The Distinguished Career of Walter Reed
From Lead to Character
by Herb Fagen

His acting resume includes more than 400 television shows and 150 movies. In fact, Walter Reed has worked with many of the biggest and brightest names in the business over the years. Although beginning his career as a leading man opposite such stars as Lucille Ball, Anne Shirley, Paulette Goddard, and Gail Russell, Walter Reed made the successful transition to character roles early on. He soon became one of the best known and well regarded character actors in the business.

 

Although he has appeared in most every film genre, it is the western which holds a special place in his heart. "As the film industry goes, they were the best people to work with," he insists. "I always fantasized about being a cowboy. In fact, I wish I had been one."

Throughout his distinguished career in film and tv, Walter Reed has worked with the likes of John Wayne, William Holden, Randolph Scott, Alan Ladd, Dennis Weaver, and Victor Mature, while appearing in such films as How the West Was Won, Cheyenne Autumn, Sergeant Rutledge, and The Horse Soldiers, each a John Ford venture. His numerous tv appearances include featured roles in Bonanza, Wyatt Earp, The Deputy, and The Lone Ranger and many, many more.

Born Walter Reed Smith, the younger brother of singer "Smiling" Jack Smith, Walter Reed is another one of the industry's real nice guys. His stories of working in Hollywood are compelling and entertaining. But none more compelling than his recollections of Budd Boetticher, the great director and good friend, and John Wayne, his card playing buddy and drinking partner. Now in his early 80s, Walter Reed lives in Santa Cruz, California.

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Herb Fagen: Walter, how did this all start?

Walter Reed: Well, I was born in Bainbridge Island in Seattle. My father was an Army officer, and when he retired from military service in 1923, we moved to Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, I got to know a lot of people. One was a famous comedian named Charley Chase. I also got to know the daughter of Harry Langdon, another great comedian.

HF: How did acting come about? Is LA where the acting bug hit you?

Walter Reed: I'd have to say so! When I was 13 years old, someone told me they were looking for people for a film called Red Skin with Richard Dix. I went on an interview and got the job as an Indian boy. It was my first picture.

HF: It's been said that you are an accomplished horseman. Did that make you adept at westerns?

Walter Reed: I'd have to say both yes and no. I rode pretty well for an actor. When I was a kid, some friends had a riding stable. They used to let me take up the rear in case anybody fell off. They taught me to ride. So, while I wasn't a westerner in the traditional mold, I had ridden a lot and learned to ride pretty well. By the time I was 17, I decided that I wanted to go on the stage. So, I hooked my way on a train to New York.

HF: You were still technically a minor!

Walter Reed: I sure was. Because I was listed as a runaway, they pulled me in for vagrancy, and I was on a chain gang in Texas for three days. It was Depression time, and there were about 200 of us on that train.

HF: Did you finally make it to New York?

Walter Reed: Yes, eventually I did. I had a note to a New York agent which I had taken with me, and he managed to get me a job just a few days after I got there. They were doing a play about a military school. I stayed in the East and did about 68 weeks of stock, a different play every week. This is where I really learned my craft.

HF: But you returned to Los Angeles!

Walter Reed: That's right. I was doing a play in Kennebunkport, Maine. Some movie people saw me and took me back to Hollywood. I stayed at the Roosevelt Hotel. Then to get my name around and to get noticed, I would have myself paged all the time. I imagine it must have worked because eventually I signed a contract with RKO.

My first picture was called The Mayor of 44th Street with George Murphy and Anne Shirley. George Murphy, of course, eventually became a U.S. Senator. I was cast opposite Anne Shirley again in Bombardier. I was her love interest in that one. Then I did a film called Wednesday's Child. I was Lucille Ball's fiancé in a movie called Seven Days Leave. Victor Mature took Lucy away from me in that one. I was Paulette Goddard's fiancé in a film called The Torch which we shot in Mexico. This time Pedro Armendariz gets her away from me. So, as you can see, I played opposite some great leading ladies. At the same time I was doing westerns. I did three westerns, in fact, with Tim Holt. There was someone who could really ride a horse.

HF: Then, why the transition from leading man to character actor?

Walter Reed: To tell you the truth, I thought it was a good idea. Like all of us, I was getting a little older. One day I looked in the mirror and said, "You're no longer a leading man, Walter!" I knew I wouldn't last too long like that, so I started doing character parts. I guess you can say I was a stark realist. And it kept me working lots longer than if I had tried to stay a leading man.

HF: You did some wonderful work in westerns as a character actor!

Walter Reed: Oh, I did a lot of westerns. As I said earlier, I might not have been a cowboy by training and profession, but I fit in with them very well. I lived in the West most of my life, and some of my good friends were cowboys. I was good friends with Chuck Roberson. He was a very famous stunt man, and often worked as John Wayne's double. Chuck did more than 35 pictures with Duke.

John Wayne wasn't brought up as a cowboy either. A lot of us weren't. But we learned. I felt very comfortable in westerns. And while I never owned my own horse, I did my own riding in films. Because of my early training, I was good enough to do my own riding, although I never really learned to handle a gun that well.

I usually was what you'd call a "smooth heavy." I was the guy who did all the evil brain work, then I'd have my stooges go out and do the dirty work.

HF: Any particular westerns which stand out in your mind?

Walter Reed: Oh, there was Return of the Badman, with Randy Scott; The Eagle and the Hawk, with Dennis O'Keefe and John Payne. Then, there were those four John Ford westerns: Cheyenne Autumn, How the West Was Won, Sergeant Rutledge, and The Horse Soldiers with Duke Wayne and William Holden.

But I think my best part was the lead in a film called Seven Men From Now. I played Gail Russell's husband, and I got killed in the last scene. It was directed by Budd Boetticher and written by Burt Kennedy. Randolph Scott and Lee Marvin were also in it.

HF: "Seven Men From Now" is a remarkable film but vastly underrated when it came out.

Walter Reed: I think it might well be Budd's finest work, and remember, he made so many outstanding westerns in the 1950s. For some reason, it was released as the second end of a double feature when it first was released. The scripts for these great westerns were written by Burt Kennedy.

HF: Wayne and Holden worked well together in "The Horse Soldiers."

Walter Reed: I remember the film well. I was the leader of Troop B. Duke headed the troop, and Bill Holden was the doctor. Of course, Ford directed the picture. Ford would say, "Now you lead this troop and go over the bridge." I'd take off and come back, and he would say, "You sure did a good job!" One of the stuntmen said to me, "You were so scared of the horses in back of you!" And he was right! If I went down, I'd have had 140 guys going over me.

HF: Ford was a tough taskmaster!

Walter Reed: He was a tough man, but I liked him. I'll tell you something. I had a heart attack, and he put me in the film Cheyenne Autumn. But, he wouldn't let me ride. He gave me the job to get me money, but he never mentioned my heart attack. I was kind of in his stock company for the last three or four pictures he did. I really respected him for that. He gave me a job, but wouldn't let me ride. In the days when I did The Horse Soldiers for him, we were on horses every day, Saturdays and Sunday too, for 14 weeks.

When he came on the set, one of the guys would start playing some military music on the accordion. We'd all stand up and call him "Admiral." He'd been a Navy man. You'd play the part off stage too with Ford. But I liked him very much. He was a nice man. Yet, if he didn't like you, or if you were a horseman and you were cocky with him, he'd let you do dangerous stuff. But basically he was a nice guy. His real name was O'Feeney. He came from Portland, Maine, and they called him "Bull Feeney."

HF: How was William Holden to work with?

Walter Reed: William Holden was one of the most wonderful guys I ever knew in my life. The way he died was startling to me. They say he was an alcoholic, but I never saw him loaded or anything. I had a few drinks with him, but I never knew he was that bad. He was a good actor and a sweetheart of a guy.

When I think of Bill Holden, a funny story comes to mind. When we were doing The Horse Soldiers, we were in this big trailer. We were the Horse Soldiers, and when they said something, we'd yell, "Yo!" Well, once Ford yelled in that raspy voice of his, "Bill Holden!" So Holden runs to the door, and he yells, "Yo!" like that! Then he turns around and says to us with a puzzled expression, "What the hell am I doing that for? I'm making a million dollars on that picture, and he's only making five hundred thousand. What am I going 'Yo' for?"

HF: You are still close with Budd Boetticher!

Walter Reed: Yes, I am. Budd's a superb director with enormous talent. He was a bull fighter in his younger days. I made a dozen pictures which he directed. One was an excellent war story called The Red Ball Express. It might have been Sidney Poitier's first film, I'm not sure. Earlier, I mentioned Seven Men From Now. John Wayne was sorry he didn't take the lead role, because it was his production company which produced the film. Oh, it was a very good film!

HF: Your memories of John Wayne!

Walter Reed: I used to go to Duke's house. We would go there to drink and play poker. He was so funny. He was a good guy in a poker game, a good guy to drink with. He just loved to have fun. He wasn't what you would call a ladies' man either. He wasn't a chaser. He'd rather hang around with the guys. Whenever he was in a show, instead of going out, each Saturday night he ran an all night poker game, and everybody got drunk. He just plain liked that. But he wouldn't drink during the week. Just that one night, if he was working. Saturday night was his time to relax and be with the boys. He loved it. Duke was brought up in Los Angeles. He and Ward Bond played football together at USC. He was a good football player, but he was not brought up as a cowboy.

HF: You tell some interesting stories about the days when you and Wayne and Boetticher hung around together.

Walter Reed: Actually, the first time I met Duke was with Budd Boetticher. It was at Budd's home. Duke had put up some money for Budd's film, The Bullfighter and the Lady. Budd received an Oscar nomination for that. Well, we had a lot of fun that night. The next night Duke calls and says, "Hey, I want to talk with you again, Budd!" So, he came over, and we all had a few drinks.

Then a little before ten he says, "Hey, I'm hungry. Let's go out to eat." So Budd and his wife, and my wife and I went out to eat. The restaurant was closing so we went to a little Italian place across the street.

Budd and I were busted. It wasn't a good time financially for either of us. But we had a wonderful dinner at the Italian restaurant with Duke, lots of drinks and all kinds of good food. After dinner, we had a few more drinks. We were all laughing and feeling great. Then, suddenly Duke disappeared. I said, "My gosh, where's Wayne?"

The guy at the door tells us that Duke was feeling "no pain." He told us that Duke had a deal with the cops. If he felt he had too much to drink, they would take him home. It was a very smart deal. He did shows and charity things for the cops, so if he ever got crocked and couldn't drive, they would take him home.

We were petrified. I had only two dollars, and Budd's wife had a dollar. My wife didn't have a cent with her. I said, "Well, as long as we are going to have to wash dishes, why don't we have another drink." So we ate the fancy desserts and had a few fancy after-dinner drinks.

Finally, my wife said, "Well, I guess the time has come. Who's going to wash dishes, and who's going to dry and stack them?" We were laughing. The moment of truth had come. I said to the waiter, "Our bill, please." And the manager came over and said, "There's no bill. Mr. Wayne left a blank check!" From then on I loved Duke. This was my introduction to John Wayne.

HF: When I interviewed you for "Duke, We're Glad We Knew You," you used the word "stature" in describing John Wayne. It's probably the most appropriate one word term which I have heard to describe John Wayne.

Walter Reed: That's the way I feel. Wayne had stature. That's an important word for a hero. And he never lost that stature, not even when he was ill at the Oscar ceremony, a few months before he died. To the very last, Duke Wayne had stature. I think that's what people see today. John Wayne was a real good guy, a real professional, and a very good actor. Don't let anybody tell you differently. He could act!

HF: You did "The High and the Mighty" for Bill Wellman.

Walter Reed: Yes, I did! I was the guy who put the small boy on the plane. The small boy was actually Wellman's son in the film. I say to the boy something like, "Tell your mother there shouldn't be an ocean between us ..." Then the boy sleeps on the plane throughout the picture.

Actually, I was up for another part, a bigger part opposite Laraine Day. Andy McLaglen had me come to Wellman's home to interview for the role. Since Duke was producing the picture, we went over to Batjac to get the script. Bob Fellows was Wayne's partner, and I heard him say to the assistant director, "Walter Reed! I don't want some stock guy doing the part." Then he talked Wellman out of using me. So Wellman gave me the lesser role.

But it was interesting. After I got through with the scene, Duke came over to me and said, "Wellman's real mad! He really liked you in the scene and asked himself out loud why he let that jerk talk him out of using Walter Reed." So, Wellman took a liking to me now, and a short time later arranged for a friend of his to give me the lead in a sleeper of a picture called Macamba Love which was filmed in Brazil.

HF: You worked with Alan Ladd, another one of my favorite stars.

Walter Reed: Yes, I did a film with Alan called The Deep Six. Years earlier I had done a training film in Monterey for the Army. Alan was there too. He told me he was doing a picture when he got back. It was called This Gun for Hire. Of course, that's the picture which made Alan a star. I told him I was under contract to RKO and that I was going back too. He was happy for the both of us, and we talked quite a bit. Then he became a big star, and I never heard from him.

Many years passed now. All of a sudden I got a call from my agent. He said they wanted me for an Alan Ladd picture, and they were giving me double the money. I said, "Really!" I was surprised. I worked about four weeks on The Deep Six, and I played his rival. When I saw him later, I said, "Alan, how did you do this?" He said, "Walter, I've been trying to find a part for you ever since we did that Army thing!" He was a good man.

HF: He took lots of shots about his size, and he really wasn't that short.

Walter Reed: I'll tell you something about Alan Ladd. He had the most beautiful body for a little man that you ever saw. He had an absolutely great build. Anyone who ever called him puny was nuts. In his prime he was a miniature strong man.

HF: Of all the people you worked with over the years, who stands out most in your mind?

Walter Reed: The greatest guy I ever worked with was Dennis Weaver. We were roommates in a picture [Dangerous Mission, 1954] with Victor Mature, Piper Laurie, and Bill Bendix. Dennis and I were forest rangers in the film, and I had a bigger part than he did. He was broke and living in a little house, paying $125 a month, and his son was sick.

He said he was going to do Gunsmoke. To make sure they remembered him he was going to do it with a stiff leg. Dennis Weaver, you know, was almost an Olympic champion, but the limp routine made him famous.

There is another interesting story concerned with that picture. It deals with Victor Mature. Victor was in the next room, but he didn't have a shower or bath tub. I told him I'd leave the door unlocked from our side, and when he wanted to take a shower he could go in there. Well, soon he was not only showering, he was using my razor and other things. I said, "Victor, when you get to my toothbrush I'm going to close the door and lock it!" But I liked Victor Mature. He was a real nice guy and still is. We shot the film in Glacier National Park, and had a whole lot of fun doing it.

HF: Walter, let's talk television. You certainly did a lot of tv work!

Walter Reed: I'd say so! I did something like 400 television shows. I did all the big westerns, things like Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill, Jr., Wagon Train -- sometimes we'd do two shows a week. We'd go up to Pioneer Town and do things like that. I did lots of other tv work, things like Matinee Theater, Front Row Center. I played heavies in episodes of Perry Mason, I was Jackie Cooper's older brother in Hennessey.

HF: Did you find people had huge egos in this business?

Walter Reed: Well, some of them certainly do have attitude problems, although you find less of the affected stuff among people who do westerns. But, I do have a funny story to tell, if I may.

HF: Sure!

Walter Reed: We got back from service and did a show called Winged Victory. Red Buttons was Aaron Chwatt in those days. Then in 1957 he wins a Best Supporting Oscar for Sayonara. Well, I see him in the makeup room at Universal, and I say, "Hi, Red!" He looks at me and says something like, "Oh, hello, Walter!" I told him, "What are you giving me this crap for? I remember when you were a burlesque comedian." He answered, "You're right! But just give me a couple of days to get over this!" But he was down to earth. He just needed a couple of days for his ego to calm down.

HR: How did you like being a character actor as opposed to a leading man?

Walter Reed: It really helped your career. Once I became a character actor after I got out of service, I had a long career. You won't make as much money as a character actor, but you'll last longer. Unless you can hit it as a star in this business, then you'd better be versatile.

HF: When did you decide to call it quits?

Walter Reed: I had my first heart attack when I was 47. I'm more than 80 now. I never mentioned my heart attack because in this business it could have meant the kiss of death. The picture business can be nerve wracking. Lots of stress. I quit pictures at about age 55. I did a couple of television shows and a few commercials since. I've had a lot of health problems including a cancer operation about ten years ago, but I'm still here. I'll tell you, I have had a wonderful life and got to know many, many dear people. I worked with the best.

HF: Do you miss acting?

Walter Reed: Very much so. But I couldn't remember my own name now. I take something like 18 pills a day (laughing). They make you punchy. I don't care what anyone says. But again, I had a wonderful career. when television first came in, we did two shows a week. We worked on Saturday's too, so it kept you pretty busy.

HF: Your brother is singer "Smiling" Jack Smith. How did you get the name Walter Reed?

Walter Reed: My real name is Walter Reed Smith. RKO got me in the publicity department. They said, "We have this Smith kid here, and we have to think of a name for him." One of the guys said he had the perfect name for me. The name he suggested was Stark Nolan. One of the girls began to laugh hilariously and said she thought it should be Stark Naked. So that did it. I just dropped my last name and became Walter Reed!

HR: And on that note I'll say, thanks for a great interview, Walter.