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.
Series | The Tycoon | Unknown | 2025 |
Movie | And the Oscar Goes To... | Self (archive footage) | 2014-02-01 |
Movie | The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender | Self (archive footage) | 1997-11-01 |
Movie | Bogart: The Untold Story | Self (archive footage) | 1997-01-05 |
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 | Support Your Local Sheriff! | Pa Danby | 1969-03-26 |
Movie | The Over the Hill Gang | Nash Crawford | 1969-07-06 |
Movie | The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band | Grandpa Bower | 1968-04-19 |
Movie | The Movie Orgy | Self (archive footage) | 1968-01-01 |
Movie | The Gnome-Mobile | D.J. Mulrooney / Knobby | 1967-07-19 |
Movie | Who's Minding the Mint? | Pop Gillis | 1967-09-26 |
Series | The Guns of Will Sonnett | 1967-09-08 | |
Movie | The Oscar | Quentin | 1966-03-04 |
Movie | Those Calloways | Alf Simes | 1965-01-28 |
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 |
Series | The Dinah Shore Chevy Show | Unknown | 1956-10-05 |
Movie | Come Next Spring | Jeffrey Storys | 1956-03-09 |
Movie | Glory | Ned Otis | 1956-01-11 |
Series | Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre | Unknown | 1956-10-05 |
Movie | The Proud Ones | Jake | 1956-05-15 |
Movie | Good-bye, My Lady | Uncle Jesse Jackson | 1956-05-12 |
Movie | Bad Day at Black Rock | Doc T.R. Velie Jr. | 1955-01-13 |
Movie | At Gunpoint | Doc Lacy | 1955-12-25 |
Movie | The Far Country | Ben Tatum | 1954-02-12 |
Movie | Drums Across the River | Sam Brannon | 1954-06-01 |
Movie | Four Guns to the Border | Simon Bhumer | 1954-11-05 |
Series | The Oscars | Unknown | 1953-03-19 |
Series | Cavalcade of America | Unknown | 1952-10-01 |
Series | This Is Your Life | Unknown | 1952-10-01 |
Movie | Return of the Texan | Grandpa Firth Crockett | 1952-02-13 |
Movie | Lure of the Wilderness | Jim Harper | 1952-07-16 |
Movie | Along the Great Divide | Timothy 'Pop' Keith | 1951-06-02 |
Series | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars | Unknown | 1951-10-05 |
Movie | The Wild Blue Yonder | Maj. Gen. Wolfe | 1951-12-05 |
Movie | Best of the Badmen | 'Doc' Butcher | 1951-08-09 |
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 | Curtain Call at Cactus Creek | Rimrock | 1950-05-25 |
Movie | Surrender | Sheriff Bill Howard | 1950-09-15 |
Movie | The Green Promise | Mr. Matthews | 1949-03-22 |
Movie | Brimstone | Pop Courteen | 1949-08-15 |
Movie | Task Force | Pete Richard | 1949-08-30 |
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 | A Stolen Life | Eben Folger | 1946-05-01 |
Movie | My Darling Clementine | Old Man Clanton | 1946-10-17 |
Movie | Nobody Lives Forever | Pop Gruber | 1946-11-01 |
Movie | Centennial Summer | Jesse Rogers | 1946-07-10 |
Movie | Dakota | Capt. Bounce of the Riverbird | 1945-12-15 |
Movie | To Have and Have Not | Eddie | 1945-01-20 |
Movie | The Princess and the Pirate | Featherhead | 1944-11-17 |
Movie | Home in Indiana | J. F. 'Thunder' Bolt | 1944-06-15 |
Movie | Hangmen Also Die! | Prof. Stephen Novotny | 1943-04-15 |
Movie | Slightly Dangerous | Cornelius Burden | 1943-04-01 |
Movie | The Last Will and Testament of Tom Smith | George, Mailman | 1943-09-09 |
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 | This Woman Is Mine | Captain Jonathan Thorne | 1941-08-22 |
Movie | Nice Girl? | Hector Titus | 1941-02-21 |
Movie | Rise and Shine | Grandpa | 1941-11-21 |
Movie | Sergeant York | Pastor Rosier Pile | 1941-09-27 |
Movie | Swamp Water | Tom Keefer | 1941-11-16 |
Movie | Breakdowns of 1941 | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1941-11-14 |
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 | Land of Liberty | Ezra Peavey (edited from 'The Buccaneer') | 1939-06-15 |
Movie | Stanley and Livingstone | Jeff Slocum | 1939-08-18 |
Movie | Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President | Jim | 1939-12-01 |
Movie | They Shall Have Music | Professor Lawson | 1939-08-18 |
Movie | The Buccaneer | Ezra Peavey | 1938-02-04 |
Movie | The Adventures of Tom Sawyer | Muff Potter | 1938-02-11 |
Movie | The Texans | Chuckawalla | 1938-08-12 |
Movie | Kentucky | Peter Goodwin | 1938-12-30 |
Movie | The Cowboy and the Lady | Sugar | 1938-11-17 |
Movie | Mother Carey's Chickens | Ossian Popham | 1938-07-29 |
Movie | She's Dangerous | 'Oats' | 1937-01-24 |
Movie | Affairs of Cappy Ricks | Cappy Ricks | 1937-05-24 |
Movie | When Love Is Young | Uncle Hugo | 1937-03-26 |
Movie | Wild and Woolly | Gramp 'Hercules' Flynn | 1937-07-19 |
Movie | Three Godfathers | Samuel 'Gus' Barton | 1936-03-06 |
Movie | Come and Get It | Swan Bostrom | 1936-11-06 |
Movie | These Three | Taxi Driver | 1936-03-18 |
Movie | Banjo on My Knee | Newt Holley | 1936-12-11 |
Movie | The Moon's Our Home | Lem | 1936-04-10 |
Movie | Fury | Bugs Meyers | 1936-06-05 |
Movie | Restless Knights | Father (uncredited) | 1935-02-20 |
Movie | Law Beyond the Range | Abner | 1935-02-15 |
Movie | The Mystery of Edwin Drood | First Gossip | 1935-02-04 |
Movie | Brick-a-Brac | Lem | 1935-01-18 |
Movie | The Wedding Night | Bill Jenkins | 1935-03-08 |
Movie | Biography of a Bachelor Girl | Reporter on Ship (uncredited) | 1935-01-04 |
Movie | Northern Frontier | Stuttering Cook | 1935-02-01 |
Movie | West Point of the Air | Soldier at Kelly's Wreckage | 1935-03-23 |
Movie | She Couldn't Take It | Peddler | 1935-10-08 |
Movie | Barbary Coast | Old Atrocity | 1935-10-13 |
Movie | Seven Keys to Baldpate | Station Agent | 1935-12-13 |
Movie | We're in the Money | Wedding Witness (uncredited) | 1935-08-17 |
Movie | Metropolitan | Grandpa | 1935-10-17 |
Movie | Bride of Frankenstein | Peasant (uncredited) | 1935-04-20 |
Movie | Man on the Flying Trapeze | 'Legs' Garnett | 1935-08-03 |
Movie | Party Wire | Paul - Railroad Telegrapher (uncredited) | 1935-04-27 |
Movie | Lady Tubbs | Joseph | 1935-07-02 |
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 | There's Always Tomorrow | Auto mechanic | 1934-11-01 |
Movie | Gridiron Flash | Proprietor of Java Joe's | 1934-10-06 |
Movie | Woman Haters | Train Conductor (uncredited) | 1934-05-05 |
Movie | Prescott Kid | Zeke - Stage Driver | 1934-11-08 |
Movie | Death on the Diamond | Hot Dog Vendor (uncredited) | 1934-09-14 |
Movie | Great Expectations | Prisoner on Ship | 1934-10-22 |
Movie | Half a Sinner | Radio Announcer | 1934-06-01 |
Movie | The Life of Vergie Winters | Roscoe (uncredited) | 1934-06-14 |
Movie | Murder in the Private Car | Switchman (uncredited) | 1934-06-29 |
Movie | Whom the Gods Destroy | Clifford (uncredited) | 1934-07-12 |
Movie | The Big Cage | Ticket Taker | 1933-05-01 |
Movie | Girl Missing | Joe, Garage Attendant (Uncredited) | 1933-03-04 |
Movie | Lucky Dog | Drunk #2 | 1933-04-20 |
Movie | Goldie Gets Along | Stuttering Waiter | 1933-01-27 |
Movie | Strange People | The Radio Repairman | 1933-06-16 |
Movie | Man Of Action | Cashier Summers | 1933-01-20 |
Movie | Parachute Jumper | Counterman at Jewel Diner (uncredited) | 1933-01-28 |
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 | The Airmail Mystery | Holly | 1932-03-28 |
Movie | Scandal for Sale | Newspaperman | 1932-04-01 |
Movie | The Impatient Maiden | Cigar Stand Proprietor (uncredited) | 1932-03-01 |
Movie | Law and Order | Lanky Smith (uncredited) | 1932-02-09 |
Movie | Miss Pinkerton | Police Dispatcher (uncredited) | 1932-05-27 |
Movie | Texas Cyclone | Sheriff Lew Collins | 1932-02-24 |
Movie | The All-American | News Commentator at Game (uncredited) | 1932-10-01 |
Movie | Women Won't Tell | Man in Junkyard | 1932-11-16 |
Movie | Afraid to Talk | Protester Sign Carrier (uncredited) | 1932-11-17 |
Movie | Once in a Lifetime | Lighting Technician (uncredited) | 1932-10-02 |
Movie | Two-Fisted Law | Bendix the Deputy Sheriff | 1932-06-08 |
Movie | Speed Madness | Joe | 1932-07-29 |
Movie | Cornered | Court Bailiff (uncredited) | 1932-08-05 |
Movie | Manhattan Tower | Mechanic (uncredited) | 1932-12-01 |
Movie | Many a Slip | Minor Role (uncredited) | 1931-03-02 |
Movie | A House Divided | Musician (uncredited) | 1931-12-05 |
Movie | Grief Street | Walt | 1931-10-01 |
Movie | Little Accident | Milkman (uncredited) | 1930-08-03 |
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 | Flight | Marine Pilot | 1929-09-14 |
Movie | The Long, Long Trail | Skinny Rawlins | 1929-10-26 |
Movie | The Last Performance | Clown (uncredited) | 1929-10-13 |
Movie | One Hysterical Night | Paul Revere | 1929-10-05 |
Movie | The Ballyhoo Buster | 1928-01-08 | |
Movie | The Michigan Kid | Minor Role (uncredited) | 1928-10-20 |
Movie | Blake of Scotland Yard | Henchman (uncredited) | 1927-08-14 |
Movie | Tearin' Into Trouble | Billy Martin | 1927-03-19 |
Movie | Flashing Oars | Hula Hula Hut Customer | 1927-02-28 |
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 | The Calgary Stampede | Racing Spectator in Grandstand at Rodeo (uncredited) | 1925-11-01 |
Movie | Lorraine of the Lions | Minor Role (uncredited) | 1925-10-11 |