Want to know the best Walter Brennan movies? How about the worst Walter Brennan movies? Curious about Walter Brennan’s box office grosses or which Walter Brennan movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Walter Brennan movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences and which got the worst reviews? Well you have come to the right place….because we have all of that information.
Walter Brennan (1894-1974) is the only person in the history of people to win 3 Best Supporting Actor Oscars®. Brennan specialized in playing cantankerous old men. He appeared in some of the greatest westerns ever made: 1940’s The Westerner, 1946’s My Darling Clementine, 1948’s Red River and 1959’s Rio Bravo. Not to say all of Brennan’s movies were westerns….as he also appeared in many other non-western classics: 1935’s Bride of Frankenstein, 1941’s Meet John Doe, 1941’s Sergeant York, 1942’s The Pride of the Yankees, 1946’s To Have And Have Not and 1969’s Support Your Local Sheriff.
His IMDb page shows 244 acting credits from 1925-1975. This page ranks Walter Brennan movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information. Television shows, cameos and movies not released in North America were not included in the rankings.
Walter Brennan Movies Ranked In Chronological Order With Ultimate Movie Rankings Score (1 to 5 UMR Tickets) *Best combo of box office, reviews and awards.
Year
Movie (Year)
Rating
S
Year Movie (Year) Rating S
1942
The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
AA Best Picture Nom
1941
Sergeant York (1941)
AA Best Picture Nom
AA Best Supp Actor Nom
1962
How the West Was Won (1962)
AA Best Picture Nom
1944
To Have and Have Not (1944)
1940
Northwest Passage (1940)
1946
My Darling Clementine (1946)
1959
Rio Bravo (1959)
1948
Red River (1948)
1941
Meet John Doe (1941)
1954
The Far Country (1954)
1944
The Princess and The Pirate (1944)
1946
Nobody Lives Forever (1946)
1946
A Stolen Life (1946)
1957
Tammy and the Bachelor (1957)
1939
The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)
1955
Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
1940
The Westerner (1940)
AA Best Supp Actor Win
1939
Stanley and Livingstone (1939)
1938
Kentucky (1938)
AA Best Supp Actor Win
1936
Come and Get It (1936)
AA Best Supp Actor Win
1946
Centennial Summer (1946)
1936
These Three (1936)
1943
Slightly Dangerous (1943)
1936
Fury (1936)
1942
Stand By For Action (1942)
1943
The North Star (1943)
1938
The Buccaneer (1938)
1935
Barbary Coast (1935)
1938
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938)
1949
Task Force (1949)
1938
The Texans (1938)
1944
Home in Indiana (1944)
1969
Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969)
1938
The Cowboy and the Lady (1938)
1948
Blood on the Moon (1948)
1947
Driftwood (1947)
1952
Lure of the Wilderness (1952)
1941
Nice Girl? (1941)
1940
Maryland (1940)
1941
Swamp Water (1941)
1965
Those Calloways (1965)
1948
Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! (1948)
1936
Banjo On My Knee (1936)
1967
The Gnome-Mobile (1967)
1951
Along the Great Divide (1951)
1938
Mother Carey's Chickens (1938)
1954
Drums Across the River (1954)
1956
The Proud Ones (1956)
1957
The Way To The Gold (1957)
1956
Good-bye, My Lady (1956)
1945
Dakota (1945)
1939
They Shall Have Music (1939)
1941
Rise and Shine (1941)
1951
The Wild Blue Yonder (1951)
1943
Hangmen Also Die! (1943)
1936
The Moon's Our Home (1936)
1968
The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968)
1955
At Gunpoint (1955)
1952
Return of the Texan (1952)
1950
Curtain Call at Cactus Creek (1950)
1956
Come Next Spring (1956)
1935
The Wedding Night (1935)
1937
She's Dangerours (1937)
1951
Best of the Badmen (1951)
1932
Once In A Lifetime (1932)
Uncredited
1949
The Green Promise (1949)
1939
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President (1939)
1941
This Woman Is Mine (1941)
Walter Brennan Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.
- Sort Walter Brennan movies by co-stars of his movies.
- Sort Walter Brennan movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort Walter Brennan movies by yearly domestic box office rank
- Sort Walter Brennan movies how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations each Walter Brennan movie received and how many Oscar® wins each Walter Brennan movie won.
- Sort Walter Brennan movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
- Use the search and sort button to make this page very interactive.
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Actual B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | B.O. Rank by Year | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | S |
| 1 | The Pride of the Yankees (1942) AA Best Picture Nom |
Gary Cooper | 10.50 | 452.1 | 452.10 | 9 | 84 | 11 / 01 | 99.4 | |
| 2 | Sergeant York (1941) AA Best Picture Nom AA Best Supp Actor Nom |
Gary Cooper | 13.50 | 604.2 | 604.20 | 1 | 81 | 11 / 02 | 99.4 | |
| 3 | How the West Was Won (1962) AA Best Picture Nom |
James Stewart | 36.10 | 601.5 | 1,434.90 | 2 | 76 | 08 / 03 | 99.0 | |
| 4 | To Have and Have Not (1944) | Humphrey Bogart | 11.80 | 460.2 | 662.40 | 8 | 87 | 00 / 00 | 98.5 | |
| 5 | Northwest Passage (1940) | Spencer Tracy | 6.20 | 276.7 | 401.80 | 9 | 85 | 01 / 00 | 98.3 | |
| 8 | My Darling Clementine (1946) | Henry Fonda | 7.40 | 265.4 | 265.40 | 43 | 85 | 00 / 00 | 98.2 | |
| 6 | Rio Bravo (1959) | John Wayne & Dean Martin |
16.40 | 342.3 | 599.90 | 11 | 85 | 00 / 00 | 98.2 | |
| 7 | Red River (1948) | John Wayne & Montgomery Clift |
11.80 | 368.0 | 368.00 | 1 | 83 | 02 / 00 | 98.1 | |
| 9 | Meet John Doe (1941) | Gary Cooper | 5.30 | 234.9 | 345.00 | 23 | 82 | 01 / 00 | 97.8 | |
| 12 | The Far Country (1954) | James Stewart | 7.10 | 194.1 | 194.10 | 43 | 81 | 00 / 00 | 97.0 | |
| 11 | The Princess and The Pirate (1944) | Bob Hope | 6.30 | 245.7 | 245.70 | 47 | 77 | 02 / 00 | 96.9 | |
| 13 | Nobody Lives Forever (1946) | John Garfield | 5.70 | 202.1 | 268.30 | 61 | 76 | 00 / 00 | 96.2 | |
| 10 | A Stolen Life (1946) | Bette Davis | 8.70 | 311.0 | 461.90 | 29 | 72 | 01 / 00 | 95.4 | |
| 14 | Tammy and the Bachelor (1957) | Debbie Reynolds | 8.60 | 191.3 | 191.30 | 22 | 74 | 01 / 00 | 95.2 | |
| 15 | The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939) | Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers |
4.50 | 200.0 | 325.90 | 42 | 71 | 00 / 00 | 94.9 | |
| 17 | Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) | Spencer Tracy | 5.70 | 137.4 | 262.50 | 56 | 87 | 03 / 00 | 94.4 | |
| 19 | The Westerner (1940) AA Best Supp Actor Win |
Gary Cooper | 3.50 | 155.6 | 155.60 | 41 | 79 | 03 / 01 | 94.1 | |
| 16 | Stanley and Livingstone (1939) | Spencer Tracy | 8.00 | 357.1 | 357.10 | 9 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 93.8 | |
| 19 | Kentucky (1938) AA Best Supp Actor Win |
Loretta Young | 7.00 | 324.1 | 324.10 | 12 | 63 | 01 / 01 | 93.1 | |
| 23 | Come and Get It (1936) AA Best Supp Actor Win |
Directed by Howard Hawks | 2.90 | 146.1 | 146.10 | 65 | 79 | 02 / 01 | 92.8 | |
| 20 | Centennial Summer (1946) | Linda Darnell | 8.10 | 289.6 | 289.60 | 31 | 63 | 02 / 00 | 92.8 | |
| 24 | These Three (1936) | Directed by William Wyler | 2.80 | 137.5 | 137.50 | 71 | 82 | 01 / 00 | 92.4 | |
| 27 | Slightly Dangerous (1943) | Lana Turner | 4.30 | 178.6 | 178.60 | 72 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 91.1 | |
| 25 | Fury (1936) | Spencer Tracy | 2.30 | 114.2 | 217.00 | 89 | 86 | 01 / 00 | 90.9 | |
| 21 | Stand By For Action (1942) | Charles Laughton | 5.80 | 247.9 | 393.80 | 27 | 58 | 01 / 00 | 90.8 | |
| 26 | The North Star (1943) | Dana Andrews | 5.30 | 222.6 | 362.50 | 52 | 51 | 06 / 00 | 89.8 | |
| 27 | The Buccaneer (1938) | Fredric March & Directed by Cecil B. DeMille |
5.60 | 257.2 | 257.20 | 22 | 55 | 01 / 00 | 89.8 | |
| 28 | Barbary Coast (1935) | Edward G. Robinson | 2.90 | 149.1 | 149.10 | 32 | 70 | 01 / 00 | 89.2 | |
| 29 | The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938) | Directed by Norman Taurog | 3.00 | 137.8 | 137.80 | 71 | 70 | 01 / 00 | 87.9 | |
| 30 | Task Force (1949) | Gary Cooper | 5.00 | 145.3 | 145.30 | 59 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 87.3 | |
| 34 | The Texans (1938) | Randolph Scott | 3.50 | 160.2 | 160.20 | 54 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 86.9 | |
| 32 | Home in Indiana (1944) | Jeanne Crain | 5.60 | 220.5 | 220.50 | 59 | 47 | 01 / 00 | 86.6 | |
| 31 | Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969) | James Garner | 14.70 | 129.1 | 129.10 | 22 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 86.6 | |
| 32 | The Cowboy and the Lady (1938) | Gary Cooper | 2.60 | 121.2 | 121.20 | 87 | 68 | 03 / 01 | 86.2 | |
| 38 | Blood on the Moon (1948) | Robert Mitchum | 5.60 | 173.9 | 217.10 | 58 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 85.4 | |
| 35 | Driftwood (1947) | Natalie Wood | 3.40 | 114.1 | 114.10 | 102 | 71 | 00 / 00 | 85.2 | |
| 35 | Lure of the Wilderness (1952) | Jeffrey Hunter | 5.60 | 126.3 | 126.30 | 48 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 85.2 | |
| 37 | Nice Girl? (1941) | Deanna Durbin | 2.60 | 115.2 | 115.20 | 94 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 84.7 | |
| 38 | Maryland (1940) | Fay Bainter | 2.60 | 114.8 | 114.80 | 70 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 83.3 | |
| 40 | Swamp Water (1941) | Dana Andrews | 2.50 | 109.6 | 109.60 | 97 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 82.9 | |
| 41 | Those Calloways (1965) | Brian Keith | 9.20 | 112.6 | 112.60 | 30 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 82.9 | |
| 44 | Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! (1948) | Natalie Wood | 5.30 | 164.5 | 164.50 | 65 | 48 | 00 / 00 | 82.2 | |
| 46 | Banjo On My Knee (1936) | Barbara Stanwyck | 3.00 | 150.0 | 150.00 | 59 | 48 | 01 / 00 | 80.0 | |
| 42 | The Gnome-Mobile (1967) | Richard Deacon | 10.00 | 103.3 | 103.30 | 30 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 79.9 | |
| 42 | Along the Great Divide (1951) | Kirk Douglas & Virginia Mayo |
3.80 | 94.1 | 140.00 | 93 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 79.6 | |
| 44 | Mother Carey's Chickens (1938) | Anne Shirley | 2.20 | 100.6 | 130.20 | 105 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 79.1 | |
| 48 | Drums Across the River (1954) | Audie Murphy | 4.00 | 108.7 | 108.70 | 80 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 78.5 | |
| 47 | The Proud Ones (1956) | Robert Ryan & Virginia Mayo |
4.00 | 90.9 | 90.90 | 87 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 77.8 | |
| 51 | The Way To The Gold (1957) | Jeffrey Hunter | 5.00 | 111.0 | 184.90 | 47 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 75.9 | |
| 49 | Good-bye, My Lady (1956) | Walter Brennan | 1.40 | 31.8 | 33.90 | 159 | 79 | 00 / 00 | 75.0 | |
| 53 | Dakota (1945) | John Wayne | 3.20 | 116.5 | 116.50 | 94 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 74.8 | |
| 50 | They Shall Have Music (1939) | Joel McCrea | 1.00 | 46.4 | 46.40 | 173 | 71 | 01 / 00 | 72.6 | |
| 56 | Rise and Shine (1941) | Linda Darnell | 2.00 | 90.1 | 90.10 | 115 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 71.2 | |
| 53 | The Wild Blue Yonder (1951) | Wendell Corey | 2.90 | 71.4 | 71.40 | 131 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 70.8 | |
| 53 | Hangmen Also Die! (1943) | Brian Donlevy | 0.40 | 17.0 | 17.00 | 164 | 76 | 02 / 00 | 70.7 | |
| 55 | The Moon's Our Home (1936) | Henry Fonda & Maureen Sullavan |
1.40 | 69.6 | 69.60 | 125 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 70.2 | |
| 57 | The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968) | Kurt Russell & Goldie Hawn |
6.40 | 61.3 | 61.30 | 57 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 68.8 | |
| 58 | At Gunpoint (1955) | Fred MacMurray | 2.90 | 68.7 | 68.70 | 110 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 67.4 | |
| 58 | Return of the Texan (1952) | Richard Boone | 1.70 | 36.5 | 36.50 | 172 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 63.1 | |
| 60 | Curtain Call at Cactus Creek (1950) | Donald O'Connor | 2.00 | 51.0 | 51.00 | 145 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 61.7 | |
| 60 | Come Next Spring (1956) | Ann Sheridan | 0.90 | 21.1 | 21.10 | 187 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 61.0 | |
| 62 | The Wedding Night (1935) | Gary Cooper | 1.50 | 77.7 | 77.70 | 85 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 60.9 | |
| 62 | She's Dangerours (1937) | Walter Pidgeon | 0.90 | 41.8 | 41.80 | 177 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 51.2 | |
| 63 | Best of the Badmen (1951) | Robert Ryan & Claire Trevor |
3.00 | 75.0 | 117.90 | 123 | 46 | 00 / 00 | 50.2 | |
| 64 | Once In A Lifetime (1932) Uncredited |
Jack Oakie | 0.40 | 23.2 | 23.20 | 172 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 49.3 | |
| 64 | The Green Promise (1949) | Natalie Wood | 1.50 | 43.9 | 43.90 | 159 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 44.6 | |
| 67 | Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President (1939) | Marsha Hunt | 0.80 | 33.9 | 33.90 | 193 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 37.8 | |
| 68 | This Woman Is Mine (1941) | Franchot Tone & Leo G. Carroll |
0.40 | 18.0 | 18.00 | 219 | 56 | 01 / 00 | 33.5 |
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Hey Bruce,
Rio Bravo one of my favorit western and in that film he got a very important part…and he Was very good with the Duke and Dean Martin , Ricky Nelson and Angie ..and he Was fun too.
One of my favorite moment of this film Is the scène where they are in the jail and Martin start to sing “my rifle, my pony and me” and Nelson follow with the guitare and Brennan with the Harmonica…and then they finish with Cindy…outside Is the danger but inside
they are so cool…
And that s truth he stole most of his scenes.
Bye
Pierre
Hey Pierre….thanks for checking out my Walter Brennan updated page I agree with you 100%….Rio Bravo is a great movie…and that scene you mention is indeed classic. I agree with you even more that he stole almost every scene he was in. I recently saw him in These Three….his role as cab driver has nothing to do with the plot of the movie….yet….his scenes stick in my memory. 🙂
HI BRUCE
1 I have always regarded Walter’s Judge Roy Bean [with Cooper in The Westerner in your miniature above I think] as one of the great classic supporting performances in the movies.
2 Also excellent in my opinion was John McIntyre’s Judge Bean-type villain in Jimmy Stewart’s 1954 The Far Country. McIntyre’s ‘Bean’ used humour at times to mask his viciousness “I like you Jeff [Stewart] but I’m gonna hang you when you come through this way again!”
Hey Bob…..I agree with you on all of your thoughts in this comment….wow that does not happen too often…..I guess Hell is freezing over. ….lol.
1 ACTUALLY BRUCE You and I don’t really disagree on much. We have really only had two serious bones of contention:
(1) MYRNA But here it is degree rather than substance itself that separates us. Whilst I enjoy a bit of spoofing around I am well on record on this site as acknowledging that Loy was a talented, popular individual who brought a lot to the movies that she appeared in and I have never disputed that her box office figures exceed those of any other female. My problem was with the tag “most successful actress of all time” because I don’t think that can be said unequivocally in view of the number of other great stars in her movies. However as you point out many of the other important legends are also in that boat. I have also expressed my admiration of Loy as a great human being because of her war effort and social causes and to my mind those were more important than even the stardom which she undeniably achieved. Also she was a very good friend as witness her support for Crawford when the latter was subjected to public criticism. Conversely away from the screen – and I love watching him act – who could admire a bad-tempered, contrary, rude and argumentative person like Tracy?
(2) HIRSCH. His views as you have conveyed them to me are I can’t deny irritating especially in relation to Mumbles and the Duke but YOUR box office tables, UMR scores and comments etc about those two fairly and reasonably reflect their achievements and your site is balanced and impartial in its attitude to, and treatment of, ALL performers.
2 Actually via your ratings and rankings you and Steve are probably more in disagreement than you and I and we two are as one regarding the fascination of stats whereas he can take them or leave them.
Hey Bob….I know we don’t disagree that much…but it was fun anyway to write. As for Steve and my ranking differences….if we were using the same exact sources it would be strange if they were not the same….but depending on how many sources I use my % changes with every single movie. Sometimes it turns out to be a 50% Rotten Tomatoes/50% IMDb ratio…..other times those two barely reach 50% of the equation…it just depends. You will be happy to know…Joel actually is not in the equation at all….Roger Ebert, Leonard Maltin and Jeremy Jahns have spots…but not little Joel.
HI BRUCE
1 Yes, often you can’t win. I’ve mentioned before that when John’s pals the opinion pollsters all predict virtually the same figures for say a general election they are accused of “herding” – ie getting together to ensure their figures are similar so that no one pollster is discredited when the actual results come out. Conversely any pollster who provides a forecast that differs widely from the consensus is accused of being an “outlier” and everybody ignores his/her forecasts.
2 “You will be happy to know Joel actually is not in the equation at all,” If you had told me the opposite, well in my thoughts about you and this site. “Never glad confident morning again.” [Robert Browning – The Lost Leader]
Hey Bob….good thoughts in comment 1 and 2. Good Browning line.
My top two Walter Brennan favorites are RED RIVER and his villanous role in MY DARLING CLEMENTINE.
Why “rank” them at all? He was a delight in anything he did, no matter HOW big or small the role.
And anyway Cody….
He was FAR more villainous in THE WESTERNER
Hey Sepiatone…well when you rank them the way we do….it unearth’s some very hard to find stats…..and it really shows how awesome his career was…..and this 60 is just the ones I could find box office information on.
I agree with you about him being more evil in The Westerner…..in that one….he seem to realize how bad his actions were.
Can’t agree with you, Sepia.
Old Man Clanton was a more ruthless character, in my opinion.
As Bean Brennan was allowed to sketch a more ambiguous portrayal, with little bits of humour mixed into the characterization. There was also his admiration/longing for Lillie Lantry, that idolatry eventually leading to his downfall. In the end the audience feels sorry for Bean. That is not the case with Clanton at all.
Hey Tom…..good point about Old Man Clanton….but I have to side with Sepiatone about The Westerner. Both are excellent roles from Brennan….surprised he did not play more of these types of roles…..versus so many comic sidekick roles. He was pretty evil in HTWWW too.
You got it right,TomJH. Totally despicable in MY DARLING CLEMENTINE. No humor in that characterization.
Well we have a stalemate…..two to two. Great minds can’t always think the same things….lol.
Hey Cody….your top two did very well in my rankings.
Red River – his 5th biggest box office hit, his 8th best reviewed movie critics and audiences, tied for 8th when looking at Oscar nominations & wins and finally ranked 7th when you jam all three categories.
My Darling Clementing – his 12th biggest box office hit, his 4th best reviewed movie critics and audiences, shut out when looking at Oscar nominations & wins and finally ranked 9th when you jam all three categories.
Mr. Brennan is surely a western movie icon Under rated and he stole the show in all his scenes. Just his voice is all ya need, I reckon.
Hey Daniel….glad to see a Walter Brennan fan finding this page…..this page is due for an update for sure. Looking at my database…I am now close to 60 movies completed…so it will be a pretty massive update. I agree with you…his voice is indeed all ya need. 🙂
You didn’t mention three pretty good TV series
The Real McCoys
Guns of Will Sonnet
The Tycoon
What was his total number of Oscar Nominations ?
Hey Roger ….one day Mr. Brennan will get a full UMR page. Since doing this page I have found a lot more box office grosses on his movies…..so an update is coming soon.
When he gets his full page I will mention his tv career in the interesting facts part of the page. As for Oscar nominations I think he was a perfect 3 for 3. 3 nominations 3 wins.
Thanks for checking out our Brennan page and commenting …..it is greatly appreciated.