Walter Brennan

Walter Brennan in The Far Country

Walter Brennan (1894 - 1974)

Walter is one of a few actors with more than one 'historically wrong' death scene.

Film Deaths

• Kentucky (1938) [Peter Goodwin]: Dies of a heart attack after his horse wins the Kentucky Derby. (Thanks to Rick)

• The Westerner (1940) [Judge Roy Bean]: Shot in the stomach during a shoot-out with Gary Cooper in a theatre; he dies after making his way backstage to meet Lilian Bond. (This is historically inaccurate because the real Judge Roy Bean died on March 16th, 1903 from old age and drinking too much).
• Hangmen Also Die! (1943) [Stephan Novotny]: Executed by firing squad.

• My Darling Clementine (1946) [Old Man Clanton]: Shot in the chest by Ward Bond at the OK Corral, just as Walter is about to shoot Henry Fonda.  (Historically the real "Old Man" Clanton was killed during the Guadalupe Canyon massacre in August 13th, 1881).

• The Far Country (1954) [Ben Tatum]: Shot in the back by John McIntire's men in an ambush.
• The Proud Ones (1956) [Jake]: Shot in the head (offscreen) by Robert Middleton; His body is shown afterwards when Robert Ryan and Jeffrey Hunter discover him.

• How the West Was Won (1962) [Colonel Jeb Hawkins]: Hit on the head with a chair by James Stewart during a big fight. (Thanks to Brian)

TV Deaths

• Home for the Holidays (Deadly Desires) (1972 TV) [Benjamin Morgan]: Dies (off-screen) of either natural causes/old age or being poisoned by Eleanor Parker. We only see Julie Harris informing his daughters of his death afterwards.