“Forgotten Hollywood”- A Walter Brennan Weekend…
Manny P. here…
The Josephy Center for Arts and Culture will honor long-time Wallowa County rancher and Hollywood actor Walter Brennan with a three-day celebration April 28th-30th. From his arrival in Wallowa County in the 1940s until his passing in 1974, Brennan was an important citizen. He made movies and television shows well into his 70s, but also took the time to help run the Lightning Creek Ranch, build a motel and theater in his adopted hometown of Joseph.
Walter Brennan Days kicks off with a showing of The Westerner, for which Brennan’s portrayal of Hanging Judge Roy Bean won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. The movie will screen at 7p on April 28th. Next, biographer Carl Rollyson will talk about his recently published biography, Real American Character: The Life of Walter Brennan, and will be available for sale and book signing, according to the Josephy Center’s press release. The discussion will begin 7p on April 29th. Finally, at 2p and 7p on April 30th, La Grande actor Kevin Cahill will portray Brennan in a one-man play written by Rollyson from his personal interviews. The Old Character: Walter Brennan in His Own Words is the only ticketed event of the celebration. Tickets cost $5 at the door, or in advance at the Josephy Center.
Brennan passed away in 1974, but his son, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren continue to live in Wallowa County. Relatives will be here for the events, and some of their memorabilia of the actor, Elks member, area supporter, rancher, and business owner, will be on display.
The Josephy Center and Brennan family invite the community to dig out their favorite old hats and wear them in his honor. There will be a vote on movie night and author night to decide who has the best hat. The winner will receive a free copy of Rollyson’s book. On a personal note, Walter Brennan has a featured chapter in Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History; and my writing is an acknowledged source of Rollyson’s inspiration in writing his extended novel.
Sounds like a great way to spend a weekend.
Until next time> “never forget”
This entry was posted on Monday, April 25th, 2016 at 12:29 pm and is filed under Blog by Manny Pacheco. You can follow any comments to this post through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.
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