Walter Brennan

Biography

Walter Brennan was an American actor and singer who began as an extra at Universal Studios in 1925 and appeared in more than 230 film and television parts over nearly five decades. Born in Lynn, Massachusetts, he won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar three times, for Come and Get It (1936), Kentucky (1938) and The Westerner (1940), the only person to take that award three times, and was nominated a fourth time for Sergeant York (1941). He was often cast as a sidekick or a grumpy old man, and his best known films include To Have and Have Not (1944), My Darling Clementine (1946), Red River (1948) and Rio Bravo (1959). He starred in the sitcom The Real McCoys from 1957 to 1963, later headlined The Guns of Will Sonnett, and recorded Old Rivers, which reached number five on the Billboard chart in 1962.

80years old at death

Born July 25, 1894Lynn
Died September 21, 1974Oxnard
Star sign: LeoThe sign runs July 23 to August 22
Walter Andrew Brennan (birth name)

Movie Career

Films: 46
Career span: 63 years1930 to 1993

Genres

Drama48%, 22 films
Romance35%, 16 films
Western30%, 14 films
Comedy24%, 11 films
Adventure15%, 7 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

Behind the award
Brennan was the first actor to take home three Academy Awards, and no one else has won Best Supporting Actor three times. He felt some embarrassment about the wins, since extras could vote in the awards' early years and he was popular with their union.
Behind the award
Brennan's third Oscar win prompted the Academy to disenfranchise the extras' union from Oscar voting, and he never won again, losing his 1941 nomination for Sergeant York to Donald Crisp.
A first
Brennan's recording of "Old Rivers" reached number 5 on the U.S. Billboard chart. At 67, he became the oldest living person at the time to land a Top 40 hit.

Walter Brennan movies on Netflix

La Classe américaine1993IMDb rating 7.8as Stumpy
Home for the Holidays1974IMDb rating 6.2as Benjamin Morgan
The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again1970IMDb rating 5.7as Nash Crawford
Support Your Local Sheriff!1969IMDb rating 7.4as Pa Danby
The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band1968IMDb rating 6.3as Grandpa Bower
The Gnome-Mobile1967IMDb rating 6.5as D.J. Mulrooney / Knobby
Who's Minding the Mint?1967IMDb rating 7.0as Pop Gillis
Those Calloways1964IMDb rating 6.5as Alf Simes
How the West Was Won1962IMDb rating 7.1as Col. Jeb Hawkins
Rio Bravo1959IMDb rating 7.9as Stumpy
Tammy and the Bachelor1957IMDb rating 6.9as Grandpa
The Proud Ones1956IMDb rating 6.9as Jake
At Gunpoint1955IMDb rating 6.3as Doc Lacy
Bad Day at Black Rock1955IMDb rating 7.6as Doc T.R. Velie Jr.
Drums Across the River1954IMDb rating 6.2as Sam Brannon
The Far Country1954IMDb rating 7.1as Ben Tatum
Along the Great Divide1951IMDb rating 6.8as Timothy 'Pop' Keith
The Green Promise1949IMDb rating 6.5as Mr. Matthews
Blood on the Moon1948IMDb rating 6.9as Kris Barden
Red River1948IMDb rating 7.7as Nadine Groot
A Stolen Life1946IMDb rating 7.2as Eben Folger
My Darling Clementine1946IMDb rating 7.7as Old Man Clanton
Nobody Lives Forever1946IMDb rating 7.0as Pop Gruber
Dakota1945IMDb rating 6.0as Bounce of the Riverbird
The Princess and the Pirate1944IMDb rating 6.8as Featherhead
To Have and Have Not1944IMDb rating 7.8as Eddie
Hangmen Also Die!1943IMDb rating 7.4as Prof. Stephen Novotny
Slightly Dangerous1943IMDb rating 6.7as Cornelius Burden
The North Star1943IMDb rating 5.9as Karp
The Pride of the Yankees1942IMDb rating 7.6as Sam Blake
Meet John Doe1941IMDb rating 7.6as The 'Colonel'
Sergeant York1941IMDb rating 7.7as Pastor Rosier Pile
Swamp Water1941IMDb rating 7.0as Tom Keefer
Northwest Passage1940IMDb rating 7.0as 'Hunk' Marriner
The Westerner1940IMDb rating 7.2as Judge Roy Bean
Stanley and Livingstone1939IMDb rating 7.0as Jeff Slocum
The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle1939IMDb rating 6.9as Walter
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer1938IMDb rating 7.0as Muff Potter
The Cowboy and the Lady1938IMDb rating 6.6as Sugar
Come and Get It1936IMDb rating 6.8as Swan Bostrom
Fury1936IMDb rating 7.8as Bugs Meyers
These Three1936IMDb rating 7.4as Taxi Driver
Barbary Coast1935IMDb rating 6.7as Old Atrocity
The Wedding Night1935IMDb rating 6.6as Bill Jenkins
The Invisible Man1933IMDb rating 7.6as Bicycle Owner
King of Jazz1930IMDb rating 6.7as Desk Sergeant ('Springtime') / Soldier ('All Noisy on the Eastern Front') / Waiter ('Oh! Forevermore!') / Front End of Horse / Quartet Member ('Nellie')

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Rio Bravo1959 Action, Drama, Westernas Stumpy
IMDb rating 7.974K votes
To Have and Have Not1944 Adventure, Comedy, Romanceas Eddie
IMDb rating 7.842K votes
Sergeant York1941as Pastor Rosier Pile
IMDb rating 7.720K votes
Red River1948as Nadine Groot
IMDb rating 7.738K votes
Bad Day at Black Rock1955as Doc T.R. Velie Jr.
IMDb rating 7.627K votes
My Darling Clementine1946as Old Man Clanton
IMDb rating 7.729K votes
The Westerner1940as Judge Roy Bean
IMDb rating 7.27.7K votes
Support Your Local Sheriff!1969as Pa Danby
IMDb rating 7.415K votes

Most often with

Howard Hawks directed six of these films, William Wyler three and John Ford two. Two actors appear in six of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Ward Bond

Gary Cooper

Spencer Tracy

John Wayne

Irving Bacon

Henry Fonda

Howard HawksDirector, 6 films

William WylerDirector, 3 films

John FordDirector, 2 films

Films together

Ward Bond6 films together, 1941 to 1959
Ward Bond's page
- Rio Bravo1959IMDb rating 7.9Brennan as StumpyBond as Pat Wheeler
- My Darling Clementine1946IMDb rating 7.7Brennan as Old Man ClantonBond as Morgan Earp
- Dakota1945IMDb rating 6.0Brennan as Bounce of the RiverbirdBond as Jim Bender
- Slightly Dangerous1943IMDb rating 6.7Brennan as Cornelius BurdenBond as Jimmy
- Sergeant York1941IMDb rating 7.7Brennan as Pastor Rosier PileBond as Ike Botkin
- Swamp Water1941IMDb rating 7.0Brennan as Tom KeeferBond as Tim Dorson
Gary Cooper6 films together, 1935 to 1942
Gary Cooper's page
- The Pride of the Yankees1942IMDb rating 7.6Brennan as Sam BlakeCooper as Lou Gehrig
- Meet John Doe1941IMDb rating 7.6Brennan as The 'Colonel'Cooper as 'Long John' Willoughby
- Sergeant York1941IMDb rating 7.7Brennan as Pastor Rosier PileCooper as Alvin C. York
- The Westerner1940IMDb rating 7.2Brennan as Judge Roy BeanCooper as Cole Harden
- The Cowboy and the Lady1938IMDb rating 6.6Brennan as SugarCooper as Stretch Willoughby
- The Wedding Night1935IMDb rating 6.6Brennan as Bill JenkinsCooper as Tony Barrett
Spencer Tracy5 films together, 1936 to 1962
Spencer Tracy's page
- How the West Was Won1962IMDb rating 7.1Brennan as Col. Jeb HawkinsTracy as Narratorvoice
- Bad Day at Black Rock1955IMDb rating 7.6Brennan as Doc T.R. Velie Jr.Tracy as John J. Macreedy
- Northwest Passage1940IMDb rating 7.0Brennan as 'Hunk' MarrinerTracy as Major Robert Rogers
- Stanley and Livingstone1939IMDb rating 7.0Brennan as Jeff SlocumTracy as Henry M. Stanley
- Fury1936IMDb rating 7.8Brennan as Bugs MeyersTracy as Joe Wilson
John Wayne4 films together, 1945 to 1962
John Wayne's page
- How the West Was Won1962IMDb rating 7.1Brennan as Col. Jeb HawkinsWayne as Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman
- Rio Bravo1959IMDb rating 7.9Brennan as StumpyWayne as Sheriff John T. Chance
- Red River1948IMDb rating 7.7Brennan as Nadine GrootWayne as Thomas Dunson
- Dakota1945IMDb rating 6.0Brennan as Bounce of the RiverbirdWayne as John Devlin
Irving Bacon4 films together, 1938 to 1955
Irving Bacon's page
- At Gunpoint1955IMDb rating 6.3Brennan as Doc LacyBacon as Al Ferguson
- The Green Promise1949IMDb rating 6.5Brennan as Mr. MatthewsBacon as Julius Larkin
- Meet John Doe1941IMDb rating 7.6Brennan as The 'Colonel'Bacon as Beany
- The Cowboy and the Lady1938IMDb rating 6.6Brennan as SugarBacon as Chester - Smith's Secretary
Henry Fonda3 films together, 1946 to 1993
Henry Fonda's page
- La Classe américaine1993IMDb rating 7.8Brennan as StumpyFonda as Hugues
- How the West Was Won1962IMDb rating 7.1Brennan as Col. Jeb HawkinsFonda as Jethro Stuart
- My Darling Clementine1946IMDb rating 7.7Brennan as Old Man ClantonFonda as Wyatt Earp
Howard HawksDirector, 6 films, 1935 to 1959
All films by Howard Hawks
- Rio Bravo1959IMDb rating 7.9Brennan as Stumpy
- Red River1948IMDb rating 7.7Brennan as Nadine Groot
- To Have and Have Not1944IMDb rating 7.8Brennan as Eddie
- Sergeant York1941IMDb rating 7.7Brennan as Pastor Rosier Pile
- Come and Get It1936IMDb rating 6.8Brennan as Swan Bostrom
- Barbary Coast1935IMDb rating 6.7Brennan as Old Atrocity
William WylerDirector, 3 films, 1936 to 1940
All films by William Wyler
- The Westerner1940IMDb rating 7.2Brennan as Judge Roy Bean
- Come and Get It1936IMDb rating 6.8Brennan as Swan Bostrom
- These Three1936IMDb rating 7.4Brennan as Taxi Driver
John FordDirector, 2 films, 1946 to 1962
All films by John Ford
- How the West Was Won1962IMDb rating 7.1Brennan as Col. Jeb Hawkins
- My Darling Clementine1946IMDb rating 7.7Brennan as Old Man Clanton
Also three films together12 more actors
- Harry Carey Jr.Rio Bravo (1959), Blood on the Moon (1948) and Red River (1948)
- Byron FoulgerThe Gnome-Mobile (1967), At Gunpoint (1955) and Hangmen Also Die! (1943)
- Regis ToomeyDrums Across the River (1954), Meet John Doe (1941) and Northwest Passage (1940)
- Dana AndrewsThe North Star (1943), Swamp Water (1941) and The Westerner (1940)
- Stanley AndrewsThe Princess and the Pirate (1944), Meet John Doe (1941) and The Westerner (1940)
- Joel McCreaCome and Get It (1936), These Three (1936) and Barbary Coast (1935)
- Hank WordenRed River (1948), The Cowboy and the Lady (1938) and Barbary Coast (1935)
- Pierre WatkinDakota (1945), The Pride of the Yankees (1942) and Meet John Doe (1941)
- Jonathan HaleDakota (1945), Hangmen Also Die! (1943) and Fury (1936)
- Virginia MayoThe Proud Ones (1956), Along the Great Divide (1951) and The Princess and the Pirate (1944)
- Esther DaleA Stolen Life (1946), The North Star (1943) and The Wedding Night (1935)
- Danny BorzageSupport Your Local Sheriff! (1969), My Darling Clementine (1946) and The Westerner (1940)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Box office

What Walter Brennan's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$46.5 million

11 of the 46 films have a worldwide figure.

11Worldwide figure
2US gross only
3Never in cinemas
30Figure not found

Top grosser

Sergeant York1941Pastor Rosier Pile$16.4 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 97% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
Sergeant York1941as Pastor Rosier Pile
$16M35.2% of the total
2
Red River1948as Nadine Groot
$9.0M19.4% of the total
3
Rio Bravo1959as Stumpy
$5.8M12.4% of the total
4
Bad Day at Black Rock1955as Doc T.R. Velie Jr.
$3.8M8.1% of the total
5
To Have and Have Not1944as Eddie
$3.6M7.8% of the total
6
My Darling Clementine1946as Old Man Clanton
$2.8M5.9% of the total
7
Meet John Doe1941as The 'Colonel'
$2.0M4.3% of the total
8
The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle1939as Walter
$1.8M3.9% of the total

$1.4 millionfrom the other 3 films with a worldwide figure, 3% of the total

Awards

Four awards and honors from 1937 to 1941, three of them major.

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Walter Brennan's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Film	Result
Academy Awards
1941	Best Supporting Actor	The Westerner	Won
1939	Best Supporting Actor	Kentucky	Won
1937	Best Supporting Actor	Come and Get It	Won
Other honors
	Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame		Honored

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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