Pete Smith Specialties

(Required at home viewing)

Pete Smith (1892-1979) was a press agent and publicist in vaudeville and the early movie business,. In 1925 he was hired by Louis B. Mayer to head publicity for M-G-M. Smith demanded $1,000 a week, an outrageous amount of money at the time (about $17,000 in 2022). But, Mayer paid it. However, the studio soon realized that he had a talent for comic narration. He began producing and narrating short subjects in the early 1930s.

Smith's voice with its nasal twang soon became one of the most recognizable voices in America.

Smith produced and narrated over 150 shorts, Smith shorts frequently documented serious subjects but did so in a ironic, comedic fashion. However, Smith pretty much disappeared along with the short subject. He retired in 1955 and never worked again. Depressed about his declining health, he committed suicide by jumping from the roof of the convalescent home in which he had been living. He was 86.

Quicker'n a Wink is (imho) a better than average example (and the winner of the 1941 Academy Award for Best Short Subject).

And, here's a parody that you might recognize: