Walter Brennan | |
|---|---|
 Brennan inThe Real McCoys (1958) | |
| Born | Walter Andrew Brennan (1894-07-25)July 25, 1894 Lynn, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | September 21, 1974(1974-09-21) (aged 80) Oxnard, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | San Fernando Mission Cemetery, Los Angeles, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1925–1972 |
| Known for |
|
| Political party | Republican American Independent Party (1968, 1972) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | ThreeAcademy Awards |
Walter Andrew Brennan (July 25, 1894 – September 21, 1974) was an American actor and singer.[1] He won theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor forCome and Get It (1936),Kentucky (1938) andThe Westerner (1940), making him one of only sevenactors to win more than two Academy Awards, and the only male or female actor to win three awards in the supporting actor category. Brennan was also nominated for his performance inSergeant York (1941). Other noteworthy performances were inTo Have and Have Not (1944),My Darling Clementine (1946),Red River (1948) andRio Bravo (1959). On television, he starred in the sitcomThe Real McCoys (1957–1963).
Brennan was born inLynn, Massachusetts, on July 25 1894, less than two miles from his family's home inSwampscott.[2] His parents were both Irish immigrants.[3] His father was an engineer and inventor, and young Brennan also studied engineering atRindge Technical High School inCambridge, Massachusetts.[4]
While working as a bank clerk, he enlisted in theU.S. Army and served as a private with the101st Field Artillery Regiment in France for two years[5] during World War I.[2][6] "While there, he suffered an injury to his vocal cords from exposure to mustard gas that left him with his screen trademark: a distinctively reedy, high-pitched voice that became a favorite for celebrity impersonators for decades."[7]
After the war, he worked as a financial reporter for a newspaper in Boston.[8] During the early 1920s, he made a fortune in thereal estate market, but lost most of his money during a real estate slump.[4]
Finding himself penniless, Brennan began taking parts as an extra in films atUniversal Studios in 1925, starting at $7.50 a day, equal to $134 today. He wound up working at Universal off and on for the next ten years.[9]
His early appearances includedWebs of Steel (1925),Lorraine of the Lions (1925) andThe Calgary Stampede (1925), aHoot Gibson Western. Brennan was also inWatch Your Wife (1926),The Ice Flood (1926),Spangles (1926),The Collegians (1926, a short),Flashing Oars (1926, a short),Sensation Seekers (1927),Tearin' Into Trouble (1927),The Ridin' Rowdy (1927),Alias the Deacon (1927),Blake of Scotland Yard (1927) (a serial),Hot Heels (1927),Painting the Town (1928) andThe Ballyhoo Buster (1928). The latter was directed byRichard Thorpe who would use Brennan as an extra several times on films.
Brennan had minor roles inThe Racket (1928) fromHoward Hughes,The Michigan Kid (1928),Silks and Saddles (1929),The Cohens and the Kellys in Atlantic City (1929) andSmilin' Guns (1929) andThe Lariat Kid (1929) with Gibson. He also worked as a stand in.[10]
Brennan was inHis Lucky Day (1929),Frank Capra'sFlight (1929),One Hysterical Night (1929) (a bigger role),The Last Performance (1929),The Long Long Trail (1929) with Gibson andThe Shannons of Broadway (1929).
Other Brennan appearances includedDames Ahoy! (1930),Captain of the Guard (1930),King of Jazz (1930) (Brennan said he played nine parts but when he saw the film "I sneezed and I missed myself"),[9]The Little Accident (1930),Parlez Vous (1930), (a short),See America Thirst (1930) withHarry Langdon andSlim Summerville andOoh La-La (1930), (another short).
The following year Brennan had more small roles inHello Russia (1931, a short withSlim Summerville),Many a Slip (1931) with Summerville,Heroes of the Flames (1931) a serial withTim McCoy,Honeymoon Lane (1931),Dancing Dynamite (1931),Grief Street (1931) directed byRichard Thorpe andIs There Justice? (1931).
Brennan had a bigger role inNeck and Neck (1931), directed byRichard Thorpe. His parts tended to remain small, however:A House Divided (1931) for directorWilliam Wyler,Scratch-As-Catch-Can (1931, aBobby Clark short directed byMark Sandrich), andTexas Cyclone (1931, aTim McCoy Western featuring a youngJohn Wayne).
In 1932 Brennan was inLaw and Order (1932) withWalter Huston,The Impatient Maiden (1932) forJames Whale,The Airmail Mystery (1932, a serial) andScandal for Sale (1932). He did another with John Wayne,Two-Fisted Law (1932) though the star wasTim McCoy.
Brennan was inHello Trouble (1932) withBuck Jones,Speed Madness (1932),Miss Pinkerton (1932) with Joan Bennett,Cornered (1932) with McCoy,The Iceman's Ball (1932, another short for Sandrich),Fighting for Justice (1932) with McCoy,The Fourth Horseman (1932) withTom Mix,The All American (1932),Once in a Lifetime (1932),Strange Justice (1932),Women Won't Tell (1932) for Richard Thorpe,Afraid to Talk (1932) andManhattan Tower (1932).
Brennan was inSensation Hunters (1933) forCharles Vidor,Man of Action (1933) with McCoy,Parachute Jumper (1933),Goldie Gets Along (1933),Girl Missing (1933),Rustlers' Roundup (1933) with Mix,The Cohens and Kellys in Trouble (1933) for directorGeorge Stevens,Lucky Dog (1933) andThe Big Cage (1933). His scenes inWilliam Wellman'sLilly Turner (1933) were deleted.
Brennan did another serial,The Phantom of the Air (1933), thenStrange People (1933) for Thorpe,Meet the Champ (1933, a short),Sing Sinner Sing (1933),One Year Later (1933),Sailors Beware! (1933, a short),Golden Harvest (1933),Ladies Must Love (1933),Saturday's Millions (1933),Curtain at Eight (1933) andMy Woman (1933).
James Whale gave him a bit part inThe Invisible Man (1933) and he could be seen inKing for a Night (1933),Fugitive Lovers (1933),Cross Country Cruise (1934),Beloved (1934),You Can't Buy Everything (1934),Paradise Valley (1934),Radio Dough (1934, a short),The Poor Rich (1934),The Crosby Murder Case (1934),George White's Scandals (1934),Good Girl (1934),Riptide (1934),Uncertain Lady (1934),I'll Tell the World (1934) andFishing for Trouble (1934, a short).
Brennan was inthe Three Stooges shortWoman Haters (1934), then didHalf a Sinner (1934),The Life of Vergie Winters (1934),Murder on the Runaway Train (1934),Whom the Gods Destroy (1934),Gentlemen of Polish (1934, a short),Death on the Diamond (1934),Great Expectations (1934),Luck of the Game (1934),Tailspin Tommy (1934, a serial),There's Always Tomorrow (1934) andCheating Cheaters (1934).
Brennan was back with McCoy forThe Prescott Kid (1934) and could be seen inThe Painted Veil (1934),Biography of a Bachelor Girl (1935),Helldorado (1935),Brick-a-Brac (1935) anEdgar Kennedy short,Northern Frontier (1935),The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1935) andLaw Beyond the Range (1935) with McCoy. He also had a brief uncredited role inBride of Frankenstein (1935) starringBoris Karloff asFrankenstein's monster.
Around this time, Brennan received what he later described as "the luckiest break in the world." He was acting in a fight scene when an actor kicked him in the face and knocked out all of his teeth. As a result, Brennan wore false teeth. He said, "I looked all right off the set, but when necessary I could take 'em out and suddenly look about 40 years older."[5]
Brennan appeared in another Three Stooges short,Restless Knights, and a short titledHunger Pains in 1935.
A break for Brennan came when he was cast inThe Wedding Night (1935), produced bySam Goldwyn, alongsideGary Cooper (it was actually their second film together). He was only an extra, but his part was expanded during filming and it resulted in Brennan's getting a contract with Goldwyn.[5][11][12]
Goldwyn mostly loaned out Brennan's services to other studios. MGM put him inWest Point of the Air (1935). He was reunited with Whale inBride of Frankenstein (1935), in which he had a brief speaking part and also worked as a stuntman.
Brennan's parts remained small inParty Wire (1935),Spring Tonic (1935),The Gay Lady (1935),Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935) andWelcome Home (1935). He did a short,The Perfect Tribute (1935) and was in George Stevens'Alice Adams (1935), but his scenes were deleted.
He could be seen inWe're in the Money (1935) andShe Couldn't Take It (1935).
Brennan finally earned significant roles with a decent part in Goldwyn'sBarbary Coast (1935), directed byHoward Hawks and an uncredited William Wyler.[13] "That really set me up", Brennan said later.[5]
He followed with small appearances inMetropolitan (1935) andSeven Keys to Baldpate (1935).
He had one of the leads inThree Godfathers (1936) playing one of the title outlaws.
He had a small role inThese Three (1936) with Wyler and a larger one inWalter Wanger'sThe Moon's Our Home (1936) andFury (1936), directed byFritz Lang.
Brennan's breakthrough part came when cast byHoward Hawks as Swan Bostrom in the period filmCome and Get It (1936), playing the sidekick ofEdward Arnold who eventually marries the girl Arnold abandons (played byFrances Farmer). ProducerSam Goldwyn fired Hawks during filming and replaced him with William Wyler. Brennan's performance earned him the firstAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Brennan followed it with support parts inBanjo on My Knee (1936) at Fox,She's Dangerous (1937), andWhen Love is Young (1937). Goldwyn announced him for a role inThe Real Glory in 1936, but he ended up not appearing in the final film.[14]
Brennan had his first lead role inAffairs of Cappy Ricks (1937) atRepublic Pictures. He followed it with the co-starring part in Fox'sWild and Woolly (1937), billed second afterJane Withers. He was inThe Buccaneer (1938), directed byCecil B. DeMille.[15]
Brennan portrayed town drunk and accused murderer Muff Potter inThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938).
Brennan followed it withThe Texans (1938),Mother Carey's Chickens (1938) and Goldwyn'sThe Cowboy and the Lady (1938) withGary Cooper – the first time Brennan played Cooper's sidekick.
Brennan won his second Best Supporting Oscar forKentucky (1938), a horse racing film from20th Century Fox withLoretta Young.
He supportedFred Astaire andGinger Rogers inThe Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939). Brennan also appeared inMelody of Youth (1939), andStanley and Livingstone (1939) at Fox.[12] At MGM he was inJoe and Ethel Turp Call on the President (1939).
Throughout his career, Brennan was frequently called upon to play characters considerably older than he was. The loss of many teeth in the 1932 accident, rapidly thinning hair, thin build, and unusual vocal intonations all made him seem older than he was. He used these features to great effect. In many of his film roles, Brennan wore dentures; in MGM'sNorthwest Passage (1940) – a film set in the late 18th century – he wore a dental prosthesis which made him appear to have rotting and broken teeth. Brennan was billed third inNorthwest Passage afterSpencer Tracy and Robert Young.
Zanuck at Fox announced he wanted to makeThe Man from Home, once a vehicle forWill Rogers, with Brennan.[16] Instead Brennan was top-billed in Fox'sMaryland (1940), an attempt to repeat the success ofKentucky.[17] Brennan said he had been working constantly since Christmas 1937. "I'm just plain punch drunk", he said.[18]
Brennan had one of his best roles in Goldwyn'sThe Westerner (1940), playing the villainousJudge Roy Bean opposite Gary Cooper. William Wyler directed and the film earned Brennan his third Best Supporting Actor Oscar within a five-year span.
Goldwyn boughtTrading Post as a vehicle for Brennan, but the film never materialized.[19]
Brennan next supportedDeanna Durbin inNice Girl? (1941) and then Cooper again inFrank Capra'sMeet John Doe (1941) and Hawks'Sergeant York (1941), a role that earned Brennan a fourth Oscar nomination. He could also be seen inThis Woman is Mine (1941) as a sea captain.
Brennan played the top-billed lead inSwamp Water (1941), the first American film by directorJean Renoir. He appeared inRise and Shine (1941) and then played reporter Sam Blake inPride of the Yankees (1942).
Brennan appeared in the war filmsStand By for Action (1942) andHangmen Also Die! (1943), in which he played a Czech professor. He also appeared inSlightly Dangerous (1943),The Last Will and Testament of Tom Smith (1943) and Goldwyn's Russian war epicThe North Star (1943).[20]
He was top-billed in a follow-up toKentucky andMaryland at Fox,Home in Indiana (1944).
Brennan was particularly skilled in playing the sidekick of the protagonist or the "grumpy old man" in films such as Hawks'To Have and Have Not (1944).
Brennan was a comic pirate in theBob Hope filmThe Princess and the Pirate (1944). He was teamed with John Wayne for the first time since both men had obtained stardom inDakota (1945), directed byJoseph Kane. He supportedBette Davis inA Stolen Life (1946) and appeared in the Fox musicalCentennial Summer (1946).
Brennan returned as a villain asOld Man Clanton inJohn Ford'sMy Darling Clementine (1946), oppositeHenry Fonda. He followed this with parts inNobody Lives Forever (1946) at Warner Bros.[21] andRepublic'sDriftwood (1947).
He appeared in another Americana film at Fox,Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! (1948), and then in one of the greatest films in his career,Red River (1948), playing John Wayne's sidekick.
After supportingRobert Mitchum inBlood on the Moon (1948), he played another kindly father role inThe Green Promise (1949). Brennan was billed second toRod Cameron inBrimstone (1949), and he supported Gary Cooper inTask Force (1949).
Brennan focused on Westerns:Singing Guns (1950),A Ticket to Tomahawk (1950),Curtain Call at Cactus Creek (1950),The Showdown (1950),Surrender (1950),Along the Great Divide (1951),Best of the Badmen (1951) andReturn of the Texan (1952).
He appeared in the war filmsThe Wild Blue Yonder (1951) andLure of the Wilderness (1952), a remake ofSwamp Water in which he reprised his role, although with less screen time than in the original film.
Brennan was inSea of Lost Ships (1953) withJohn Derek,Drums Across the River (1954) withAudie Murphy,The Far Country (1954) withJames Stewart andFour Guns to the Border (1954) withRory Calhoun.[22] He also appeared inBad Day at Black Rock (1955) for MGM.
Brennan began to work on television, guest-starring on episodes ofScreen Directors Playhouse,Lux Video Theatre,Schlitz Playhouse,Ethel Barrymore Theater,Cavalcade of America andThe Ford Television Theatre. He played the old outlaw Joe in the 1956 episode "Vengeance Canyon" ofDick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre.[23]
He appeared as himself as a musical judge in the 1953–1954 ABC seriesJukebox Jury. Brennan later said that he preferred television to films because there were not "long layoffs between jobs."[11]
He continued to appear in movies such asGunpoint! (1955) andThe Proud Ones (1956) and was in a short film about Israel,Man on a Bus (1955).
Brennan appeared in films such asGlory (1956),Come Next Spring (1956) andBatjac'sGood-bye My Lady (1956) with 14-year-oldBrandon deWilde, with whom he recordedThe Stories ofMark Twain that same year.[24]
He appeared inThe Way to the Gold (1957) and playedDebbie Reynolds' grandfather in the romantic comedyTammy and the Bachelor (1957).
Brennan was given another lead role inGod Is My Partner (1957), a low-budget film that became a surprise hit.[25]
.jpg)
Brennan had resisted overtures to star in a regular TV series but relented forThe Real McCoys, asitcom about a poorWest Virginia family that relocated to a farm inSouthern California.[26] It was a hit and ran from 1957 to 1963.[27]
Brennan continued to appear in films and other TV shows during the series' run such asColgate Theatre and another Howard Hawks picture,Rio Bravo (1959), supporting John Wayne andDean Martin.
After five years on ABC,The Real McCoys switched toCBS for a final season. Brennan joined with series creatorIrving Pincus to form Brennan-Westgate Productions.[24] The series was coproduced with Danny Thomas's Marterto Productions. It also featuredRichard Crenna,Kathleen Nolan,Lydia Reed andMichael Winkelman.[28]
For Brennan Productions, Brennan starred inShoot Out at Big Sag (1962). He appeared as a villainous river pirate in MGM's epicHow the West Was Won (1963).
Following Brennan's success withThe Real McCoys, he performed on several recordings. The most popular of these was "Old Rivers", a song about an old farmer and his mule. It was released as a single in 1962 by Liberty Records with "The Epic Ride ofJohn H. Glenn" on the flip side. "Old Rivers" peaked at #5 on the U.S.Billboard chart, making the 67 year-old Brennan the oldest living person to have a Top 40 hit at the time.[29] At age 68, Brennan reached the Top 40 again, this time with "Mama Sang a Song" on November 17, 1962.
AfterThe Real McCoys ended, Brennan provided the voice for a cartoon ofThe Shooting of Dan McGrew.
Brennan starred as the wealthy executive Walter Andrews in the short-lived 1964–1965 ABC seriesThe Tycoon, withVan Williams.
Brennan had a support part inThose Calloways (1965), his first Disney film, again paired with Brandon deWilde. He had a small role inThe Oscar (1966).
In 1967, he starred in another ABC series,The Guns of Will Sonnett (1967–1969), as an older man in search of his gunfighter son. It ran for two seasons.[30]
Brennan was top-billed in Disney'sThe Gnome-Mobile (1967) and made a pilot for the TV seriesHoratio Alger Jones, which did not become a series.[31]
After a support role inWho's Minding the Mint? (1967), he returned to Disney forThe One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968).
Brennan had a part as the villain inSupport Your Local Sheriff! (1969) withJames Garner.
Brennan received top billing overPat O'Brien in theTV movieThe Over-the-Hill Gang (1969) andFred Astaire inThe Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again (1970).,
He joined the second season of the CBS sitcomTo Rome with Love (1969–1971) withJohn Forsythe.[32] This was Brennan's last television series as a member of the permanent cast, although he did make a number of appearances onAlias Smith and Jones.[33]
Around this time he also starred in the TV moviesThe Young Country (1970),Two for the Money (1972) andHome for the Holidays (1972). He was announced for a Western that was not made,One Day in Eden.[33]
He started filmingHerbie Rides Again (1973) for Disney but fell ill and was replaced.[34]
Brennan's last screen appearance was in the WesternSmoke in the Wind (1975), directed byJoseph Kane.
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Walter Brennan" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(April 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
In 1920, Brennan married Ruth Caroline Wells. They had three children in their 54-year marriage: Arthur, Walter, and Ruth.[35]
In 1940, Brennan purchased the 12,000-acre Lightning Creek Ranch, 20 miles north ofJoseph, Oregon. He built the Indian Lodge Motel, a movie theater, and a variety store in Joseph, and continued retreating to the ranch between film roles until his death. Some members of his family continue to live in the area.
Brennan spent his last years mostly in retirement at his ranch inMoorpark in Ventura County, California. He died ofemphysema on September 21, 1974, at the age of 80 inOxnard, California.[36] His remains were interred atSan Fernando Mission Cemetery in Los Angeles.[37]
Brennan, aRoman Catholic, did not publicize his own religious affiliation, but declared in 1964, "I'm too old not to be a religious fella... It appears we are losing something a lot of people made a lot of sacrifices for."[38] That year, Brennan spoke at Project Prayer, a rally attended by 2,500 at theShrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The gathering, hosted byAnthony Eisley, sought to floodCongress with letters in support ofschool prayer following two decisions by theSupreme Court in 1962 and 1963 that had invalidated the practice of mandatory prayer in public schools, which the court ruled to have conflicted with theEstablishment Clause of theFirst Amendment to the United States Constitution.[38]
According to his biographerCarl Rollyson, Brennan was fiercely opposed to communism and reportedly branded people as communists if they supportedJohn F. Kennedy. Rollyson wrote that Brennan "thought that theWatts riots could have been stopped 'with a machine gun'." Rollyson also reported that Brennan's home "included a bunker stocked with weapons and food in anticipation of a Soviet invasion." Brennan reportedly expressed satisfaction at the murder of theRev. Martin Luther King Jr., much to the shock of the cast and crew ofThe Guns of Will Sonnett, and also rejoiced in the assassination ofRobert F. Kennedy.[39]Everett Greenbaum, who wrote 32 episodes ofThe Real McCoys, described Brennan as a bigot who frequently uttered racist remarks.[40]
A staunch conservativeRepublican and a member of theMotion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, Brennan supportedBarry Goldwater in the1964 United States presidential election because Goldwater had voted against theCivil Rights Act of 1964, but Brennan later endorsedGeorge Wallace in 1968, believing thatRichard Nixon was too liberal for a Republican. In 1972, Brennan endorsed far-right candidateJohn Schmitz, who like Brennan, was a member of theJohn Birch Society. Brennan served as finance chairman and narrated advertisements in support of Schmitz's campaign.[41][42] Brennan also endorsedRonald Reagan in the1966 California gubernatorial election and in his reelection in 1970.[43][35]
Brennan was one of the greatestcharacter actors in motion picture history. While the roles that he played were diverse, he may be best remembered for his portrayals inWestern films such as those of Judge Roy Bean inThe Westerner, trail hand Nadine Groot inRed River and Deputy Stumpy inRio Bravo. He was the first actor to win three Academy Awards and remains the only person to have won theBest Supporting Actor award three times. However, he remained somewhat embarrassed about how he had won the awards; in the early years of the Academy Awards, extras could vote, and Brennan was popular with the extras' union.[44] His third win prompted the disenfranchisement of the union from Oscar voting.[45] Following this change, Brennan failed to win the Oscar for his fourth Best Supporting Actor nomination in 1941 forSergeant York. (The award went to Donald Crisp forHow Green Was My Valley instead.)
Brennan played more than 230 film and television roles during a career that spanned nearly five decades. For his contributions to the film industry, he has a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame at 6501Hollywood Boulevard.[46] In 1970, he was inducted into theHall of Great Western Performers at theNational Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum inOklahoma City, where his photograph hangs prominently.[47]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | Webs of Steel | Performer | uncredited |
| Lorraine of the Lions | Minor role | uncredited | |
| The Calgary Stampede | Racing spectator | uncredited | |
| 1926 | Watch Your Wife | Performer | |
| The Ice Flood | Lumberjack | uncredited | |
| Spangles | Lunch counterman | uncredited | |
| 1927 | Sensation Seekers | Below deck yacht crewman | uncredited |
| Tearin' Into Trouble | Billy Martin | ||
| The Ridin' Rowdy | Performer | ||
| Alias the Deacon | Cashier at Cunningham's Rink | uncredited | |
| Blake of Scotland Yard | Henchman | uncredited | |
| Hot Heels | Pool hall inhabitant | uncredited | |
| 1928 | The Ballyhoo Buster | Performer | |
| The Michigan Kid | Minor role | uncredited | |
| The Racket | Man in front of barber shop | uncredited | |
| 1929 | Silks and Saddles | Undetermined role | uncredited |
| The Cohens and Kellys in Atlantic City | Man at police station | uncredited | |
| Smilin' Guns | Ranch Foreman | ||
| The Lariat Kid | Pat O'Shea | ||
| His Lucky Day | Roadhouse hhug | uncredited | |
| Flight | Marine pilot | uncredited | |
| One Hysterical Night | Paul Revere | ||
| The Last Performance | Clown | uncredited | |
| The Long Long Trail | Skinny Rawlins | ||
| The Shannons of Broadway | Hez | ||
| 1930 | Dames Ahoy! | Side show barker | uncredited |
| Captain of the Guard | Peasant | uncredited | |
| King of Jazz | Various roles | ||
| The Little Accident | Milkman | uncredited | |
| See America Thirst | Spumoni bodyguard | uncredited | |
| Many a Slip | Minor role | uncredited | |
| 1931 | Honeymoon Lane | Driver | |
| Heroes of the Flames | Bit Part | [Ch. 12] – uncredited | |
| Dancing Dynamite | Henchman | ||
| Grief Street | Walt | ||
| Is There Justice? | Rollins | ||
| Neck and Neck | Hector | ||
| Scratch-As-Catch-Can | Performer | Short film | |
| A House Divided | Musician | uncredited | |
| 1932 | Horse Feathers | Football commentator | uncredited |
| Texas Cyclone | Sheriff Lew Collins | ||
| Law and Order | Lanky Smith | uncredited | |
| The Impatient Maiden | Cigar stand proprietor | uncredited | |
| The Airmail Mystery | Holly | ||
| Scandal for Sale | Newspaperman | uncredited | |
| Two-Fisted Law | Deputy Sheriff Bendix | ||
| Hello Trouble | A Texas Ranger | uncredited | |
| Miss Pinkerton | Police dispatcher | uncredited | |
| Speed Madness | Joe | ||
| Cornered | Court bailiff | uncredited | |
| Fighting for Justice | Cowhand Fletcher | uncredited | |
| The Fourth Horseman | Toothless town drunk | uncredited | |
| The All American | News commentator at game | uncredited | |
| Once in a Lifetime | Lighting technician | uncredited | |
| Strange Justice | Eddie – mechanic | uncredited | |
| Women Won't Tell | Dump workman | uncredited | |
| Afraid to Talk | Protester sign carrier | uncredited | |
| Manhattan Tower | Mechanic | uncredited | |
| 1933 | Sensation Hunters | Stuttering waiter | |
| Man of Action | Cashier Summers | ||
| Parachute Jumper | Counterman at Jewel Diner | uncredited | |
| Goldie Gets Along | Stuttering waiter | uncredited | |
| Girl Missing | Joe-garage attendant | uncredited | |
| Rustlers' Roundup | Walt | uncredited | |
| The Cohens and Kellys in Trouble | Bit role | uncredited | |
| Lucky Dog | Drunk #2 | ||
| The Big Cage | Tickettaker | uncredited | |
| Lilly Turner | Performer | scenes deleted | |
| The Phantom of the Air | 'Skid' | uncredited | |
| Strange People | The radio repairman | ||
| Sing Sinner Sing | Henchman Riordan | ||
| One Year Later | Yokel | uncredited | |
| Golden Harvest | Farmhand at wedding | uncredited | |
| Ladies Must Love | Flute player | uncredited | |
| Saturday's Millions | Reporter | uncredited | |
| Curtain at Eight | Silent detective | uncredited | |
| My Woman | Stuttering animal imitator | uncredited | |
| The Invisible Man | Bicycle owner | uncredited | |
| King for a Night | Soda Jerk | uncredited | |
| 1934 | Fugitive Lovers | Second bus driver | uncredited |
| Tailspin Tommy | Hospital Orderly | [Ch. 8] – uncredited | |
| Cross Country Cruise | Niagara Falls boatman | uncredited | |
| Beloved | Stuttering boarder | ||
| You Can't Buy Everything | Train Vendor | uncredited | |
| Paradise Valley | Farmer Hiram | ||
| The Poor Rich | Dr. Johnson the coroner | uncredited | |
| The Crosby Case | Ship's officer | uncredited | |
| George White's Scandals | Hick | uncredited | |
| Good Dame | Elmer Spicer | uncredited | |
| Riptide | Chauffeur | uncredited | |
| Uncertain Lady | Gas station attendant | uncredited | |
| I'll Tell the World | Otto – Bicycle repairman | uncredited | |
| Woman Haters | Train Conductor | uncredited Short film | |
| Half a Sinner | Radio announcer | ||
| The Life of Vergie Winters | Roscoe – a gossiper | uncredited | |
| Murder in the Private Car | Switchman | uncredited | |
| Whom the Gods Destroy | Clifford | uncredited | |
| Death on the Diamond | Hotdog vendor | uncredited | |
| Great Expectations | Prisoner on ship | uncredited | |
| Gridiron Flash | Diner Proprietor | uncredited | |
| There's Always Tomorrow | Mechanic | uncredited | |
| Cheating Cheaters | Ship's telegrapher | uncredited | |
| The Prescott Kid | Zeke (stage driver) | ||
| The Painted Veil | Performer | scenes deleted | |
| 1935 | Biography of a Bachelor Girl | Reporter on ship | uncredited |
| Helldorado | Pete, the Waiter | uncredited | |
| Northern Frontier | Stuttering cook | ||
| The Mystery of Edwin Drood | First gossip | uncredited | |
| Law Beyond the Range | Abner | ||
| Restless Knights | Father | uncredited Short film | |
| The Wedding Night | Bill Jenkins | ||
| West Point of the Air | Soldier at Kelly's wreckage | uncredited | |
| Bride of Frankenstein | Neighbor | uncredited | |
| Party Wire | Paul – railroad telegrapher | uncredited | |
| Spring Tonic | Bum | uncredited | |
| Lady Tubbs | Joseph | uncredited | |
| Man on the Flying Trapeze | 'Legs' Garnett | ||
| Welcome Home | Walter | uncredited | |
| Alice Adams | Performer | scenes deleted | |
| We're in the Money | Wedding witness | uncredited | |
| She Couldn't Take It | Peddler | uncredited | |
| Barbary Coast | Old Atrocity | ||
| Metropolitan | Grandpa | uncredited | |
| Seven Keys to Baldpate | Station agent | ||
| 1936 | Three Godfathers | Sam "Gus" Barton | |
| These Three | Taxi driver | ||
| The Moon's Our Home | Lem | ||
| Fury | 'Bugs' Meyers | ||
| Come and Get It | Swan Bostrom | ||
| Banjo on My Knee | Newt Holley | ||
| 1937 | She's Dangerous | Ote O'Leary | |
| When Love Is Young | Uncle Hugo | ||
| Affairs of Cappy Ricks | Cappy Ricks | ||
| Wild and Woolly | Gramp 'Hercules' Flynn | ||
| 1938 | The Buccaneer | Ezra Peaves | |
| The Adventures of Tom Sawyer | Muff Potter | ||
| The Texans | Chuckawalla | ||
| Mother Carey's Chickens | Mr. Ossian Popham | ||
| The Cowboy and the Lady | Sugar | ||
| Kentucky | Peter Goodwin | ||
| 1939 | The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle | Walter | |
| They Shall Have Music | Professor Lawson | ||
| Stanley and Livingstone | Jeff Slocum | ||
| Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President | Jim | ||
| 1940 | Northwest Passage | "Hunk" Marriner | |
| Maryland | William Stewart | ||
| The Westerner | Judge Roy Bean | ||
| 1941 | Nice Girl? | Hector Titus | |
| Meet John Doe | The 'Colonel' | ||
| Sergeant York | Pastor Rosier Pile | ||
| This Woman Is Mine | Capt. Jonathan Thorne | ||
| Swamp Water | Tom Keefer | ||
| Rise and Shine | Grandpa | ||
| 1942 | The Pride of the Yankees | Sam Blake | |
| Stand By for Action | Chief Yeoman Henry Johnson | ||
| 1943 | Hangmen Also Die | Prof. Stephen Novotny | |
| Slightly Dangerous | Cornelius Burden | ||
| The North Star | Karp | ||
| 1944 | Home in Indiana | J. F. "Thunder" Bolt | |
| To Have and Have Not | Eddie | ||
| The Princess and the Pirate | Featherhead | ||
| 1945 | Dakota | Capt. Bounce of theRiverbird | |
| 1946 | A Stolen Life | Eben Folger | |
| Centennial Summer | Jesse Rogers | ||
| My Darling Clementine | Newman Haynes Clanton | ||
| Nobody Lives Forever | Pop Gruber | ||
| 1947 | Driftwood | Murph | |
| 1948 | Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! | Tony Maule | |
| Red River | Nadine Groot | ||
| Blood on the Moon | Kris Barden | ||
| 1949 | The Green Promise | Mr. Matthews | |
| Brimstone | Brimstone "Pop" Courteen | ||
| Task Force | Pete Richard | ||
| 1950 | Singing Guns | Dr. Jonathan Mark | |
| A Ticket to Tomahawk | Terence Sweeny | ||
| Curtain Call at Cactus Creek | Rimrock Thomas | ||
| The Showdown | Cap Mackellar | ||
| Surrender | Sheriff Bill Howard | ||
| 1951 | Along the Great Divide | Timothy 'Pop' Keith | |
| Best of the Badmen | "Doc" Butcher | [48] | |
| The Wild Blue Yonder | Major General Wolfe | ||
| 1952 | Return of the Texan | Grandpa Firth Crockett | |
| Lure of the Wilderness | Jim Harper | ||
| 1953 | Sea of Lost Ships | C.P.O. "Chief" O'Malley | |
| 1954 | Drums Across the River | Sam Brannon | |
| Four Guns to the Border | Simon Bhumer | ||
| 1955 | The Far Country | Ben Tatum | |
| Bad Day at Black Rock | Doc Velie | ||
| At Gunpoint | Doc Lacy | ||
| 1956 | Glory | Ned Otis | |
| Come Next Spring | Jeffrey Storys | ||
| The Proud Ones | Jake | ||
| 1956 | Good-bye, My Lady | Uncle Jesse Jackson | |
| 1957 | The Way to the Gold | Uncle George Williams | |
| 1957 | Tammy and the Bachelor | Grandpa | |
| 1957 | God Is My Partner | Dr. Charles Grayson | |
| 1959 | Rio Bravo | Stumpy | |
| 1962 | Shoot Out at Big Sag | "Preacher" Hawker | |
| 1962 | How the West Was Won | Col. Jeb Hawkins | |
| 1965 | Those Calloways | Alf Simes | |
| 1966 | The Oscar | Orrin C. Quentin | |
| 1967 | The Gnome-Mobile | D.J. Mulrooney/Knobby | |
| 1967 | Who's Minding the Mint? | Pop Gillis | |
| 1968 | The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band | Grandpa Bower | |
| 1969 | Support Your Local Sheriff! | Pa Danby | |
| 1975 | Smoke in the Wind | H. P. Kingman | final film role (posthumous release) |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953–56 | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars | Simmons/Ezra Jenkins | 3 episodes |
| 1955 | Screen Directors Playhouse | Grandpa | Episode: The Brush Roper |
| 1956 | Ethel Barrymore Theatre | Performer | Episode: The Gentle Years |
| 1956 | Cavalcade of America | Link Morley | Episode: Woman's Work |
| 1956 | The Ford Television Hour | Duffy | Episode: Duffy's Man |
| 1956–57 | Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre | Sheriff John Larson/Joe | 2 episodes |
| 1958 | Colgate Theatre | Mr. Tutt | Episode: Mr. Tutt (or Strange Counsel) |
| 1957–63 | The Real McCoys | Grandpa Amos McCoy | 224 episodes |
| 1964–65 | The Tycoon | Walter Andrews | 32 episodes |
| 1967–69 | The Guns of Will Sonnett | Will Sonnett | 50 episodes |
| 1969–70 | The Red Skelton Hour | Various Roles | 3 episodes |
| 1969 | The Over-the-Hill Gang | Nash Crawford | Television Movie |
| 1970 | The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again | Nash Crawford | Television Movie |
| 1970 | The Young Country | Sheriff Matt Fenley | Television Movie |
| 1970–71 | To Rome with Love | Andy Pruitt | 17 episodes |
| 1971 | Alias Smith and Jones | Silky O'Sullivan/Gantry | 3 episodes |
| 1972 | Home for the Holidays | Benjamin Morgan | Television Movie |
| 1972 | Two for the Money | Cody Guilford | Television Movie |
| Year | Program | Episode | Co Star |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | Lux Radio Theatre | "Home in Indiana" | w/ Charlotte Greenwood |
| 1945 | Lux Radio Theatre | "Kentucky" | w/ Laraine Day |
| 1955 | Lux Radio Theatre | "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" | w/ Edmund O'Brien |
Albums
| Year | Album | US | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Dutchman's Gold | — | Dot |
| 1962 | Old Rivers | 54 | Liberty |
| Mama Sang a Song | — | Liberty | |
| 'Twas the Night Before Christmas... Back Home | — | Liberty |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US AC | US Country | Canada | |||
| 1960 | "Dutchman's Gold" | 30 | — | — | 30 [49] | Dutchman's Gold |
| 1962 | "Old Rivers" | 5 | 2 | 3 | 18 [50] | Old Rivers |
| 1962 | "Houdini" | 100 | — | — | — | Mama Sang a Song |
| 1962 | "Mama Sang a Song" | 38 | 14 | — | — | Mama Sang a Song |
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Come and Get It | Won |
| 1938 | Kentucky | Won | ||
| 1940 | The Westerner | Won | ||
| 1941 | Sergeant York | Nominated | ||
| 1959 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | The Real McCoys | Nominated |
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)While there, he suffered an injury to his vocal chords from exposure to mustard gas that left him with his screen trademark: a distinctively reedy, high-pitched voice that became a favorite for celebrity impersonators for decades.
...both wins said to be due to the high level of support he received from the extras union whose members were allowed to vote in the Academy Awards from 1936 to1940. His third win on his third nomination for 1940's The Westerner caused such a scandal that the extras' voting rights were taken away.
In the early years of the Academy Awards, extras were given the right to vote. Brennan was extremely popular with the Union of Film Extras, and since their numbers were overwhelming, he won each time he was nominated. Some say that his third win led to the disenfranchisement of the Extras Union from Oscar voting.
