Will Hutchins, renowned for his portrayal of Tom Brewster in ABC’s Western series “Sugarfoot” from 1957 to 1961, died on Monday, April 21, at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York. He was 94 years old.
The cause of death was respiratory failure, according to his wife, Barbara, who was present at his passing. “He was hysterical, everyone loved him,” she stated. “He had a great sense of humor, and it never gave up on him.”
Born Marshall Lowell Hutchason on May 5, 1930, in Los Angeles, California, Hutchins began his entertainment career early. He was featured in a crowd scene in W.C. Fields’ “Never Give a Sucker an Even Break” (1941) after riding his bicycle to a film shoot.
After attending John Marshall High School and Pomona College, Hutchins served as a cryptographer for the U.S. Army Signal Corps during the Korean War. Post-service, he attended UCLA film school on the G.I. Bill, where he pursued acting.
Hutchins’ breakthrough came while performing in a play with fellow Pomona alum Richard Chamberlain at the Ivar Theater in Hollywood. His performance caught the eye of Chamberlain’s agent, Dick Clayton. He made his screen debut in 1956 on Warner Bros.’ anthology series “Conflict,” directed by Fred De Cordova.
Hutchins adopted his stage name after auditioning for the lead role of Pvt. Will Stockdale in “No Time for Sergeants” (1958), which was eventually given to Andy Griffith. Despite not securing the lead, he appeared in the film as a pilot with a hangover, due to his resemblance to Will Rogers Jr.
The role that defined Hutchins’ career was in “Sugarfoot,” where he played Tom Brewster, initially introduced as Bluerock’s new sheriff. The character was mockingly called a “sugarfoot,” meaning “someone who’s trying to work his way up to tenderfoot” in the first episode.
Throughout the series, Brewster pursued correspondence courses to become an attorney, with the title song highlighting that he carried “a rifle and a volume of the law.” The series was successful, running for four seasons and 69 episodes, with Hutchins also portraying Brewster’s evil cousin, The Canary Kid, in three episodes.
In a 2021 interview with Word on Westerns host Rob Word, Hutchins expressed enthusiasm for his dual role. He enjoyed playing both the sweet, sarsaparilla-drinking Sugarfoot and the whiskey-guzzling Canary Kid, noting the thrill of wearing Humphrey Bogart’s pants from the wardrobe.
Following “Sugarfoot,” Hutchins expanded his acting career in television and film. He starred as Woody Banner in the 1966-67 NBC sitcom “Hey, Landlord,” created by Garry Marshall and Jerry Belson, following their work on “The Dick Van Dyke Show.”
He later played Dagwood Bumstead alongside Patricia Harty in the 1968-69 CBS comedy “Blondie,” based on the comic strip. The show, however, lasted only 16 episodes before cancellation.
Hutchins’ film career included roles with Elvis Presley in “Spinout” (1966) as Tracy Richards and in “Clambake” (1967) as Tom Wilson, where he performed a notable lip-sync duet “Who Needs Money?” with Presley.
His other film credits include “Claudelle Inglish” (1961), “Merrill’s Marauders” (1962) directed by Sam Fuller, and “The Shooting” (1965) directed by Monte Hellman. He also appeared in “Magnum Force” (1973), “The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington” (1977), and “Roar” (1981).
In June 1964, Hutchins took over from Orson Bean on Broadway in “Never Too Late,” directed by George Abbott. He remained in the role for nearly 10 months before Richard Mulligan replaced him.
As his Hollywood career waned, Hutchins pursued a new path in the circus. He worked as a ringmaster and clown in Los Angeles before spending three years with the Ashton Family Circus in Australia as Patches the Clown.
Hutchins was married twice. His first marriage was to Chrissie Burnett, the younger half-sister of Carol Burnett, from 1965 to 1969, with whom he had a daughter, Jennifer. He married Barbara in April 1988, remaining together until his death.
In his later years, Hutchins continued to engage with fans at conventions and events. In 2004, he received the Stone-Waterman Award at the Cincinnati Old Time Radio Convention for his contributions to entertainment.
Will Hutchins is survived by his wife Barbara and daughter Jennifer.