Brian Geoffrey Hutton (May 2, 1935[1] – August 19, 2014) was an American actor and film director whose notable credits include the World War II action films Where Eagles Dare (1968) and Kelly's Heroes (1970).
Acting career
Hutton was born in New York City and studied at the Actors Studio.[1] He had a brief acting career between 1954 and 1962, including an appearance as an army deserter in the episode "Custer" in Gunsmoke (series 2, 1956). He played a young gunslinger, Billy Benson in season 2, episode 4 of The Rifleman. He made two guest appearances on Perry Mason in 1957: as Rod Gleason in "The Case of the Sulky Girl" and as a parking attendant in "The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink." His last television appearance was in the series Archer in 1975.[2]
In 1958, Hutton played a young gunfighter named The Kid in the episode "Yampa Crossing" of the western series Sugarfoot.[3][4] The following year, he portrayed a remorseful defendant on trial for causing a traffic death in Alfred Hitchcock Presents (the episode "Your Witness").[3]
Hutton played twins in an episode of Have Gun Will Travel as Adam and Sam M.
Director
Hutton made his debut as a director in 1965 with Wild Seed starring Michael Parks.[5]
After Night Watch came out in 1973, Hutton stopped making films for seven years because he lost his enthusiasm for it.[11]
It wasn’t something I wanted to do to begin with – not my life’s work... When I finished the second Elizabeth Taylor picture I thought, ‘Well, what am I wasting my life doing this for?' I mean, a gorilla could have made those movies. All I had to do was yell ‘Action’ and ‘Cut-Print’ because everybody was doing what they had to do anyway.[11]
Hutton retired from making films altogether in the 1980s and began working in real-estate.[1] He died in Los Angeles, California on August 19, 2014, at age 79, a week after suffering a heart attack. He was survived by his wife.[2][8]
^Obituary: Brian G Hutton: Director who created two great popular film classics - Kelly's Heroes and Where Eagles Dare
Bergan, Ronald. The Guardian; London (UK) [London (UK)]09 Sep 2014: 39.
^Martin, Betty (Oct 2, 1965). "Ross Gambling on Unknowns". Los Angeles Times. p. A9.
^Preview: a young director and his $9 million cliff-hanger: 'Chat' pictures 'What's that?' 'Positive' alternatives
By Roderick Nordell. The Christian Science Monitor 7 Mar 1969: 4.
^ abObituary, theguardian.co.uk; accessed August 25, 2014.
^Drive, Gene Hackman Said: Drive, Gene Hackman Said
By A. H. WEILER. New York Times 6 Feb 1972: D15.
^Hutton for 'Cat'
The Christian Science Monitor24 Nov 1972: 6.