Will Hutchins(bornMarshall Lowell Hutchason;May 5, 1930) is an American actor most noted for playing the lead role of the young lawyer Tom Brewster, in theWesterntelevision seriesSugarfoot,which aired onABCfrom 1957 to 1961 for 69 episodes.
Will Hutchins | |
---|---|
Born | Marshall Lowell Hutchason May 5, 1930 Los Angeles,California,U.S. |
Alma mater | Pomona College |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1941, 1956–2010 |
Spouses | Chrissie Burnett
(m.1965;div.1969)Barbara Torres (m.1988) |
Awards | Golden Boot Awards(2002)[1] Stone-Waterman Award (2004) – Cincinnati Old Time Radio Convention |
Early life
editHutchins was born in theAtwater Villageneighborhood of Los Angeles. As a child, he visited the location filming ofNever Give a Sucker an Even Breakand made his first appearance as anextrain a crowd.[2]
He attendedPomona CollegeinClaremont, California,where he majored inGreek drama.He also studied at theUniversity of California at Los Angeles,where he enrolled in cinema classes.
During theKorean War,he served for two years in the United States Army Signal Corps as acryptographerin Paris, serving as a Corporal withSHAPE.[3]Following his enlistment he enrolled as a graduate student atUCLAin their Cinema Arts department on theG. I. Bill.[4]
Hutchins began acting and got a role onMatinee Theatre.
Career
editWarner Bros.
editHutchins was discovered by a talent scout for Warner Bros., who changed his name from Marshall Lowell Hutchason to Will Hutchins. The young actor's easygoing manner was compared toWill Rogers,the Oklahoma humorist.[5]
His contract led him to guest appearances inWarner Bros. Televisionprograms, such asConflict,in which he appeared in three hour-long episodes, including his screen debut as Ed Masters in "The Magic Brew" on October 16, 1956.
Hutchins was also cast as a guest star onCheyenne,Bronco,Maverickand77 Sunset Strip.[6]
He had small roles in the Warners moviesBombers B-52(1957),Lafayette Escadrille(1958), andNo Time for Sergeants(1958) where he screen tested for the lead of Will Stockdale withJames Garnerplaying the psychiatrist.[7]
Sugarfoot
editHutchins leapt to national fame in the lead ofSugarfoot,in which he played a frontier lawyer with intermittent comedic overtones. During the series' run he guest-starred on other Warner Bros shows such asThe Roaring 20's,Bronco,andSurfside 6.He was the lead guest star in an episode ofMaverickentitled "Bolt from the Blue"written and directed byRobert Altmanand starringRoger Mooreas Beau Maverick.
He appeared in supporting roles in the Warner Bros filmsClaudelle Inglish(1961) and the World War II action pictureMerrill's Marauders(1962), which starredJeff Chandler.
Post-Warners
editHutchins guest-starred onGunsmokeandThe Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
While appearing in a play in Chicago in late 1963, he was flown to Los Angeles to shoot atelevision pilotfor MGM,Bert I. Gordon'sTake Me to Your Leader,in which Hutchins played aMartiansalesman who came to Earth. Though the pilot was not picked up, it led MGM to sign him forSpinout,in which he co-starred as Lt. Tracy Richards ( "Dick Tracy" transposed) alongsideElvis Presley.
Also in 1963, he appeared on an episode of Gunsmoke. In S8/Ep24, "Blind Man's Bluff", his character was Billy Poe.
In 1965, Hutchins co-starred withJack NicholsonandWarren OatesinMonte Hellman'sThe Shooting.
In 1966, he made a guest appearance on theCBScourtroom drama seriesPerry Masonas Don Hobart in "The Case of the Scarlet Scandal". (He also appeared as Dan Haynes inThe New Perry Masonin 1973 in the episode, "The Case of the Deadly Deeds".)[citation needed]
Other TV series
editIn 1966–1967, he co-starred withSandy BaroninHey, Landlord,set in a New York Cityapartmentbuilding.[8]The program followedWalt Disney's Wonderful World of Color,but it failed to attract a sustaining audience against CBS'sThe Ed Sullivan Showand ABC'sThe F.B.I.withEfrem Zimbalist Jr.,his former Warner Brothers colleague.[9]
Hutchins was reunited with Presley inClambake(1967).
In 1968–1969, Hutchins starred asDagwood Bumsteadin a CBS television version of the comic stripBlondie.[8]
1970s
editHe travelled to Rhodesia to appear inShangani Patrol(1970) playingFrederick Russell Burnham.
Back in the United States, Hutchins guest-starred onLove, American Style,Emergency!,Chase,Movin' On,The Streets of San Francisco,andThe Quest.He was inThe Horror at 37,000 Feet(1973),Slumber Party '57(1976), andThe Happy Hooker Goes to Washington(1977).
He also began appearing in circuses as Patches the Clown.[10]
Later career
editHutchins had roles inRoar(1981),Gunfighter(1999) andThe Romantics(2010).
Personal life
editHutchins was married to Chris Burnett, sister ofCarol Burnett,with whom he had a daughter.[11]
Major appearances
edit- 1965,The Shooting(film);Monte Hellman's low-budget Western withJack NicholsonandWarren Oates.
- 1966,Spinout(film); Hutchins co-starred as Lt. Tracy Richards withElvis Presley.
- 1967,Clambake(film); Hutchins co-stars withElvis Presley,Shelley Fabares,andBill Bixby.
- 1970,Shangani Patrol(film); co-starred as real-life American scoutFrederick Burnhamin a film based on the actual events of theShangani Patrol,shot on location inRhodesia.
- 1976,The Quest,a short-lived NBC western series, starringKurt RussellandTim Matheson.
- 1998,Gunfighter(film); a modern Western directed byChristopher Coppola.
Filmography
edit- Bombers B-52(1957) – Roberts – B-52 Navigator (uncredited)
- Lafayette Escadrille(1958) – Dave Putnam
- No Time for Sergeants(1958) – Lieutenant George Bridges
- Cheyenne(1961) (Episode "Duel at Judas Basin" ) – Tom 'Sugarfoot' Brewster
- Claudelle Inglish(1961) – Dennis Peasley
- Gunsmoke(1962) (Season 8 Episode 24: "Blind Man's Bluff) - Billy Poe
- Merrill's Marauders(1962) – Chowhound
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour(1963) (Season 1 Episode 24: "The Star Juror" ) - J.J. Fenton
- The Shooting(1966) – Coley
- Spinout(1966) – Lieutenant Tracy Richards
- Clambake(1967) – Tom Wilson / 'Scott Heyward'
- Shangani Patrol(1970) – Frederick Russell Burnham
- The Horror at 37,000 Feet(1973, TV Movie) – Steve Holcomb
- Magnum Force(1973) – Stakeout Cop (uncredited)
- Slumber Party '57(1976) – Harold Perkins
- The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington(1977) – Randall Petersdorf
- Roar(1981) – Committee Member
- Maverick(1994; scenes cut) – Spectator (uncredited)
- Gunfighter(1999) – The Judge
- The Romantics(2010) – Grandpa McDevon
References
edit- ^"Past Golden Boot Award Winners".List.Archived fromthe originalon June 23, 2007.RetrievedSeptember 18,2007.
- ^Magers, Donna."Will Hutchins on Grady Sutton, W. C. Fields".westernclippings.RetrievedJune 8,2017.
- ^p. 222 Aaker, EverettTelevision Western Players, 1960-1975: A Biographical DictionaryMcFarland, 16 May 2017
- ^"Will Hutchins remembers Lucille Ball and Gary Morton, UCLA Cinema Arts department".
- ^Magers, Donna."Will Hutchins on Warner Bros".
- ^Smith, C. (September 21, 1957). "Will hutchins rides out of movie limbo".Los Angeles Times.ProQuest167209586.
- ^"Will Hutchins remembers No Time for Sergeants, Will's ring".
- ^abTerrace, Vincent (2011).Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010.McFarland & Company, Inc.ISBN978-0-7864-6477-7
- ^Humphrey, H. (September 25, 1966). "Danny's daughter Marlo Thomas: On her own now".Los Angeles Times.ProQuest155527774.
- ^"Will Hutchins-[?] Sugarfoot the cowboy to Patches the clown".The Australian Women's Weekly.Vol. 48, no. 40. March 11, 1981. p. 2 (TV World).RetrievedDecember 3,2017– via National Library of Australia.
- ^"TV Star Proves Capable, Popular, Sincere, Hokey".The Argus.Fremont, California. October 17, 1966. p. 20.RetrievedJuly 15,2016– via Newspapers.
External links
edit- Will HutchinsatIMDb
- Will Hutchinsat theInternet Broadway Database
- Western Clippings Website
- Interview with Will Hutchins at Classic Film & TV Cafe, 25 July 2022
- Media related toWill Hutchinsat Wikimedia Commons