A Real American Character

"Mr. Rollyson’s biography is well-researched—he had the cooperation of Brennan’s children and grandchildren—and often illuminating. . . . His title is particularly well-chosen, for Walter Brennan was indeed a character, off-screen as well as on." - Scott Eyman (The Wall Street Journal)

"Unvarnished, well researched and documented, [Carl Rollyson] worked closely with Brennan’s family in authoring the comprehensive biography of the iconic actor. . . . Fans of Brennan’s career, as well as students of cinema and television, will learn a lot about film making, and the role World War I veterans played in building a most original American industry, Hollywood, from Rollyson’s excellent biography." - Stuart Rosebrook (True West)

"Much like his past works, Rollyson mines every facet of Brennan’s life—interviewing family, friends, and costars, and always letting Brennan speak for himself through interviews and other published materials. - Kristen Lopez (Journeys in Classic Film)

"Biographer Carl Rollyson explores Brennan’s life and career with a respect for the performer’s talent and his character as a human being. Rollyson does an exhaustive review of most of Brennan’s film and television roles. He also offers quotes from the many actors who worked with Brennan, including his The Real McCoys costars Richard Crenna and Kathleen Nolan, James Garner, and Angie Dickinson. - Stephen Reginald (Classic Movie Man)

"Rollyson . . . is an elegant, balanced writer with no agenda at hand, merely an encyclopedic knowledge of film and the ways they are made, and an appreciation that is fair and razor-sharp about Brennan’s work. . . . This is another estimable contribution to film study by the University Press of Mississippi, which has been publishing some wonderful books, but the triumph is Carl Rollyson’s, who has written a book that will satisfy both those who want a masterly summation of a beloved film actor as well as those who want to dig into its various layers and learn a great deal more. - James Grissom, author of Follies of God: Tennessee Williams and the Women of the Fog (www.jamesgrissom.blogspot.com)

"Here at last is an impassioned tribute to the Hollywood character actor Walter Brennan. From the counter at Dad Kelly's Corned Beef Parlor, where he hung out as a silent extra, to the sound sets of William Wyler, Frank Capra, and Howard Hawks, the man and actor come vibrantly alive in this thoughtful biography. Meticulously researched and written in Rollyson's always fluent and engaging prose, A Real American Character analyzes the many shades of Brennan's Hollywood persona while giving a clear-eyed view of the actor as both a fanatic anti-communist and family man par excellence. - Diane Jacobs, author of Christmas in July: The Life and Art of Preston Sturges and, most recently, Dear Abigail, a biography of Abigail Adams and her two sisters.

"Unsung character actors finally get a long-overdue close-up in A Real American Character, Carl Rollyson's authoritative portrait of Walter Brennan. A real Hollywood success story, Brennan and his extraordinary career, which included winning three Oscars, are presented with great sympathy, sensitivity, and admiration. - Marion Meade, author of The Unruly Life of Woody Allen and Buster Keaton: Cut to the Chase.