The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-04-05
!, HARRISON IN HOLLYWOOD
Walter Brennan Doesn Want TO Be Star for
He Does Better Just Being His Many Selves
rs Not Easy Even
To Recognize His
Own Face in Mirror
BY PAUL HARRISON
NEA service staff Correspondent
HOLLYWOOD IS ar m has

HOLLYWOOD tard o m has
been offered to Walter Brennan
and rejected. What with two
Academy awards for supporting
roles. and being always busy, the
man with-msny- is doing all
right, thank you.
No star ever lasted as long as
Brennan expects TO last. just I'M
der 40. he should he able 10 play
old-man roles until he himself Ia
old. Stars don't work so regular
". either. And besides, If he went
in for top billing the studios might
try to type him in one character so
the public could recognize him. As
things are. he scarcely knows him
self
seldom can spot Brennan when
he's made up for a new role. Right
now he's in Stanley and Living
stone as hsrdbitten Indian
fighter who accompanies Stanley
to Africa. His hair is a name and
he wears a soup-strainer mustache
and a weeks growth of beard. For
change. he's also wearing teeth
but the upper plate is special
one with a gap IN front.
A whiff of mustard gas during
the World war cost Brennan all his
teeth. but the loss OF them also
made his fortune, eventually. IT
was II years ago that first start
ed in the movies he said, but !
wasn't able to convince casting
offices that could play old-man
roles So one day | went TO a
studio without my teeth and with
a stubble OF beard From then on
began getting few bits"
FOUGHT HARD
FOR BREAK"
He had worked at anything he
could get-extra jobs and as Slim
Summerville stand-in. Mornings
and evenings, he walked miles TO
save carfare. The big break came
in 1885. in Wedding Night" He
had a small part at first. but Sam
Goldwyn watched one Of the early
scenes and howled at Brennan
portrayal OF a tough mug. They
wrote a special role into the pic
ture for him then, and GOldwyn
gave him a contract which In still
in force. I've only made four pic
lures for him" Brennan said. but
Sans doing all right on the con
tract because I've been on loar
constantly-only of salary on'
week in the past four years
A story SO old that It's ever
stunned by press agents is the one
about the studio gatemen Who fai
to recognize celebrated player
and refuse TO admit them.
This has happened TO Brennan
more times than TO anybody els
because without makeup he II JUS
an ordinary-looking guy with re
ceding hsirline. Only picture m
ever made with his own face d
THE Castles" not yet released
"All the makeup | used was iittl'
No. rs, which II light paint.
put IL Dll NY toAH ~ bA'h' 80
more prominent and make me ioo'
a little more Ike hick.
Not being known has lot o
advantages. never have 10 sigi
autographs. Last week | went u
polo game with Spencer Tracy
They mobbed Tracy at the gate
but just stood there and nobOd.
paid me the slightest attention.
Brennan u locally famed a.
versatile dialecticisn with an mex
hsustible supply Of stories lie
the life Of every sound stage. Blu
the biggest laugh he ever got 10
himself was shortly before Com
and Get H." went into productiOl
al United Artists He went 10 IN
studio 10 talk about the part 70
which ne had been cast. and me
the technical adviser and spoke 4
him in Swedish dialect. The fellow
Immediately offered Brennan tn