Will Hutchins

Acting

Will Hutchins

Born
Died
(aged 94)
Birthplace
Los Angeles, California, USA
Credits
37 titles

Biography

Will Hutchins (born Marshall Lowell Hutchason), is an American actor most noted for playing the lead role of the young lawyer from the Oklahoma Territory, Tom Brewster, in sixty-nine episodes of the Warner Bros. Western television series Sugarfoot, which aired on ABC from 1957 to 1961. Hutchins 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 to Will Rogers, the Oklahoma humorist. His contract led him to guest appearances in Warner Bros. Television programs, such as Conflict. Hutchins was also cast as a guest star on Cheyenne, Bronco, Maverick and 77 Sunset Strip.

He had small roles in the Warners movies Bombers B-52, Lafayette Escadrille, and No Time for Sergeants where he screen tested for the lead of Will Stockdale with James Garner playing the psychiatrist.

Hutchins leapt to national fame in the lead of Sugarfoot. During the series' run he guest-starred on other Warner Bros shows such as The Roaring 20's, Bronco, and Surfside 6. Warners tried him in the lead of a feature, Young and Eager aka Claudelle Inglish with Diane McBain. He tried another pilot for a series, Howie, that was not picked up and war in the Warners war film with Jeff Chandler, Merrill's Marauders, a picture filmed in the Philippine Islands and Chandler's last acting role. Hutchins guest-starred on Gunsmoke and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.

While appearing in a play in Chicago in late 1963, he was flown to Los Angeles to shoot a television pilot for MGM, Take Me to Your Leader, in which Hutchins played a Martian salesman who came to Earth. Though the pilot was not picked up, it led MGM to sign him for Spinout, in which he co-starred as Lt. Tracy Richards ("Dick Tracy" backwards) alongside Elvis Presley. In 1965, Hutchins co-starred with Jack Nicholson and Warren Oates in Monte Hellman's The Shooting.

In 1968–1969, Hutchins starred as Dagwood Bumstead in a CBS television version of the comic strip Blondie. He travelled to South Africa to appear in Shangani Patrol. Back in the United States, Hutchins guest-starred on Love, American Style, Emergency!, Chase, Movin' On, The Streets of San Francisco, and The Quest. He was in The Horror at 37,000 Feet, Slumber Party '57, and The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington.

He also began appearing in circuses as Patches the Clown.

Signature work

Known For

Acting credits 37

YearTitleRole
2014 Whips and Jingles Film Self
2010 The Romantics Film Grandpa McDevon
1994 Maverick Film Spectator (uncredited)
1993 Warren Oates: Across the Border Film Self
1981 Roar Film Committee
1979 When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion Film Self
1977 The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington Film Randall Petersdorf
1976 Slumber Party '57 Film Harold Perkins
1976 The Quest Film Earl
1973 Magnum Force Film Cost Plus Cop
1973 The Horror at 37,000 Feet Film Steve Holcomb
1972 The Streets of San Francisco TV Sparky (1 ep)
1972 Emergency! TV Curtis Murdock (1 ep)
1970 Shangani Patrol Film Frederick Russell Burnham
1969 Love, American Style TV Will (1 ep)
1968 Blondie TV Dagwood Bumstead (14 ep)
1967 Clambake Film Tom Wilson / 'Scott Heyward'
1966 Spinout Film Tracy Richards
1966 Hey Landlord! TV Woodrow 'Woody' Banner (30 ep)
1966 The Shooting Film Coley Boyard
1962 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour TV J.J. Fenton (1 ep)
1962 Merrill's Marauders Film Chowhound
1961 Claudelle Inglish Film Dennis Peasley
1960 The Roaring 20's TV (1 ep)
1960 Surfside 6 TV Arky Cooper (1 ep)
1958 77 Sunset Strip TV Self, Emcee (1 ep)
1958 Bronco TV Tom 'Sugarfoot' Brewster (1 ep)
1958 No Time for Sergeants Film Lt. George Bridges
1958 Lafayette Escadrille Film Dave Putnam
1957 Bombers B-52 Film Roberts - B-52 Navigator (uncredited)
1957 Maverick TV Lawyer, Tom 'Sugarfoot' Brewster (1 ep)
1957 Perry Mason TV Donald Hobart (1 ep)
1957 Sugarfoot TV Tom Brewster, The Canary Kid (69 ep)
1956 Conflict TV Ed Masters, John Smith /Walter Shaw (1 ep)
1955 Matinee Theater TV Robert Dudley (3 ep)
1955 Cheyenne TV Tom Brewster (1 ep)
1955 Gunsmoke TV Billy Poe (1 ep)
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