Trivia

Holds the record for winning the most acting Oscars in the shortest amount of time (three in four years).

Had already worked in vaudeville when he enlisted in the army at age 22 for World War I. He served in an artillery unit and, although he got through the war without being wounded, his exposure to poison gas ruined his vocal cords, leaving him with the high-pitched scratchy voice that made him a natural for old man roles, while still in his 30s.

Howard Hawks related the story that, after completing Red River (1948), he was approached by an actor but couldn't quite place the face. The actor removed his teeth and said, "Do you recognize me now?" Hawks immediately recognized him as Brennan.

Although he was known for playing "old-coot" Southerners complete with a cackling laugh and thick Southern accent, in reality he had somewhat of a New England accent, being born and raised in Massachusetts.

He and Katharine Hepburn are the only actors to win three Oscars on three consecutive nominations.

His third Oscar win led to the disenfranchisement of the Extras Union from voting.

First actor to accumulate three Academy Awards, and as of 2023 is still the only actor to win three Oscars as Best Supporting Actor.

Hardly ever played the villain, usually being cast as the somewhat eccentric pal to the hero. An exception was his turn as the heartless Old Man Clanton in My Darling Clementine (1946), directed by the prickly John Ford. Ford and Brennan did not get along, and Ford was one of the few directors Brennan didn't collaborate with more than once throughout his career.

There was some controversy over the Academy Awards Brennan won because in that period of time the rules of the Academy permitted extras to cast votes for the nominees, and Brennan--who had been an extra for some time before his more substantial roles came along--was popular among his fellow extra workers, and they felt they were voting for one of their own.

Had four top-100 singles, including the Top 5 hit "Old Rivers" (Liberty Records) which first charted on 4/7/62. The single spent 11 weeks on the Billboard charts and peaked at #5.

His relatives still live in and around Joseph, OR, where he maintained a functioning ranch and the Indian Lodge Motel, which displays several of his portraits in the office.

After his military service during World War I, he moved to Los Angeles, where he got involved in the real-estate market and made a fortune. Unfortunately, the market took a sudden downturn and he lost almost all of his money. Broke, he began taking bit parts in films in order to earn money, and his career progressed from there.

Had a bunker on his Los Angeles estate fully outfitted with firearms and survival supplies in case there was an invasion by the Soviets.

In 1925 Gary Cooper befriended another young, struggling, would-be actor named Walter Brennan. At one point they were even appearing as a team at casting offices, and although Cooper emerged in major and leading roles first, they would work together in the good years, too. Most memorably they starred in The Westerner (1940) together, where the general critical consensus was that Brennan's underplayed performance as Judge Roy Bean had stolen the film from Cooper.

Was offered the supporting role of Mr. Judson in Herbie Rides Again (1974), but was too ill with emphysema to take the job. It was then recast with John McIntire. Brennan died 90 days after the movie was released to theaters, on 6/6/74.

He has appeared in eleven films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: King of Jazz (1930), The Invisible Man (1933), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Fury (1936), Sergeant York (1941), The Pride of the Yankees (1942), My Darling Clementine (1946), Red River (1948), Bad Day at Black Rock (1955), Rio Bravo (1959) and How the West Was Won (1962).

In June 1928, filming a scene in San Diego, CA, he accidentally drove a automobile into the harbor.

Won the first Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Come and Get It (1936).

Always fiscally and ideologically conservative, he became politically active in later life when he believed that many of the things he held dear were being eroded by the counterculture movement. He supported George Wallace's presidential campaign in 1968 and in 1972 supported extreme right-wing Republican Rep. John Schmitz (father of Mary Kay Letourneau), as the incumbent President Richard Nixon was viewed as too progressive by many Republicans.

The Real McCoys (1957) was such a hit that John Wayne's production company, Batjac, was persuaded to release a previously shelved film, William A. Wellman's Good-bye, My Lady (1956), about a boy, an old man and a dog, during the show's run.

Actively supported Ronald Reagan's campaign to become Governor of California in 1966.

He refused to have anything to do with Ward Bond because of Bond's alcoholism and general loutish behavior. He turned down the role of Jeeter Lester in Tobacco Road (1941) because of the character's shiftlessness.

He implored his daughter not to give his grandchildren records by The Beatles lest they be infected by decadent modernity.

Inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1970.

In 1965 he made a record claiming that Communists and beatniks were plotting to take over the US through President Lyndon B. Johnson's "War on Poverty" program. That record was called "He's Your Uncle, Not Your Dad".

Interred at San Fernando Mission Cemetery, San Fernando, Los Angeles County, CA.

Campaigned for Barry Goldwater in the 1964 presidential election, after the senator had voted against the Civil Rights Act.

During the 1960s he was convinced that the anti-Vietnam War and civil rights movements were being run by overseas Communists, and said as much in interviews. He told reporters that he believed the civil rights movement in particular, and the riots in places like Watts (CA) and Newark (NJ), and demonstrations in Birmingham (AL), were the result of perfectly content "negroes" being stirred up by a handful of troublemakers and Communist agitators with an anti-American agenda.

He has appeared in four films that have been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: The Racket (1928), Sergeant York (1941), The Pride of the Yankees (1942) and How the West Was Won (1962).

Along with John Wayne, James Stewart, Dean Jagger and others, Brennan was known for his ultra-conservative views on politics and social issues, especially race.

Of all the actors and actresses who won at least three Acting Oscars, he is the only one not to have won the awards in three different decades. He won Best Supporting Actor in 1936, 1938 and 1940.

In his later years he was known to canvass co-workers about their voting habits.

He once said the 1965 Watts (CA) riots could have been stopped "with a machine gun".

Of all the actors and actresses who won at least three acting Oscars, he is the only one not to have won for a role in a Best Picture nominee, as none of Come and Get It (1936), Kentucky (1938) and The Westerner (1940) were nominated for Best Picture.

Two of his three Oscar-winning performances were directed by William Wyler. This makes him one of four actors to win two Oscars under the same person's direction. The other three are: Jack Nicholson for Terms of Endearment (1983) and As Good as It Gets (1997) (both directed by James L. Brooks), Dianne Wiest for Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and Bullets Over Broadway (1994) (both directed by Woody Allen) and Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds (2009) and Django Unchained (2012) (both directed by Quentin Tarantino).

Film editor Stanley Frazen, who was on the set of Brennan's TV series The Guns of Will Sonnett (1967) when Brennan celebrated the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, said Brennan later had another jubilant moment when Robert F. Kennedy was murdered in June 1968. Frazen recalled the cast and crew were "incredulous" at the jig danced by the elderly Brennan when he was told of King's death.

Father of Ruth Brennan, Arthur Wells 'Mike' Brennan and Andy Brennan with Ruth Wells Brennan.

Members of the cast and crew on the set of his last series, The Guns of Will Sonnett (1967)--in which he played the surprisingly complex role of an ex-army scout trying to undo the damage caused by his being a mostly absentee father--said that he cackled with delight and danced a little jig upon learning of Martin Luther King's assassination.

On 8/27/2019 he was honored with a day of his film work during the Turner Classic Movies Summer Under the Stars.

He largely copied his screen persona from George "Gabby" Hayes.

Maternal great-grandson of John (1807-1882) and Bridget (née Neagle) Hewett (1817-1858). Both were born in Ireland and died in Massachusetts.

Son of William (9/2/1868-8/17/1936) and Margaret (née Flanagan) Brennan ((6/4/1869-2/1/1955). Both parents were born in Massachusetts and died in California.

During the filing of "Red River" director Howard Hawks asked John Wayne to study Walter Brennan and copy the way and older man walked. Wayne refused and strode purposefully thought the movie. In "Rio Bravo" Hawks required Brennan to walk with a limp; Brennan complied, but since he didn't limp naturally, he had to be reminded which leg to limp on. He continued using the limp in "The Real McCoys".

Paternal grandson of William (1844-1925), born in Scotland, and Helen (née Griffith) Brennan (1848-1903), born in England. Both died in Massachusetts.

He appeared in 6 films directed by Howard Hawks: Barbary Coast (1935), Come and Get It (1936), Sergeant York (1941), To Have and Have Not (1944), Red River (1948) and Rio Bravo (1959).

Maternal grandson of Michael (1846-1903) and Margaret (née Hewett) Flanagan (1849-1904). Both were born in Ireland and died in Massachusetts.

He appeared in 6 films directed by William Wyler: A House Divided (1931), Barbary Coast (1935), These Three (1936), Come and Get It (1936), The Cowboy and the Lady (1938) and The Westerner (1940).

Was awarded a Star on the Walk Of Fame on February 8, 1960. At 6501 Hollywood Blvd.

Actor Basil Rathbone, who was nominated twice for the best supporting actor Oscar award, lost both times in 1937 and 1939 to Walter Brennan.

He had 4 hit records, Dutchman's Gold which spent 12 weeks in the charts, Old Rivers, 11 weeks rising to no 5 in 1962, Houdini one week and Mama Sang a Song, 38 weeks in the charts rising to no 8.