Paul Brinegar


Actor

About

Also Known As
Paul Alden Brinegar
Birth Place
Tucumcari, New Mexico, USA
Born
December 19, 1917
Died
March 27, 1995
Cause of Death
Emphysema

Biography

Paul Brinegar was born and raised in New Mexico, but he left to become an actor in Hollywood. He began appearing in films in 1946 with an uncredited role in the western romance "Abilene Town." Two years later he received his first credit when he appeared as a mechanic in the 1948 film noir "Larceny." He went on from there to appear in scores of films, usually Westerns, eventually making ...

Family & Companions

Shirley Brinegar
Wife
Survived him.

Biography

Paul Brinegar was born and raised in New Mexico, but he left to become an actor in Hollywood. He began appearing in films in 1946 with an uncredited role in the western romance "Abilene Town." Two years later he received his first credit when he appeared as a mechanic in the 1948 film noir "Larceny." He went on from there to appear in scores of films, usually Westerns, eventually making a name for himself as the quintessential cowboy sidekick. In 1959, he took on his best known role, playing the grumpy cook, Wishbone, in Clint Eastwood's long-running western TV series, "Rawhide." He played that role until 1965. In 1973, he made one of his last major film appearances when he worked with Eastwood again, playing a barman in the film "High Plains Drifter." He later appeared on programs like the backwoods car-chase comedy "The Dukes of Hazzard," the medical drama "Trapper John, M.D.," and the private detective show "Matt Houston," where he played a recurring role, fittingly, as a comedic cowboy named Lamar Pettybone. In total Brinegar appeared in over 100 different film and TV roles throughout his almost 50-year career.

Filmography

 

Cast (Feature Film)

Maverick (1994)
Independence (1987)
The Annihilator (1986)
Chattanooga Choo Choo (1984)
Pee Wee
The Wild Women Of Chastity Gulch (1982)
Crisis in Sun Valley (1978)
High Plains Drifter (1973)
Charro! (1969)
Opie Keetch
Country Boy (1966)
Mr. Byrd
Cattle Empire (1958)
Thomas Jefferson Jeffrey
How to Make a Monster (1958)
Rivero
Copper Sky (1957)
Charlie Martin
Hell on Devil's Island (1957)
Arneaux
The Vampire (1957)
Willie
The Iron Sheriff (1957)
Gun salesman
The Spirit of St. Louis (1957)
Father from Oklahoma
The Toy Tiger (1956)
Bellboy
Flight to Hong Kong (1956)
Carstairs
Fighting Trouble (1956)
Mr. Hoffenbeck, the postman
Ransom! (1956)
Bank clerk
Santiago (1956)
Alkali
World Without End (1956)
Vida
Cell 2455, Death Row (1955)
Prisoner
I Died a Thousand Times (1955)
Driver of bus
The Silver Chalice (1955)
Auditorium audience member
Rogue Cop (1954)
Clerk
Rails into Laramie (1954)
Bandleader
Human Desire (1954)
Brakeman
Four Guns to the Border (1954)
Barber
Dawn at Socorro (1954)
Desk clerk
A Star Is Born (1954)
Funeral mourner
Phantom of the Rue Morgue (1954)
Street cleaner
It Happens Every Thursday (1953)
Clerk
So Big (1953)
Bidder
The Member of the Wedding (1953)
Gas station attendant
Fast Company (1953)
"Smokey"
Captain Scarface (1953)
Clegg
Here Come the Nelsons (1952)
Thin cop
The Captive City (1952)
Police sergeant
Pat and Mike (1952)
Caddy
We're Not Married! (1952)
Beauty contest audience member
Journey into Light (1951)
Bum, prayer scene
Storm Warning (1951)
Cameraman
Insurance Investigator (1951)
Mr. Spangler
Young Man with a Horn (1950)
Stage manager
A Ticket to Tomahawk (1950)
Sword in the Desert (1949)
Corporal
Take One False Step (1949)
Player
The Gal Who Took the West (1949)
Salesman
Pinky (1949)
Western Union clerk
Larceny (1948)
Mechanic

Cast (Special)

The Texas Rangers (1981)
Old Al

Life Events

Family

Paul Brinegar III
Son
Survived him.
Mark Brinegar
Son
Survived him.
Warren Brinegar
Brother
Survived him.

Companions

Shirley Brinegar
Wife
Survived him.

Bibliography