Remembering Will Hutchins: ‘Sugarfoot’ Star Who Charmed Westerns at 94

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94-year-old Will Hutchins, famously known for his role as the amiable sharpshooter and frontier attorney Tom Brewster in the 1957-61 ABC Western series Sugarfoot, has passed away.

Hutchins passed away on Monday due to respiratory complications at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York. His wife, Barbara, confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter.

Back in the groovy ’60s, I stepped into the shoes of Woody Banner, a lucky lad who found himself the owner of a Manhattan brownstone thanks to my late uncle. This was all unfolding on the NBC sitcom known as “Hey, Landlord”, a creation of the brilliant minds behind “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” Garry Marshall and Jerry Belson. Quite a leap from gaming worlds, I must say!

Two years after that, a native Los Angelino with blue eyes took on the role of Dagwood Bumstead opposite Patricia Harty in the 1968-69 CBS comedy “Blondie.” This show was based on the comic strip and came after a series of films and a 1957 NBC series. It ran for only 16 episodes before it got canceled.

On the large movie screen, Hutchins starred alongside Elvis Presley in two films: portraying Tracy Richards, a nod to Dick Tracy’s character, in “Spinout” (1966), and playing Tom Wilson, his co-star, in “Clambake” (1967). In the latter film, he lip-synced the song “Who Needs Money?” in a duet with Presley.

At Warner Bros., the laid-back Hutchins unexpectedly gained popularity by portraying Brewster, initially cast as a greenhorn sheriff in Bluerock. In the debut episode, he was mockingly labeled a ‘Sugarfoot’, referring to someone striving to advance from being a complete novice.

Over the course of the series, Brewster enrolls in distance learning programs to qualify as a lawyer, and the theme tune suggests that his character is armed with both a gun and legal books.

Hutchins also had fun playing Brewster’s evil cousin, The Canary Kid, on three episodes.

In a 2021 interview with Rob Word on Word on Westerns, he shared that he landed a double role: portraying Sugarfoot, the sweet fellow who enjoyed sarsaparilla and cherries, as well as Canary Kid, who’d swig whiskey straight from the bottle. Plus, he got to wear Humphrey Bogart’s pants, which was an incredible experience!

Marshall Lowell Hutchason, born on May 5, 1930, in Los Angeles, had an early encounter with the film industry. As a child, he pedaled his bike to a movie set and found himself part of the crowd in the timeless film “Never Give a Sucker an Even Break” (1941), starring W.C. Fields.

After completing education at John Marshall High School and Pomona College, he spent two years working as a cryptographer for the U.S. Army Signal Corps during the Korean War. Following this service, he utilized his G.I. Bill benefits to attend film school at UCLA.

Hutchason had the chance to act in a play alongside his fellow Pomona graduate, Richard Chamberlain, at the Ivar Theater in Hollywood. This opportunity eventually landed him a contract through Chamberlain’s agent, Dick Clayton. He first appeared on screen in a 1956 episode of the Warner Bros. series titled Conflict, which featured Jim Backus, his future boss on Blondie. The episode was directed by Fred De Cordova.

In 1958, Will Hutchins auditioned for the main character Pvt. Will Stockdale in the film “No Time for Sargents,” a part later given to Andy Griffith. His resemblance to Will Rogers Jr. prompted him to adopt the stage name ‘Will Hutchins.’ Eventually, he landed the role of the hungover pilot in the movie.

Interestingly enough, the main character in the TV show “Sugarfoot” was originally inspired by the 1954 movie titled “The Boy From Oklahoma,” starring Rogers.

During its initial three seasons, Sugarfoot aired on Tuesday nights alongside two other Western series produced by Warner Bros.: first with Cheyenne, starring Clint Walker; then in the second season, both Cheyenne and Bronco, led by Ty Hardin; and for the third season only, Bronco. Hutchins’ character Brewster also made appearances in cross-over episodes of these shows.

Following the conclusion of “Sugarfoot” after four seasons and 69 episodes, Hutchins then starred in several films. These include “Claudelle Inglish” from 1961, a film directed by Sam Fuller titled “Merrill’s Marauders” in 1962, and the non-union production “The Shooting,” helmed by Monte Hellman in 1965.

Back in June of 1964, I stepped into Orson Bean’s shoes to play the lead in the Broadway comedy “Never Too Late.” The production was expertly directed by George Abbott. After around ten months, Richard Mulligan took over from me when it was time for me to move on.

Following brief appearances in “Magnum Force” (1973), “The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington” (1977), and “Roar” (1981), Hutchins eventually decided to abandon his acting career in Hollywood, instead joining the circus.

In my past life, I donned the colorful attire of a jester, serving as a ringmaster and performing alongside a troupe of merry clowns in the bustling cityscape of Los Angeles. Afterward, for three eventful years, I hitched a ride with the Ashton Family Circus, transforming into Patches the Clown, traveling the vast landscapes of Australia.

In April 1988, he got married for the second time, to Barbara. Prior to this, he was married to Chrissie Burnett, who is Carol Burnett’s younger half-sister, between 1965 and 1969. They had a daughter together during that period.

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2025-04-22 19:25