Search the Western Clippings Site

An Interview With…
        - Archives

Will "Sugarfoot" Hutchins
    - July 2023
    - April 2023
    - January 2023
    - October 2021
    - January 2021
    - November 2020
    - June 2020
    - April 2020
    - December 2019
    - November 2019
    - September 2019
    - August 2019
    - July 2019
    - May 2019
    - March 2019
    - September 2018
    - August 2018
    - March 2018
    - February 2018
    - January 2018
    - September 2017
    - August 2017
    - July 2017
    - May 2017
    - April 2017
    - January 2017
    - December 2016
    - October 2016
    - September 2016
    - August 2016
    - July 2016
    - May 2016
    - March 2016
    - February 2016
    - January 2016
    - December 2015
    - November 2015
    - September 2015
    - August 2015
    - July 2015
    - May 2015
    - April 2015
    - March 2015
    - February 2015
    - January 2015
    - December 2014
    - November 2014
    - October 2014
    - September 2014
    - August 2014
    - July 2014
    - May 2014
    - April 2014
    - March 2014
    - February 2014
    - January 2014
    - December 2013
    - November 2013
    - October 2013
    - September 2013
    - August 2013
    - July 2013
    - June 2013
    - May 2013
    - April 2013
    - March 2013
    - February 2013
    - January 2013
    - December 2012
    - November 2012
    - October 2012
    - September 2012
    - August 2012
    - July 2012
    - June 2012
    - May 2012
    - April 2012
    - March 2012
    - February 2012
    - January 2012
    - December 2011
    - November 2011
    - October 2011
    - August 2011
    - July 2011
    - June 2011
    - May 2011
    - April 2011
    - March 2011
    - February 2011
    - January 2011
    - December 2010
    - November 2010
    - October 2010
    - September 2010
    - August 2010
    - July 2010
    - June 2010
    - May 2010
    - April 2010
    - March 2010
    - February 2010
    - January 2010
    - November 2009
    - October 2009
    - September 2009
    - August 2009
    - July 2009
    - June 2009
    - May 2009
    - April 2009
    - March 2009
    - February 2009
    - January 2009
    - December 2008
    - November 2008
    - September 2008
    - August 2008
    - June 2008
    - April 2008
    - March 2008
    - February 2008

Do You Remember?
    - Archives

Comic Book Cowboys
    - Archives

Westerns of...
    - Archives

Heavies and Characters
      - Archives

The Stuntmen - Neil Summers
    - Archives

Western Treasures
    - Archives

Circus Cowboys
    - Archives

Radio Range Riders
    - Archives

Rangeland Elegance
    - Archives

Western Artifacts
    - Archives

Film Festival Fotos
    - Archives

Silent Western Reviews
    - Archives

Serial Report
    - Archives

Subscribe to Western Clippings

COLLECTIBLES FOR SALE:

Western Clippings Back Issues

Daily Comic Strips
    - Page 1 (1910-1949)
    - Page 2 (1950-1979)

Sunday Comic Strips
    - 1907-1990

Books

Miscellaneous Collectibles

Autographs

Lobby Cards

Movie Posters

Home

SEPTEMBER 2016

Howdy Foks! When Rick Smith’s store in Glen Cove, NY, isn’t too crowded with pianos and antiques, he makes room for his slew of buddies to come watch classic flicks and short subjects, including Betty Boop. She was hot! On my birthday one night he pulled a fast one. He screened a “Gunsmoke” I’d worked on in the ‘60s, “Blind Man’s Bluff”. I’d never seen it. The director told me it might turn into a recurring role. That’s all he told me. I played it straight. Later, my agent bawled me out for not hokin’ it up. They were looking for a replacement for Chester Goode. Reckon ol’ Ken Curtis was better than Goode as Festus Haggen. It was a fun shoot. Jim Arness would gather us in a circle before a scene and cut-out all the fat. I liked that. Less lines to learn. We’d rehearse. Jim would josh around, reading his lines like the mustachioed villain in a footlight mellerdrama of yore. I liked that. Made it fresh, when the camera rolled. If I were a director, I’d shoot the rehearsal. Sometimes, it’s better than the take. I was ok, I guess. No one walked out. No one snored. I felt sorry for Big Jim’s horse. Maybe the punch-out scene looked ok on TV, on Rick’s big screen The Pow! Sock! Ouch! sound effects failed to disguise the wide-open spaces ‘twixt fists ‘n’ faces. Where was Neil Summers when we needed him? This October, at the final meeting of “Friends of Old-Time Radio” in Newark, NJ, I’ll work in a re-creation of “Gunsmoke”.

Cindy Peery of Toano, VA, is one grand gal, by gar. One June, she invited me down to her Shangri-La to help celebrate Roy Rogers’ centennial. She’s been showing westerns for her posse of pals for over 25 years! That’s right, and they Pow Wow three times a year! Wonderful horsepitality.

So, I amscrayed on Amtrack. Have you ever ridden a train smack dab down the middle of a town’s Main Street? That was my e-ride in Ashland, VA. Wheee! Folks out on the street paid us no never mind.

That night, we watched Ray Milland in “A Man Alone”, directed by one R. Milland. Next morning, breakfast in a Greek Pancake house. Best grits I ever ate. Not instant grits. True grits. We were treated to Roy Rogers in “Days of Jesse James” with Don “Red” Barry in the title role, “The Far Frontier”, a “Happy Trails” episode of Lee Majors’ “The Fall Guy” with The Sons of the Pioneers and Cindy tossed in a couple of “Range Rider”s. That Jocko Mahoney defied gravity. So did Peter Pan, but he used wires. Sweetie Pie Cindy included a couple of “Sugarfeet” with Jack Elam as Toothy Thompson. Terrific scripts by Warren Douglas. It was unanimous: Elam shoulda won an Emmy for ol’ Toothy.

The 17 year cicadas picked one night to come out of the ground and the boys serenaded us. I yelled to the gal cicadas, “Succumb already, so we can get some sleep!” Ray Smith cooked bar-b-q, led us in prayer, Mc’d, and read us his cowboy poetry. 15 year old, self-taught banjo player Michael Burnett strummed, and we hummed. Michael me lad, you show a lotta pluck. Cindy’s house is a wonder, partly a museum of hundreds of western movies. I’d love to be snowbound there. Her property is like a beautiful dream. I asked her the name of her land. Ours is Limberlost. She hadn’t named it. I suggested Rancho Costalotta.

       —Adios