
Unsold MEET THE O'BRIEN'S TV pilot from 1954: http://www.archive.org/details/Meet_The_OBriens
Neil Summers has a writeup on Dave O'Brien at Boyd Magers' Western Clippings website: http://www.westernclippings.com/stuntmen/daveobrien_stuntmen.shtml
Most of the TV History type books include a list of the Emmy Award winners by year. The following website has info on the "Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy" Emmy given to Sherwood Schwartz, Dave O'Brien, Al Schwartz, Martin Ragaway and Red Skelton for the RED SKELTON SHOW in 1961: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0151518.html
Images Journal has a article on 1930s 'exploitation flicks' of which REEFER MADNESS is a prominent film: http://www.imagesjournal.com/issue08/reviews/forbiddenfruit/default-nf.htm
