Walter Sande

Chances are you've seen his imposing character face scores of times but couldn't place the name. Colorado-born actor 'Walter Sande' (qv) was one of those stern, heavyset character actors in Hollywood everyone recognized but no one could identify.Born in Denver on July 9, 1906, Sande showed an early passion for music as a youth and by his college years managed to start his own band. This led to a job as musical director for 20th Century-Fox's theater chain, which in turn led to acting in films beginning in 1937. Usually providing atmospheric bits with no billing, he made an initial impression in serial cliffhangers as a third-string heavy with the popular _The Green Hornet Strikes Again! (1940)_ (qv) and _Sky Raiders (1941)_ (qv). His first top featured role, however, would come with _The Iron Claw (1941)_ (qv) as Jack "Flash" Strong, a photographer who--uncharacteristically for Walter--served as a comic sidekick to the serial's hero. Best of all would be his role in another serial as Red Pennington, the amusing sidekick to _Don Winslow of the Navy (1942)_ (qv). he repeated his role again in _Don Winslow of the Coast Guard (1943)_ (qv), the successful sequel. The role of Pennington sparked a long and steady supporting career in movies, usually a step or two behind Hollywood's elite on camera, which included 'Humphrey Bogart' (qv) and 'Lauren Bacall' (qv) in _To Have and Have Not (1944)_ (qv) (prominently featured as the fisherman who tries to cheat Bogie), 'Gary Cooper' (qv) in _Along Came Jones (1945)_ (qv), 'Alan Ladd' (qv) in _The Blue Dahlia (1946)_ (qv), 'Charlton Heston' (qv) in _Dark City (1950)_ (qv) and 'Spencer Tracy' (qv) in _Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)_ (qv), among hundreds of others. He also lent an an authoritative presence to classic sci-fi films such as _Red Planet Mars (1952)_ (qv), _The War of the Worlds (1953)_ (qv) and _Invaders from Mars (1953)_ (qv), and also had a recurring featured part in the 1940s "Boston Blackie" film series playing Detective Matthews alongside 'Chester Morris' (qv)' former thief-turned-crime hero.A prolific supporting player during the "golden age" of TV, Sande worked on nearly every popular western and crime show that aired throughout the 1950s and 1960s. He had a regular series role on _The Adventures of Tugboat Annie (1957)_ (qv) as Capt. Horatio Bullwinkle, Annie's tugboat rival, and a recurring one as 'Inger Stevens' (qv)' Swedish father, Lars "Papa" Holstrum, on _The Farmer's Daughter (1963)_ (qv).'Walter Sande' (qv) died of a heart attack in 1971 at age 65.::Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net