Pete Smith | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Pete_Smith_1918_Publicity_Photo.jpg) Smith in a 1918 issue of The Moving Picture World | |
| Born | Peter Schmidt September 4, 1892 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | January 12, 1979 (aged 86) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Producer and narrator of short subjects, Publicist |
| Years active | 1931–1955 |
| Known for | Pete Smith Specialties |
| Spouses | Marjorie Ganss
(m. 1918; died 1957)Anne Dunster (m. 1962–1979) |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film (1938, 1941) Academy Honorary Award (1953) |
Peter Schmidt (September 4, 1892 – January 12, 1979[1]), Americanized to Pete Smith, was a stenographer, a magazine editor, press agent, critic, actor and film producer based in Hollywood, California. He produced short films. He hailed from New York New York. He was respected by the entertainment industry, and was honored by the Academy several times, garnering in total three Oscars.[2][3]
During the roaring twenties, Mr. Smith began working as a publicist. This was primarily at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM studios). Well known for the Pete Smith Specialties, film serials which were produced from the 1930s to the 1950s, some of which earned Academy Awards. These, more than 150 short movies, earned two Academy Awards. By 1953, he additionally was awarded an Academy Honorary Award.
In 1979, admitted to a Santa Monica, California convalescent home due to his ill health. In January 1979, he jumped to his death from the roof of the home.
- ^ "Pete Smith". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
- ^ "Moving Picture World Jul-Aug 1918". Moving Picture World. Chalmers Publishing Company. 1918. p. 392. Retrieved 2024-08-11.
Peter began his business career as a stenographer in 1907, and admits that he was glad to get six dollars for a week's toil.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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