Scott Brady (born Gerard Kenneth Tierney; September 13, 1924 – April 16, 1985) was an American film and television actor best known for his roles in western films and as a ubiquitous television presence.
Life and career
Gerard Kenneth Tierney was born in Brooklyn, New York to Lawrence and Maria Tierney; his father was an Irish American policeman who was chief of the New York aqueduct police force. His older and younger brothers were fellow actors Lawrence and Edward Tierney, respectively.
Lawrence and Edward Tierney in "The Hoodlum" (1951)
Lawrence Tierney
(Lawrence Tierney would later appear in "Reservoir Dogs" (1992))
Edward Tierney
Brady was reared in suburban Westchester County, New York. He was nicknamed "Roddy" in his youth. He attended Roosevelt and St. Michael's high schools where he lettered in basketball, football, and track. He aspired to become a football coach or a radio announcer but instead enlisted in the United States Navy before his graduation from high school. During World War II, he served in the United States Navy as a naval aviation mechanic overseas on the USS Norton Sound.
Discharged in 1946, Brady headed to Los Angeles, California. where his older brother Lawrence was already making some progress as an actor. First taking menial jobs as a cab driver and a lumberjack, Brady enrolled at the Bliss-Hayden drama school under his G.I. Bill of Rights. There he studied acting and took vocal training to eliminate his thick Brooklyn accent.
Brady had two brushes with scandal. In 1957, he was arrested for narcotics possession, but charges were dropped and he always maintained that he was framed.[1]
In 1963, he was barred by the New York State Harness Racing Commission from participation in the sport due to his association with known bookmakers.[2]
Acting career
In 1948, Brady made his film debut as a boxer in the programmer In This Corner (1948) and took tough-guy roles in films like He Walked by Night, Undertow, and Canon City.
He continued to impress as Jeanne Crain's leading man in the romantic comedy The Model and the Marriage Broker and opposite Joan Crawford in the cult western drama Johnny Guitar.
From 1953 to 1956, Brady appeared four times in different roles on the anthology series Lux Video Theatre and appeared five times on the NBC anthology series The Ford Television Theatre. In 1955, he portrayed Ted Slater in "Man in the Ring" of NBC's anthology series The Loretta Young Show. From 1953 to 1956, he appeared five times on the NBC anthology series, The Ford Television Theatre. In 1955 and 1957, Brady was twice cast on another anthology program Studio 57. Early in 1957, he was cast in "The Barbed Wire Preacher" of the religion anthology series Crossroads.
On December 26, 1957, Brady played the frontier figure William Bent in the episode "Lone Woman" of CBS's anthology Playhouse 90, with Raymond Burr cast as his brother, Charles Bent. The plot involved the establishment in Bent's Old Fort on the Arkansas River in southeastern Colorado. Kathryn Grayson played the "Lone Woman," a Cheyenne Indian.
From 1955 to 1959, Brady appeared five times on CBS's anthology series Schlitz Playhouse, including the roles of Reno Cromwell in "Night of the Big Swamp" and Calvin Penny in "Papa Said No." The Schlitz Playhouse episode "The Salted Mine" became the pilot for Brady's own western television series Shotgun Slade, which aired seventy-eight episodes in syndication from 1959 to 1961.
In addition to Shotgun Slade, Brady appeared in several other television westerns, including Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater, The High Chaparral, Lancer, Dirty Sally, The Virginian (twice), and Gunsmoke (three times).
In 1958, he played the lead role of Sergeant Matt Blake to Clint Eastwood's third billing as Keith Williams in Ambush at Cimarron Pass.
Scott Brady and Andy Griffith in Broadway musical version of Destry Rides Again (1959)
In 1961, he played the roles of John Keller in "We're Holding Your Son" on the anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan, General Electric Theater, and Ernie Taggart in "Voyage into Fear" of the CBS detective series, Checkmate.
In 1962, Brady was cast in the lead guest role as reporter/commentator Floyd Gibbons in "The Floyd Gibbons Story" of ABC's The Untouchables, starring Robert Stack. The next year, he portrayed Bill Floyd in the episode "Run for Doom" of CBS's The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. In 1967, Brady guest starred on Carl Betz's ABC legal drama, Judd, for the Defense.
During the mid 1960s, Brady starred in several of A.C. Lyles' Western films. In 1969, he portrayed Budd Blake in the episode "Panic" of the NBC drama Bracken's World. In 1973, he was cast as Davey Collier in "No Stone Unturned" of NBC's Banacek. From 1975 to 1977, Brady had the recurring role of "Vinnie" in sixteen episodes of NBC's Police Story crime drama.
On February 15, 1977, he appeared as Shirley Feeney's father, Jack Feeney, in the episode "Buddy, Can You Spare a Father?" on ABC's Laverne and Shirley. Though he had turned down the role of Archie Bunker on All in the Family, Brady appeared as Joe Foley on four episodes in 1976.
Bradt appeared five times on the James Garner NBC series, The Rockford Files. In 1977, he portrayed Lou Caruso in "Caruso's Way" of ABC's sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter, and appeared as Matt Zaleski in the TV miniseries Wheels the following year.
In 1983, Brady portrayed Alex Kidd in "Shadow of Sam Penny" on the CBS detective series Simon and Simon. Brady's last film acting role was as Sheriff Frank in the 1984 film Gremlins.
Personal life
Brady had been involved earlier in life with actresses Gwen Verdon, Dorothy Malone, and Suzan Ball, but went on to marry a non-actress at age 43 and have two sons. A staunch supporter of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football, Brady hosted the team with a party at his home in the Hollywood Hills whenever the Irish came to town to play the University of Southern California.
In 1981, Brady was stricken with pulmonary fibrosis and thereafter required the use of an oxygen tank. He died four years later at the age of 60. He is interred at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.
Partial filmography
The Counterfeiters (1948) - Jerry McGee
Canon City (1948) - Jim Sherbondy
In This Corner (1948) - Jimmy Weston
He Walked by Night (1948) - Police Sgt. Marty Brennan
The Gal Who Took the West (1949) - Lee O'Hara
Port of New York (1949) - Michael 'Mickey' Waters
Undertow (1949) - Tony Reagan
I Was a Shoplifter (1950) - Jeff Andrews
Undercover Girl (1950) - Lt. Michael Trent
Kansas Raiders (1950) - Bill Anderson
Bronco Buster (1952) - Bart Eaton
Untamed Frontier (1952) - Glenn Denbow
Yankee Buccaneer (1952) - Lt. David Farragut
Montana Belle (1952) - Bob Dalton
Bloodhounds of Broadway (1952) - Robert 'Numbers' Foster
A Perilous Journey (1953) - Shard Benton
El Alamein (1953) - Joe Banning
The Law vs. Billy the Kid (1954) - William 'Billy the Kid' Bonney
They Were So Young (1954) - Richard Lanning
Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1955) - David Action
The Vanishing American (1955) - Blandy
Mohawk (1956) - Jonathan
Terror at Midnight (1956) - Neal 'Rick' Rickards
The Maverick Queen (1956) - Sundance
The Storm Rider (1957) - Bart Jones
The Restless Breed (1957) - Mitch
Ambush at Cimarron Pass (1958) - Sgt. Matt Blake
Blood Arrow (1958) - Dan Kree
Battle Flame (1959) - 1st Lt. Frank Davis
Stage to Thunder Rock (1964) - Sam Swope
Black Spurs (1965) - Reverend Tanner
Destination Inner Space (1966) - Cmdr. Wayne
Castle of Evil (1966) - Matt Granger
Red Tomahawk (1967) - Ep Wyatt
Journey to the Center of Time (1967) - Stanton
Arizona Bushwhackers (1968) - Tom Rile
They Ran for Their Lives (1968) - Joe Seely
The Mighty Gorga (1969) - Dan Morgan
Nightmare in Wax (1969) - Detective Haskell
Satan's Sadists (1969) - Charlie Baldwin
The Ice House (1969) - Lt. Scott
The Cycle Savages (1969) - Vice Squad Detective (uncredited)
Five Bloody Graves (1969) - Jim Wade
Hell's Bloody Devils (1970) - Brand
Cain's Cutthroats (1970) - Justice Cain
Doctors' Wives (1971) - Sgt.Malloy
$ (1971) - Sarge AKA The Heist In UK.
Bonnie's Kids (1972) - Ben
The Leo Chronicles (1972)
Wicked, Wicked (1973) - Police Sgt. Ramsey
The Night Strangler (1973) - Police Captain Schubert
Roll, Freddy, Roll! (1974, TV Movie) - Admiral Norton
When Every Day Was the Fourth of July (1978, TV Movie) - Officer Michael Doyle
Women in White (1979, TV Movie) - Bartender
The China Syndrome (1979) - Herman De Young
Gremlins (1984) - Sheriff Frank (final film role)
References
1. "Actor Scott Brady, Friend Jailed on Narcotics Charges". Los Angeles Times. October 19, 1957.
2. "Actor Brady, 7 Others Get Harness Race Ban". Los Angeles Times. April 2, 1963.
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