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.

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 "David Barclay", O'Brien also directed many of the Specialties. Clips from previous films highlight O'Brien's work.

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 moving animals, such as racing greyhounds, especially when they do something unexpected; mothers and their newborn offspring doing what comes naturally; animals placed among special props; animals placed in human situations; combining the exciting and dangerous, such as the running of the bulls in Pamplona and the bullfights to follow; placing animals that are not natural companions together; and placing animals in the situation of a challenge, such as a bunch of bananas just out of reach of a hungry monkey. Many of these elements are combined into the final sequence of a steeplechase race.

Harry Horseknuckle tries to figure out what to do with some strange and unwanted gifts.

A humorous look at some typical housework troubles that may arise. A Pete Smith Specialty short.

This rare Technicolor entry in the Pete Smith Specialty series shows various events at a rodeo in Casper, Wyoming

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 spectacular series of crashes, and, last, of the destruction of a suspension bridge newly-built near Tacoma, buffeted and then ruptured by wind. None of these events were staged, and the camera caught them.

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

A tense businessman seeks to find a relaxing pastime but proves himself inept at golf, duck-hunting, and model plane building.

In this Pete Smith Specialty short, a friendly do-gooder's good deeds backfire.

In this short film, champion fisherman Ernie St. Claire tries to catch a large salmon in Oregon's Rogue River.

This comedic short looks at human foibles that lead to major aggravations.

A Pete Smith Specialty shorts series entry. Dave demonstrates a variety of household items and furniture which, while modern, is much more trouble than the progress is worth.

This "Pete Smith Specialty" features narrated clips of acrobats and stunt performers who earn their living in unusual and exciting ways.

This Pete Smith Specialty short shows, humorously, the disastrous results when people save their money in unsafe places.

A boy trains his new golden retriever for duck retrieving competition, much to the chagrin of his first dog, a lovable but untrained mutt.

Pete Smith does his usual mocking observations while the overweight Maxine Gates goes through the trials and tribulations of losing weight. The agony of enduring the dieting and weight-losing programs and exercises is compounded by the usual food-and-sweets temptations.

In this Pete Smith Specialty short, we take a music quiz, plus survey various unusual musical instruments.

With Pete Smith providing dry off-screen commentary, we watch some serious fishing: a marlin caught near Catalina, a hammerhead shark caught then wrestled in a small rowboat near Baja, the largest (721 pounds) great white shark caught to date in California waters, Chinook Indians catching salmon at Celilo Falls in Oregon - each with his designated place on the river where his ancestors stood, and, last, a crew on a boat off Mexico hoisting and hurling tuna using unbarbed hooks (baited only with a feather) as fast as they can as long as the school is there - backbreaking work - but a $25,000 catch.

In this comedic Pete Smith Specialty short, women battle for bargains in a department store.

In this Pete Smith Specialty short, we see how real-life investigator Jo Goggin used a motion picture surveillance camera to gather evidence and disprove a fraudulent insurance claim.

This Pete Smith Specialty shows newsreel footage events that live up to the title. They include, among others, a diaper derby (the father who puts a diaper on his child fastest wins), a fireman's ball (two teams of fire fighters use high-pressure water hoses to move a large ball to score goals), and a basket race (men run a footrace while balancing a "tower" of ten baskets on their heads).

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.

In this comedic Pete Smith Specialty short, average housewife Mrs. George T. Hardnose's day is recalled.

This short looks at the following questions: How would you act as an expectant father?; How many greeting cards are sold in the USA each year?; Why do radiators make that pounding noise?; Why do animals yawn?

This Pete Smith Specialty short shows newsreel clips of people performing strange stunts. Among those featured are a motorcyclist driving through a pane of glass, a car being driven up a ramp and crashing on top of other cars, a human loop-the-loop, and a man who has a cannonball shot at his abdomen at close range.

A Pete Smith Specialty showcasing athletic stunts.

Humorous look at fantasy gadgets like ketchup in a tube, tilting book shelves, etc.

In this Pete Smith Specialty, cameraman Charles T. Trego films water skiing champion Preston Petersen, as he and two unnamed female skiers perform various tricks and feats of skill in their sport.

Life in mid-century America is humorously compared to life at the turn of the century. Subject covered are keeping accurate time, proposing marriage, waking up in the morning, and going to the movies.

Pete Smith special about billiard.

Short film covering a variety of topics that folks may have wondered about.

This Pete Smith Specialty short provides a behind-the-scenes look at the Ice Capades practices with ice skating favorites of the time.

An off-camera narrator takes us through various scenarios of "just suppose". First we watch what would happen if a private detective behaved at home as he does in the movies; it's a ticket to a domestic disturbance. Next, a son gets to treat his father the way his father treats him. In the third episode, to a shopkeeper's chagrin, a man shops for a hat the way a woman does. In the final sketch, we suppose a household in which the man gets pregnant and has a baby, while the mom, clueless about little children, is the one with the career.

In this comedic Pete Smith Specialty short film, a homeowner experiences a series of mishaps while taking a day off from the office.

In this Pete Smith Specialty short, a series of vignettes illustrate some ways that mothers-in-law irritate, and/or cause problems for, their son-in-law.

A demonstration of trick shots by champion bowler Andy Varipapa.

In this Pete Smith Specialty short, answers are sought regarding some things people may have wondered about.

Narrator Pete Smith talks about the different kinds of neighbors that can be pests, and how to deal with them.

In this Pete Smith Specialty short, a husband endures the trials of being married to a wife with irritating traits.

This Pete Smith Specialty short demonstrates the uses of micro- and macrophotography. We see extreme closeups of the mechanical workings of a tiny wristwatch, the surface of a cat's tongue, and several insects. The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Short Subject, One-Reel.

The unusual talents of Johnny Price, a minor league baseball pitcher and trick artist, are showcased in this Pete Smith Specialty. Among other talents, Mr. Price can throw two (and, in certain situations three) baseballs simultaneously to different people. The catchers can be side by side, with one high and one low, or standing on the pitcher's mound and second base while Price throws the ball from the catcher's position. He can even perform these feats while suspended upside-down.

The audience is asked questions about sports facts and records involving tennis, wrestling, swimming, golf, and cycling.

In this Pete Smith Specialty short, a wife endures the trials of being married to a husband with traits that drive her crazy.

This comedic Pete Smith Specialty short examines the folly of using "home remedies" for various ills.

This short film presents an unusual Beverly Hills store called the Patio Shop, where trash is turned into art.

A series of questions testing one's knowledge of fun facts about horses and equestrian in general are asked. The questions deal with horse age and size measuring terms and protocols, race track gambling lingo, harness racing lingo and training techniques, Lipizzan stallions, and non-horse terminology using horse words. In-between the questions, other horse facts are presented and shown, including hapless novice equestrian Horace trying to saddle, mount and ride a horse.

This humorous Pete Smith Specialty short looks around various studios on a film lot.

This Pete Smith Specialty comedic short details the troubles the average woman faces with maintaining beauty and fitness.

Two expert badminton players demonstrate how the best play the game, including some slick trick shots. Meanwhile, befuddled bungler Bellamy B. Birdbrain bumbles his way through building a backyard badminton court. (This film is played in its entirety in MGM's short feature "The Great Morgan")

An examination of the problem of the house guest who has overstayed is welcome, and how to get rid of him.

Pete Smith would make a "Football Thrills of...." each year as part of his Pete Smith Specials. 1944 was in the midst of WW II and most of the college football teams across the nation had been decimated because most of their athletes were in some branch of the Armed Services, which is why the teams from Army (West Point) and Navy (U.S.Naval Academy) were the best in the country during the war years...and not since. And some were in Special Services and were playing for various armed services stations and camps across the country, such as Fort Sill, Great Lakes Naval Training (coached by Notre Dame's Frank Leahy), Fort Ord and others and were beating up on the freshman-and-4F-dominated college teams of the era with week-after-week regularity. Service teams and Army and Navy disappeared as football powers after the war but they were the kingpins in 1944.

This short film focuses on a day in the life of a Hollywood talent scout assigned to cast animals.

Frank Morgan is hired to put together a movie using odds and ends from the MGM vaults. He does so by splicing together a string of completely unrelated short subjects and musical numbers, interspersed with a repeated loop of a scene from some melodrama. (Contains in their entirety the shorts, "Musical Masterpieces," "Our Old Car," and "Badminton," as well as clips from other projects)

Demonstrates how accidents happen when proper safety devices are neglected.

This Pete Smith Specialty short takes a humorous look at the inconsiderate pests whose annoying habits make enjoying a movie impossible.

Filmmaker Pete Smith is very protective of the trophies and other mementos associated with his films that are located in his office at the studio, but knows that Joe Funk, the studio custodian who cleans his office, is the one who is always fussing around with those mementos. As Joe fiddles around with those mementos on this specific occasion, Pete recalls the films and incidents associated with those items, most which are related to sporting events.

A boogie-woogie piano introduces what purports to be a jitterbug lesson, starring prize winner Arthur Walsh, his partner, and then later various other couples. We start with steps imported from other dances, like the waltz, then sped up. Next Walsh and his partner show some basic steps, but the movements are too swift for the narrator to describe them or the viewer to learn how to do them. By the end, various couples (all but a pair of briefly-seen children are white), including some comic ones, give a high-speed demonstration as the music rocks and swings. These are hep cats. Pete Smith's narration is full of slang.

This Pete Smith Specialty shows water-safety and life-saving techniques taught by the American Red Cross to advanced swimmers.

This humorous short film shows how carelessness and accidents can harm the war effort, and steps on how to avoid them.

This serious Pete Smith Specialty series entry encourages industry to hire people with disabilities to help with the war effort. As a boy, Ben Helwig was blinded in an accident while playing baseball. He eventually acquired a guide dog and now works in a defense plant.

Fala was the famous Scotch Terrier owned by Franklin Delano Roosevelt during his last two presidential terms.

A "Pete Smith Specialty" short that looks at legendary movie stuntman Harry Woolman planning and rehearsing stunts for films.

This short film shows U.S. Marines in training at a number of unidentified bases, with a focus on hand-to-hand combat.

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are stopped by narrator Pete Smith for the purpose of showing the audience how much wood and wood by-products the average person carries.

In this Pete Smith Specialty short, a new father experiences the trials and tribulations of fatherhood.

A short film where viewers are given 10 or 15 seconds to answer questions about the United States and its involvement in World War II.

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

In this short, members of the California Water Bugs club demonstrate new ways to get thrills when water skiing.

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

In this Pete Smith Speciality, the audience is asked a series of multiple-choice questions on various subjects.

This Pete Smith Specialty short focuses on the young men who have signed up for the U.S. Army. The film uses the analogy of the speed, accuracy, and teamwork of sports and how these qualities are translated into the weapons training of American soldiers. We watch target practice by Army personnel with shoulder weapons, mortars, and various artillery pieces.

In this Pete Smith Specialty short, clips from several unidentified silent films are woven into a story, with humorous commentary by Smith.

Pete Smith narrates some of the most spectacular college football plays from the 1940 season.

This Pete Smith Specialty showcases a group called the Water Bugs. Its members devise new ways to experience thrills on the waters of California lakes. Included in this film are paddle boats with outboard motors, two people using a single pair of water skis, and a water skier towed by a low-flying airplane.

In this Pete Smith Specialties short, two professional dancers beautifully demonstrate the rumba and conga while actors humorously display some incorrect techniques for those dances.

In this Pete Smith Specialty short, two lion cubs escape from the zoo and go on an adventure.

This Pete Smith Specialty is a humorous look at a student's first flying lesson, in a propeller-driven biplane.

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 of whom manage to throw something toward the camera.

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 and her parents. This short was reissued in June of 1950 to be shown as a trailer with 1950's "Father of the Bride" and some sources think this short was made for that express purpose and date it as a 1950 film.

In this Pete Smith Specialty short, Dr. Harold E. Edgerton demonstrates stroboscopic photography, which he helped develop. This process allows us to see in slow motion what happens during events that occur too fast to be seen by the naked eye. Examples shown here include a bullet in flight as it shatters a light bulb, the moment of impact when a kicker kicks a football, and the motion of a hummingbird's wings as it hovers.

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

This Pete Smith Specialty short looks at the notion that a man chases a woman till he catches her. Who's really chasing whom?

A little dog must learn to become friends with a big dog.

It's Thanksgiving. Newlywed husband Abner Poodlebean faces the turkey his wife has prepared: she wants him to carve it at the table in front of her scowling family, and Abner has no idea how to proceed. The film's narrator has us cut away to the kitchen of chef M.O. Cullen who demonstrates the proper way to carve the bird, spoon out the stuffing, and lay out the platter. Back to Abner, who's missed Cullen's lesson, so he makes a fine mess. Can this marriage survive?

Five years after he narrated STRIKES AND SPARES, Pete Smith returns to the subject of bowling with two pros: Andy Varipapa, who threw some trick shots in the earlier movie and Ned Day, who demonstrates proper form and technique.

Despite the school just having won an important basketball game, its students are more interested in one of its teachers, namely Charles C. Peterson, who teaches them in the fine art of playing billiards.

Pete Smith takes a humorous look at the wildlife that lives among the California redwoods.

A "Pete Smith Specialty" - a fairly serious look at radio hams in the usual jokey format. Shows aircraft using morse code.

Modern meteorology and a hard-working government weather team put their science and organization to work as a cold front moves from Alaska toward the citrus groves of Southern California. First, the scientists predict the storm's course, giving several days' warning to farmers and growers. The growers, typified by the Morgan family, prepare the oil-burning pots throughout their grove. Then, as the temperature dips below freezing, they light the pots. The cold snap continues as oil-supplies dwindle; the smoky air slows traffic, including trucks bringing more oil. The scientists strive to predict how long freezing temperatures will last: can the Morgans hold out?

This Pete Smith Specialty offers a look at Marineland of Florida, featuring the various marine life on display there.

This short film focuses on a group of lifeguards from a Southern California beach during the off season.

An exmination of the sport of championship diving.

1938 short film starring Prudence Penny.

An examination of the role played by dogs over the years in scientific research.

How the game of ice hockey is played, demonstrated by the hockey team at Loyola University.

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

A review of the 1937 football season.

This Pete Smith Specialty short showcases former heavyweight boxing champion Max Baer with various sparring partners in the ring. Slow motion is used to illustrate how Baer uses his skills.

An examination of the history of anesthesia, from ancient Egyptian times to contemporary times.

Prudence Penny and Gwen Lee give more cooking tips in Technicolor

This short looks at the sport of rock climbing. A team of three men ascend a rock wall on Southern California's Tahquitz Rock (also known as Lily Rock) above Idyllwild. The various climbing techniques are explained, as well as the dangers one encounters in this sport. We also see the team rappel from the summit. A second team, used for comic relief, has nothing but problems.

A Pete Smith short that deals with the newly-created 3-D process.

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 responsible for the Interstate Commerce Commission passing a special ruling allowing guide-dogs to travel first-class in Pullman cars to accompany their blind partner, and not as animals confined to the baggage car. Smith shows how 'Sparky' went to Washington D. C. with his master and helped sell the change to the legislators.

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

Romance of Radium is a 1937 American short film directed by Jacques Tourneur, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. This short film tells the story of the discovery of radium and how it is used in medicine. In 1937, it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Subject (One-Reel) at the 10th Academy Awards

This Pete Smith Specialty showcases the Cristiani Family, a circus act. They mount and dismount moving horses and perform acrobatic feats while riding them.

The Green Bay Packers teach football tips.

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 used to pay several debts until...

A Pete Smith Specialty short on saving an important dinner after the household's cook suddenly quits.

In this Pete Smith Specialty short, a raccoon spends the night looking for food for his family. After his encounters with a skunk, a frog, and a menacing bobcat, he experiences the dangers in a vacant cabin.

Beautiful women allow men to crack whips and throw horseshoes at their heads.

A dog living in a junkyard learns that all stray dogs will be exterminated by 3 o'clock that afternoon, so sets off to find a master before the deadline.

A short film showing the Irish contact sport known as hurling, which is similar to, but much rougher than, American football.

A dog accused of murdering sheep is brought to trial.

This Sports Parade series entry follows the life of Dixie Dan, a harness racehorse, from birth through age three.

Re-enactment of how the 726-carat Jonker diamond was discovered in South Africa in 1905 by the family of Jacobus Jonker; how it was sold to Harry Winston; and how it was cut by Lazarre Kaplan.

Choreographer Dave Gould and his students demonstrate various tap dancing steps. Also featured are an adagio and Russian sword dancers.

After the audience is instructed how to use the 3-D glasses they received, demonstrations of three-dimensional films are presented. Various objects move towards the camera, including a ladder being shoved out a window, the slide on a trombone, a woman on a swing, and a thrown baseball.

La Fiesta de Santa Barbara is a 1935 American comedy short film directed by Louis Lewyn. It was nominated for an Academy Award at the 9th Academy Awards in 1936 for Best Short Subject (Color). It features a young, pre-stardom 13-year-old Judy Garland singing "La Cucaracha" with her two sisters (billed as "The Garland Sisters"). In the film, Hollywood stars participate in a Mexican-themed revue and festival in Santa Barbara. Andy Devine, the "World's Greatest Matador," engages in a bullfight with a dubious bovine supplied by Buster Keaton, and musical numbers are provided by Joe Morrison and The Garland Sisters. Comedy bits and dance numbers are also featured.

This short film showcases water sports activities such as sailboat racing and surfboard riding, including Christian Peterson doing a human surfboard at 45 mph.

This short film focuses on how racehorses are trained.

This short film highlights the odd 1930s fad of playing baseball while riding donkeys.

This entry in the "whole show on one reel" series begins with a do-it-yourself overture for which the narrator asks the audience to hum any song they like. Next, the "Wotaphony Newsreel" shows clips of early experimental aircraft failing to fly. The "Added Attraction" is a clip of a bear jumping into a large fish tank and trying to catch the fish. Finally, the "Super Stupid Pictures" feature is a narrated silent film telling the life story of an ill-fated woman who was left on a doorstep as an infant, was taken advantage of by men for most of her life, and then came to a sad end after she had turned the tables on them. - Written by TimeNTide on IMDB

This comedic short presents a series of nonsensical news stories, in a "Wotaphony Newsreel". The reel's feature, "The Curse of an Aching Husband", takes place in 1911 and is a voiced-over silent.

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.

In this eighth installment in Pete Smith's Goofy Movies short films series, clips from silent films are given comedic narration.

This MGM Oddity features the 1933 National Football League champion Chicago Bears. The team demonstrates various plays, which are shown first in real time, then in slow motion.

This comedy short contains a "Wotaphony" newsreel and a short film from Super-Stupid Pictures entitled "The Downfall of Thaddeus G. Blotto, Esq." As the audience views footage from unidentified silent movies, the narrator makes humorous comments while telling the (alleged) story.

A comic short filled with fake news and a fake movie trailer made up of clips from silent movies.

In this short, Pete Smith provides comedic narration over silent film footage.

This entry in the series starts with a "Wotaphony Newsreel," which contains feature stories with humorous commentary. Then we see "Passions of Horse Pistol Pete," produced by Super-Stupid Pictures. It consists of excerpts from an unidentified silent movie, with narration that has no relation to the actual plot of the film. -IMDB

The friendship between two orphans endures even though they grow up on opposite sides of the law and fall in love with the same woman.

This "complete show on one reel" starts with Super-Stupid Picture's "The Heel of a Nation", in which the narrator tells a humorous story while the audience sees scenes from a totally unrelated, unidentified silent movie. Then comes a "Wotaphony" newsreel. The last segment is a spoof of James A. FitzPatrick's Traveltalk series. We see a Pitts Fatrick Travel Squawk titled "A Visit to Schnozzle Isle." Schnozzle Isle is just off the coast of a Polynesian land which, when seen from the air, has a profile that looks remarkably (or perhaps not so remarkably) like 'Jimmy Durante' .

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

Wild bears that bother livestock are captured with ropes and shipped to zoos.

The first part of this short is a "Metrophony" newsreel. It contains actual newsreel footage with humorous commentary (e.g., a flotilla of gondolas is parodied as being the Harvard/Yale regatta). The second part parodies silent movies with a film called "Minnie the Pretzel Twister" starring 'Cynthia Goosefeather.'

A look at colorful (and mostly imported) birds, ranging in size from hummingbirds to storks.

A chef helps a housewife cook a duck dinner that will not give her husband indigestion.

A humorous history of the bicycle since 1819.

An attempt to explain the economic cycle of inflation and unemployment.

Highlights the fast-paced and dangerous world of professional auto racing.

Swing High is a 1932 American Pre-Code short documentary film directed by Jack Cummings. In 1932, it was nominated for an Academy Award at the 5th Academy Awards for Best Short Subject (Novelty). The film documents The Flying Codonas, a family of flying trapeze artists.

This short film takes a look through a microscope's lens at insect life.

In this Sports Champions entry, power boat racers use specially designed outboard motor boats in a race on California's Salton Sea.

This Pete Smith Sports Champion short visits Southern California where it quickly moves from orange orchards to the mountain snow playground at Big Pines L.A. County Camp for some winter sports including sledding, skating, and ski jumping.

This humorous short film shows various species of tropical fish at the Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco, California.

This short film presents several athletes preparing for the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California.

This Sports Champions entry visits a rodeo and highlights the three main events: bronco busting, bull riding, and bull-dogging steers.

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 mosquito-filled nights, clothes lost to a mischievous monkey, and a battle royal between a lion and a gorilla, they make their way to Izorgi Village, where the fierce Afri-Curs live and where Nina T-Bone may be a prisoner. Trader Hound and his party are taken captive, and the Afri-Curs prepare a pot to boil them. Can they make their escape?