Actor Walter Brennan was born on July 25, 1894 in Swampscott, Massachusetts. He was one of the most successful, recognizable, and dependable character actors of the gold age of cinema. While in college the young Brennan became interested in acting and traveled the vaudeville circuit, performing in small theaters, he also appeared in several films as an extra. In 1935, he got his big break, appearing in the films, The Wedding Night and The Barbary Coast, from which he was offered a regular acting contract with MGM studios. Throughout his storied film career, he primarily played the western side kick but was very capable of playing the scoundrel. He was good friends with actor Gary Cooper and co-starred with the iconic actor in numerous films.
Appearing in over two hundred and thirty motion picture and television roles from 1925 to 1975, Brennan’s most memorable films include: She’s Dangerous (1937), The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938), The Buccaneer (1938), Meet John Doe (1941), The Pride of the Yankees (1942), My Darling Clementine (1946), Red River (1948), Tammy and the Bachelor (1957), and Rio Bravo (1959). In 1936, Brennan won the first ever supporting actor Oscar for his portrayal of Swan Bostrom in Come and Get It (1935). He was nominated for three additional best supporting actor awards and won twice, Kentucky (1938, won), The Westerner (1940, won), and Sergeant York (1941, nominated). Brennan died after a long battle with emphysema on September 21, 1974 at St. John’s Hospital in Oxnard, California. He is buried at the San Fernando Mission Cemetery, Mission Hills, California.
http://www.michaelthomasbarry.com/, author of "Fade to Black: Graveside Memories of Hollywood Greats, 1927-1950"
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