Brennen vs Cooper

[TroglocratsRdumb]

"The Westerner" 1940
This is a fictional story about a real man, Judge Roy Bean.
Actor Walter Brennen does a stellar performance as Bean.
He brings hate, fear, pity and humor to the villain character.
Brenne got his distinctive voice when he served in the US Army during WWl and was the victim of a mustard gas attack.
Cooper is a fictional hero character in the plot which is about Cattlemen vs the Sod Busters(farmers)
There have never been farmers in far west Texas because it's too dry to raise crops, but it helps bring the plot along.
It is well worth watching just because of the many humorous scenes between Brennen and Cooper.

The Westerner (1940 film) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Roy Bean - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Flopper]

"The Westerner" 1940
This is a fictional story about a real man, Judge Roy Bean.
Actor Walter Brennen does a stellar performance as Bean.
He brings hate, fear, pity and humor to the villain character.
Brenne got his distinctive voice when he served in the US Army during WWl and was the victim of a mustard gas attack.
Cooper is a fictional hero character in the plot which is about Cattlemen vs the Sod Busters(farmers)
There have never been farmers in far west Texas because it's too dry to raise crops, but it helps bring the plot along.
It is well worth watching just because of the many humorous scenes between Brennen and Cooper.

The Westerner (1940 film) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Roy Bean - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

View attachment 579988
View attachment 579989

This is first Western I really liked. I watched it because of Gary Cooper but the real start of movie was Walter Brennen.

Brennen was born in Massachusetts to Irish immigrant parents. His father was an engineer and inventor, and young Brennan also studied engineering but became interested in acting and started his career in vaudeville at age 15. While working as a bank clerk, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as a private with the 101st Field Artillery Regiment in France during World War I. He served in France for two years. 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.

After the war, he worked as a financial reporter for a newspaper in Boston. He intended to move to Guatemala and grow pineapples but only made it as far as Los Angeles. During the early 1920s, he made a fortune in the real estate market, but lost most of his money during the 1925 real estate slump.

In 1925 he began a career in the movies that lasted over 50 years, playing in over 200 movies, winning 3 Oscars and being nominated 6 times. He also appeared in about dozen TV shows, serval radio programs.

He bought a 12,000 acre ranch outside of Joseph, Oregon in 1940. where he lived between acting roles. He opened serval business in the town including a motel, movie theater, and gift shop. He and his wife of 55 years lived there till their death. At his death, his net worth was estimated in excess of 10 million dollars. Family members still till live there.

Walter Brennan - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[whitehall]

Brennan had a reputation as a over the top (western) character actor but he played a straight role as a M.D. in the '55 movie Bad Day at Black Rock.

 

[Flopper]

Brennan had a reputation as a over the top (western) character actor but he played a straight role as a M.D. in the '55 movie Bad Day at Black Rock.

He may hold the record for the most movies in a year, 23 movies in the 30's. As character actors go, no one came close to Walter Brennan in quality and quantity of his performances. No matter, what his director wanted Brennan delivered. He was one of the highest paid actors for the amount of screen time. When he died his estate was valued at over 10 million, more that most actors in leading roles.