1938 – Walter Brennan
Kentucky
Walter Brennan created a great character. A walking stereotype, but a great character. He was the crotchety old grandpa with a kind heart… well, kind to everybody except his life-long rival. That was what so wonderful about the role, and sadly what made him a little one-note at the same time. But you have to give Brennan credit for being consistent from his first on-screen appearance to his last.
Brennan is a great character actor. He has one of those faces that I remember seeing often enough in other films, always a supporting character, and never a lead. But he was so good at it. He was one of those actors who really inhabited a role. Brennan’s acting could be said to be like a simple painting. Painting something simple is tricky because it is so easy, you think anyone could do it, when in reality, if it isn’t done flawlessly, it is more likely to be seen as terrible. Brennan’s acting was like that. It could so easily have been a throw-away performance, but because he was such a skilled actor, he elevated the simple character to a higher level.
Brennan’s acting elevated the way the part was written into the script. He made the cranky old man likeable, and gave him a softer side that was always under the surface. And the fact is, I liked him. I liked the old coot, just as I was supposed to, despite his grouchy demeanor.
I also noticed that all the publicity photos of the actor I have seen, show Brennan as a younger and more clean-cut gentleman. He grew a van-dyke for the role, and it looked completely natural on his face, even though he didn’t even look like the same person. When I was watching the movie, it took me a moment to recognize him from his other film roles and publicity pics.
However, all that being said. I’m not sure if I would have awarded Brennan the Oscar. You see, I have also now seen Gene Lochkart in Algiers, and I think, I might have cast my vote for him. I’m certainly not saying that Brennan was undeserving. I’m just saying, if it had been up to me, it would have been a close call.