In many ways the most successful and familiar character actor of American sound films and the only actor to date to win three Oscars for Best Supporting Actor, Walter Brennan attended college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, studying engineering. While in school he became interested in acting and performed in school plays. He worked some in vaudeville and also in various jobs such as clerking in a bank and as a lumberjack. He toured in small musical comedy companies before entering the military in 1917. After his war service he went to Guatemala and raised pineapples, then migrated to Los Angeles, where he speculated in real estate. A few jobs as a film extra came his way beginning in 1923, then some work as a stuntman. He eventually achieved speaking roles, going from bit parts to substantial supporting parts in scores of features and short subjects between 1927 and 1938. In 1936 his role in Come and Get It (1936) won him the very first Best Supporting Actor Academy Award. He would win it twice more in the decade, and be nominated for a fourth. His range was enormous. He could play sophisticated businessmen, con artists, local yokels, cowhands and military officers with apparent equal ease. An accident in 1932 cost him most of his teeth, and he most often was seen in eccentric rural parts, often playing characters much older than his actual age. His career never really declined, and in the 1950s he became an even more endearing and familiar figure in several television series, most famously The Real McCoys (1957). He died in 1974 of emphysema, a beloved figure in movies and TV, the target of countless comic impressionists, and one of the best and most prolific actors of his time.
Movie | And the Oscar Goes To... | Self (archive footage) | 2014-02-01 |
Movie | Bogart: The Untold Story | Self (archive footage) | 1997-01-05 |
Movie | The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender | Self (archive footage) | 1997-11-01 |
Movie | La Classe américaine | 'Stumpy' (archive footage) | 1993-12-31 |
Movie | Smoke In The Wind | H. P. Kingman | 1975-04-01 |
Movie | Home for the Holidays | Benjamin Morgan | 1974-07-13 |
Movie | The Men Who Made the Movies: Howard Hawks | Self (archive footage) | 1973-01-01 |
Movie | Two for the Money | Cody Guilford | 1972-02-26 |
Series | Alias Smith and Jones | Unknown | 1971-01-05 |
Movie | The Young Country | Sheriff Matt Fenley | 1970-03-17 |
Movie | The Over the Hill Gang Rides Again | Nash Crawford | 1970-11-16 |
Series | The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour | Unknown | 1969-01-22 |
Movie | The Over the Hill Gang | Nash Crawford | 1969-07-06 |
Movie | Support Your Local Sheriff! | Pa Danby | 1969-03-26 |
Movie | The Movie Orgy | Self (archive footage) | 1968-01-01 |
Movie | The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band | Grandpa Bower | 1968-04-19 |
Movie | The Gnome-Mobile | D.J. Mulrooney / Knobby | 1967-07-19 |
Series | The Guns of Will Sonnett | 1967-09-08 | |
Movie | Who's Minding the Mint? | Pop Gillis | 1967-09-26 |
Movie | The Oscar | Quentin | 1966-03-04 |
Movie | Those Calloways | Alf Simes | 1965-01-28 |
Movie | Shootout at Big Sag | 'Preacher' Hawker | 1962-05-31 |
Movie | How the West Was Won | Col. Jeb Hawkins | 1962-11-02 |
Movie | Rio Bravo | Stumpy | 1959-03-18 |
Movie | Tammy and the Bachelor | John Dinwitty | 1957-06-14 |
Movie | God Is My Partner | Dr. Charles Grayson | 1957-07-01 |
Series | The Real McCoys | Grandpa Amos McCoy | 1957-10-03 |
Movie | Come Next Spring | Jeffrey Storys | 1956-03-09 |
Movie | Glory | Ned Otis | 1956-01-11 |
Movie | Good-bye, My Lady | Uncle Jesse Jackson | 1956-05-12 |
Series | Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre | Unknown | 1956-10-05 |
Movie | The Proud Ones | Jake | 1956-05-15 |
Series | The Dinah Shore Chevy Show | Unknown | 1956-10-05 |
Movie | Bad Day at Black Rock | Doc T.R. Velie Jr. | 1955-01-13 |
Movie | At Gunpoint | Doc Lacy | 1955-12-25 |
Movie | Man On A Bus | Saul | 1955-05-01 |
Movie | The Far Country | Ben Tatum | 1954-02-12 |
Movie | Four Guns to the Border | Simon Bhumer | 1954-11-05 |
Movie | Drums Across the River | Sam Brannon | 1954-06-01 |
Series | The Oscars | Unknown | 1953-03-19 |
Movie | Return of the Texan | Grandpa Firth Crockett | 1952-02-13 |
Series | This Is Your Life | Unknown | 1952-10-01 |
Movie | Lure of the Wilderness | Jim Harper | 1952-07-16 |
Series | Cavalcade of America | Unknown | 1952-10-01 |
Movie | Along the Great Divide | Timothy 'Pop' Keith | 1951-06-02 |
Movie | Best of the Badmen | 'Doc' Butcher | 1951-08-09 |
Series | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars | Unknown | 1951-10-05 |
Movie | The Wild Blue Yonder | Maj. Gen. Wolfe | 1951-12-05 |
Movie | Curtain Call at Cactus Creek | Rimrock | 1950-05-25 |
Movie | Singing Guns | Dr. Jonathan Mark | 1950-02-28 |
Movie | A Ticket to Tomahawk | Terence Sweeny | 1950-05-19 |
Movie | The Showdown | Cap MacKellar | 1950-08-15 |
Movie | Surrender | Sheriff Bill Howard | 1950-09-15 |
Movie | The Green Promise | Mr. Matthews | 1949-03-22 |
Movie | Task Force | Pete Richard | 1949-08-30 |
Movie | Brimstone | Pop Courteen | 1949-08-15 |
Movie | Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! | Tony Maule | 1948-03-10 |
Movie | Red River | 'Groot' Nadine | 1948-08-26 |
Movie | Blood on the Moon | Kris Barden | 1948-11-11 |
Movie | Driftwood | Murph | 1947-09-15 |
Movie | Centennial Summer | Jesse Rogers | 1946-07-10 |
Movie | A Stolen Life | Eben Folger | 1946-05-01 |
Movie | Nobody Lives Forever | Pop Gruber | 1946-11-01 |
Movie | My Darling Clementine | Old Man Clanton | 1946-10-17 |
Movie | To Have and Have Not | Eddie | 1945-01-20 |
Movie | Dakota | Capt. Bounce of the Riverbird | 1945-12-15 |
Movie | Home in Indiana | J. F. 'Thunder' Bolt | 1944-06-15 |
Movie | The Princess and the Pirate | Featherhead | 1944-11-17 |
Movie | Slightly Dangerous | Cornelius Burden | 1943-04-01 |
Movie | Hangmen Also Die! | Prof. Stephen Novotny | 1943-04-15 |
Movie | The North Star | Karp | 1943-11-04 |
Movie | The Pride of the Yankees | Sam Blake | 1942-07-14 |
Movie | Stand by for Action | Chief Yeoman Henry Johnson | 1942-12-31 |
Movie | Meet John Doe | The Colonel | 1941-03-14 |
Movie | Nice Girl? | Hector Titus | 1941-02-21 |
Movie | This Woman Is Mine | Captain Jonathan Thorne | 1941-08-22 |
Movie | Breakdowns of 1941 | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1941-11-14 |
Movie | Rise and Shine | Grandpa | 1941-11-21 |
Movie | Swamp Water | Tom Keefer | 1941-11-16 |
Movie | Sergeant York | Pastor Rosier Pile | 1941-09-27 |
Movie | Northwest Passage | 'Hunk' Marriner | 1940-02-23 |
Movie | Maryland | William P. Stewart | 1940-07-19 |
Movie | The Westerner | Judge Roy Bean | 1940-09-18 |
Movie | The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle | Walter | 1939-03-29 |
Movie | Stanley and Livingstone | Jeff Slocum | 1939-08-18 |
Movie | They Shall Have Music | Professor Lawson | 1939-08-18 |
Movie | Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President | Jim | 1939-12-01 |
Movie | The Adventures of Tom Sawyer | Muff Potter | 1938-02-11 |
Movie | The Buccaneer | Ezra Peavey | 1938-02-04 |
Movie | Mother Carey's Chickens | Ossian Popham | 1938-07-29 |
Movie | Kentucky | Peter Goodwin | 1938-12-30 |
Movie | The Texans | Chuckawalla | 1938-08-12 |
Movie | The Cowboy and the Lady | Sugar | 1938-11-17 |
Movie | She's Dangerous | 'Oats' | 1937-01-24 |
Movie | When Love Is Young | Uncle Hugo | 1937-03-26 |
Movie | Affairs of Cappy Ricks | Cappy Ricks | 1937-05-24 |
Movie | Wild and Woolly | Gramp 'Hercules' Flynn | 1937-07-19 |
Movie | These Three | Taxi Driver | 1936-03-18 |
Movie | The Moon's Our Home | Lem | 1936-04-10 |
Movie | Three Godfathers | Samuel 'Gus' Barton | 1936-03-06 |
Movie | Fury | Bugs Meyers | 1936-06-05 |
Movie | Banjo on My Knee | Newt Holley | 1936-12-11 |
Movie | Come and Get It | Swan Bostrom | 1936-11-06 |
Movie | Law Beyond the Range | Abner | 1935-02-15 |
Movie | Restless Knights | Father (uncredited) | 1935-02-20 |
Movie | The Mystery of Edwin Drood | First Gossip | 1935-02-04 |
Movie | The Wedding Night | Bill Jenkins | 1935-03-08 |
Movie | Brick-a-Brac | Lem | 1935-01-18 |
Movie | West Point of the Air | Soldier at Kelly's Wreckage | 1935-03-23 |
Movie | Biography of a Bachelor Girl | Reporter on Ship (uncredited) | 1935-01-04 |
Movie | Northern Frontier | Stuttering Cook | 1935-02-01 |
Movie | Bride of Frankenstein | Peasant (uncredited) | 1935-04-20 |
Movie | She Couldn't Take It | Peddler | 1935-10-08 |
Movie | Barbary Coast | Old Atrocity | 1935-10-13 |
Movie | Metropolitan | Grandpa | 1935-10-17 |
Movie | We're in the Money | Wedding Witness (uncredited) | 1935-08-17 |
Movie | Seven Keys to Baldpate | Station Agent | 1935-12-13 |
Movie | Party Wire | Paul - Railroad Telegrapher (uncredited) | 1935-04-27 |
Movie | Lady Tubbs | Joseph | 1935-07-02 |
Movie | Man on the Flying Trapeze | 'Legs' Garnett | 1935-08-03 |
Movie | George White's Scandals | Hick (uncredited) | 1934-03-15 |
Movie | Riptide | Chauffeur (uncredited) | 1934-03-29 |
Movie | The Poor Rich | Dr. Johnson the Coroner (uncredited) | 1934-02-25 |
Movie | Good Dame | Elmer Spicer | 1934-03-16 |
Movie | Cross Country Cruise | Niagara Falls Boatman (Uncredited) | 1934-01-16 |
Movie | I'll Tell the World | Otto - Bicycle Repair Man | 1934-04-20 |
Movie | Fugitive Lovers | 2nd Bus Driver (uncredited) | 1934-01-05 |
Movie | Beloved | Stuttering Boarder | 1934-01-22 |
Movie | Radio Dough | Drunk Customer (uncredited) | 1934-02-05 |
Movie | Prescott Kid | Zeke - Stage Driver | 1934-11-08 |
Movie | Gridiron Flash | Proprietor of Java Joe's | 1934-10-06 |
Movie | Great Expectations | Prisoner on Ship | 1934-10-22 |
Movie | Woman Haters | Train Conductor (uncredited) | 1934-05-05 |
Movie | Death on the Diamond | Hot Dog Vendor (uncredited) | 1934-09-14 |
Movie | There's Always Tomorrow | Auto mechanic | 1934-11-01 |
Movie | Whom the Gods Destroy | Clifford (uncredited) | 1934-07-12 |
Movie | The Life of Vergie Winters | Roscoe (uncredited) | 1934-06-14 |
Movie | Half a Sinner | Radio Announcer | 1934-06-01 |
Movie | Murder in the Private Car | Switchman (uncredited) | 1934-06-29 |
Movie | Lucky Dog | Drunk #2 | 1933-04-20 |
Movie | The Big Cage | Ticket Taker | 1933-05-01 |
Movie | Girl Missing | Joe, Garage Attendant (Uncredited) | 1933-03-04 |
Movie | The Phantom of the Air | 'Skid' (uncredited) | 1933-05-21 |
Movie | Goldie Gets Along | Stuttering Waiter | 1933-01-27 |
Movie | Man Of Action | Cashier Summers | 1933-01-20 |
Movie | Parachute Jumper | Counterman at Jewel Diner (uncredited) | 1933-01-28 |
Movie | Strange People | The Radio Repairman | 1933-06-16 |
Movie | Curtain at Eight | Backstage Detective [extra] | 1933-10-01 |
Movie | The Invisible Man | Bicycle Owner (uncredited) | 1933-11-03 |
Movie | One Year Later | Man Chuckling at Train Station | 1933-08-24 |
Movie | My Woman | Auditioning Man Who Does Animal Sounds (Uncredited) | 1933-10-04 |
Movie | King for a Night | Soda Jerk | 1933-12-09 |
Movie | Sensation Hunters | Stuttering Waiter | 1933-08-30 |
Movie | Golden Harvest | Farmhand at Wedding (uncredited) | 1933-09-21 |
Movie | Saturday's Millions | Reporter | 1933-09-30 |
Movie | Scandal for Sale | Newspaperman | 1932-04-01 |
Movie | Miss Pinkerton | Police Dispatcher (uncredited) | 1932-05-27 |
Movie | The Airmail Mystery | Holly | 1932-03-28 |
Movie | Law and Order | Lanky Smith (uncredited) | 1932-02-09 |
Movie | Two-Fisted Law | Bendix the Deputy Sheriff | 1932-06-08 |
Movie | Texas Cyclone | Sheriff Lew Collins | 1932-02-24 |
Movie | The Impatient Maiden | Cigar Stand Proprietor (uncredited) | 1932-03-01 |
Movie | The All-American | News Commentator at Game (uncredited) | 1932-10-01 |
Movie | Afraid to Talk | Protester Sign Carrier (uncredited) | 1932-11-17 |
Movie | Manhattan Tower | Mechanic (uncredited) | 1932-12-01 |
Movie | Women Won't Tell | Man in Junkyard | 1932-11-16 |
Movie | Once in a Lifetime | Lighting Technician (uncredited) | 1932-10-02 |
Movie | Cornered | Court Bailiff (uncredited) | 1932-08-05 |
Movie | Speed Madness | Joe | 1932-07-29 |
Movie | Honeymoon Lane | Driver | 1931-07-25 |
Movie | Grief Street | Walt | 1931-10-01 |
Movie | A House Divided | Musician (uncredited) | 1931-12-05 |
Movie | Neck and Neck | Hector | 1931-11-04 |
Movie | Dames Ahoy | Side Show Barker | 1930-02-09 |
Movie | King of Jazz | Desk Sergeant ('Springtime') / Soldier ('All Noisy on the Eastern Front') / Waiter ('Oh! Forevermore!') / Front End of Horse / Quartet Member ('Nellie') | 1930-04-20 |
Movie | Little Accident | Milkman (uncredited) | 1930-08-03 |
Movie | His Lucky Day | Road House Thug (uncredited) | 1929-06-02 |
Movie | Flight | Marine Pilot | 1929-09-14 |
Movie | The Long, Long Trail | Skinny Rawlins | 1929-10-26 |
Movie | One Hysterical Night | Paul Revere | 1929-10-05 |
Movie | The Last Performance | Clown (uncredited) | 1929-10-13 |
Movie | The Ballyhoo Buster | 1928-01-08 | |
Movie | The Michigan Kid | Minor Role (uncredited) | 1928-10-20 |
Movie | Flashing Oars | Hula Hula Hut Customer | 1927-02-28 |
Movie | Blake of Scotland Yard | Henchman (uncredited) | 1927-08-14 |
Movie | Tearin' Into Trouble | Billy Martin | 1927-03-19 |
Movie | The Ridin' Rowdy | 1927-04-24 | |
Movie | Sensation Seekers | Below Deck Yacht Crewman | 1927-03-21 |
Movie | Spangles | Lunch Counterman (uncredited) | 1926-11-07 |
Movie | Lorraine of the Lions | Minor Role (uncredited) | 1925-10-11 |
Movie | The Calgary Stampede | Racing Spectator in Grandstand at Rodeo (uncredited) | 1925-11-01 |