Walter Brennan
(1894 - 1974)If ever there was a King of the Character Actors it was Walter Brennan. He made so many films that it's impossible to list them all. He won a record three Supporting Actor Oscars. He starred in all media: stage, vaudeville, films, television. He was extremely versatile at character roles and could just as easily play the lead. He was born Walter Andrew Brennan in Swampscott, Massachusetts on July 25, 1894 the son of an engineer and inventor. After graduating from high school he worked as a lumberjack, a ditch-digger and a bank messenger before he enlisted in the Army. He fought in World War I after which he had careers in banking, financial reporting and real estate. His sales pitch was so effective that friends urged him to "try the movies." He started as a lowly extra, then worked as a stuntman. Eventually his talents were discovered and he began one of the most successful careers in film history. The loss of his teeth, during a gassing in the War, led to his playing characters older than his age. He was the perfect sidekick and a great scene stealer. His hesitant, grunt of a voice and his limp were often imitated by impersonators. His over 180 film credits included: "Tearin' into Trouble" (1927) as Billy Martin, his film debut; "A House Divided" (1931) as Musician; "Texas Cyclone" (1932) as Lew Collins; "Two-Fisted Law" (1932) as Dep. Sheriff Bendix; "Man of Action" (1933) as Cashier Summers; "Strange People" (1933) as Radio Repairman; "The Invisible Man" (1933) uncredited, as Bicycle Owner; "Tailspin Tommy" (1934) as Intern; "The Prescott Kid" (1934) as Stage Driver Zeke; "Northern Frontier" (1935) as Stutterer; "The Wedding Night" (1935) as Jenkins, which helped launch his career; "The Man on the Flying Trapeze" (1935) as 'Legs' Garnett; "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935) uncredited as a Neighbor; "Seven Keys to Baldpate" (1935) as Station Agent; "Brick-a-Brac" (1935) as Lem; "The Three Godfathers" (1936) as Gus; "These Three" (1936) as Taxi Driver; "Fury" (1936) as 'Bugs' Meyers; "The Moon's Our Home" (1936) as Lem; "Come and Get It" (1936) as Swan Bostrom, for which he won the Oscar; "She's Dangerous" (1936) as Ote O'Leary; "Banjo on My Knee" (1936) as Newt Holley; "When Love is Young" (1937) as Uncle Hugo; "The Affairs of Cappy Ricks" (1937) as Cappy Ricks; "Wild and Woolly" (1937) as Gramp Flynn; "The Buccaneer" (1938) as Ezra Peavey; "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" (1938) as Muff Potter; "Mother Carey's Chickens" (1938) as Mr. Popham; "The Texans" (1938) as Ranch Foreman; "The Cowboy and the Lady" (1938) as Sugar; "Kentucky" (1938) as Peter Goodwin, his second Oscar winner; "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle" (1939) as Walter; "They Shall Have Music" (1939) as Professor Lawson; "Stanley and Livingstone" (1939) as Jeff Slocum; "Northwest Passage" (1940) as Hunk Marriner, a memorable role; "Maryland" (1940) as William Stewart; "The Westerner" (1940) as Judge Roy Bean, his third Oscar winner; "This Woman is Mine" (1941) as Capt. Jonathan Thorne; "Meet John Doe" (1941) as The Colonel; "Sergeant York" (1941) as Pastor Rosier Pile, an Oscar nomination; "Nice Girl?" (1941) as Hector Titus; "Rise and Shine" (1941) as Grandpa; "Swamp Water" (1941) as Tom Keefer; "Pride of the Yankees" (1942) as Sam Blake; "Hangmen Also Die" (1943) as Stephan Novotny; "Stand by for Action" (1943) as Henry Johnson; "The Last Will and Testament of Tom Smith" (1943) as Mailman; "The North Star" (1943) as Karp; "Slightly Dangerous" (1943) as Cornelius Burden; "Home in Indiana" (1944) as J.F. 'Thunder' Bolt; "To Have and Have Not" (1944) with Bogart, as Eddie; "The Princess and the Pirate" (1944) with Bob Hope, as Featherhead; "Dakota" (1945) as Captain Bounce of the Riverbird; "A Stolen Life" (1946) as Eben Folger; "Centennial Summer" (1946) as Jesse Rogers; "Nobody Lives Forever" (1946) as Pop Gruber; "My Darling Clementine" (1946) as villain Old Man Clanton; "Driftwood" (1947) as Murph; "Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!" (1948) as Tony Maule; "Red River" (1948) as Nadine Groot, another terrific role; "Blood on the Moon" (1948) as Kris Barden; "Task Force" (1949) as Pete Richard; "The Green Promise" (1949) as Mr. Matthews; "Singing Guns" (1950) as Dr. Johnathon Mark; "Ticket to Tomahawk" (1950) as Terence Sweeney; "Curtain Call at Cactus Creek" (1950) as Rimrock; "The Showdown" (1950) as Cap MacKellar; "Surrender" (1950) as Sheriff Bill Howard; "Along the Great Divide" (1951) as Tim 'Pop' Keith; "The Wild Blue Yonder" (1951) as Maj. Gen. Wolfe; "Best of the Badmen" (1951) as Doc Butcher; "Return of the Texan" (1952) as Firth Crockett; "Lure of the Wilderness" (1952) as Jim Harper; "Sea of Lost Ships" (1954) as Chief O'Malley; "The Far Country" (1954) as Ben Tatum; "Four Guns to the Border" (1954) as Simon Bhumer; "Drums Across the River" (1954) as Sam Brannon; "Bad Day at Black Rock" (1955) as Doc Velie; "At Gunpoint" (1955) as Doc Lacy; "Come Next Spring" (1956) as Jeffrey Storys; "Good-bye, My Lady" (1956) as Uncle Jesse Jackson; "The Proud Ones" (1956) as Jake, Deputy Jailer; "Glory" (1956) as Ned Otis; "Tammy and the Bachelor" (1957) with Debbie Reynolds, as Grandpa; "The Way to the Gold" (1957) as Uncle George; "God is My Partner" (1957) as Dr. Charles Grayson; "Rio Bravo" (1959) as Stumpy, one of his better roles; "How the West Was Won" (1962) as Col. Jeb Hawkins, a role against type for him; "Those Calloways" (1965) as Alf Simes; "The Oscar" (1966) as Orrin C. Quentin; "The Gnome-Mobile" (1967) as D.J. Mulrooney/Knobby; "Who's Minding the Mint" (1967) as Pop Gillis; "The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band" (1968) as Renssaeler Bower; "Support Your Local Sheriff!" (1969) as Pa Danby and "Smoke in the Wind" (1971) as Mr. Kingman, his last theatrical film. On TV he was a regular on "The Real McCoys" (1957-63) as Grandpa Amos McCoy; "The Tycoon" (1964-65) as Walter Andrews; "The Guns of Will Sonnett (1967-69) as Will Sonnett and "To Rome with Love" (1969-71) as Grandpa Andy Pruitt. He appeared in TV movies including: "The Over-the-Hill Gang" (1969); "The Young Country" (1970); "Two for the Money" (1971) and "Home for the Holidays" (1972) his last film appearance. He also guested on the TV series: "Zane Grey Theater"; "Schlitz Playhouse of Stars" and "Alias Smith and Jones." He even recorded a hit tune in the 1960s called "Old Rivers." He married Ruth Wells in 1920 and they had three children, Arthur, Walter and Ruth. He died of emphysema on September 21, 1974 in Oxnard, California at the age of 80.
From Great Character Actors, Page 3.
|
