Brian Geoffrey Hutton (May 2, 1935[1] – August 19, 2014) was an American film director and actor. As a filmmaker, he was best known for directing the World War II action films Where Eagles Dare (1968) and Kelly's Heroes (1970).[2]
Brian G. Hutton | |
|---|---|
| Born | Brian Geoffrey Hutton May 2, 1935 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | August 19, 2014 (aged 79) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Actors Studio |
| Occupations | Film director, actor |
| Years active | 1954–83 |
Early life and acting career
editHutton was born in New York City, and studied at the Actors Studio.[1] He was discovered by film producer Hal B. Wallis, who first brought him to Hollywood in the mid-1950s.[3]
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.[3]
In 1958, Hutton played a young gunfighter named The Kid in the episode "Yampa Crossing" of the western series Sugarfoot. The following year, he portrayed a remorseful defendant on trial for causing a traffic death in Alfred Hitchcock Presents (the episode "Your Witness"). Hutton played twins in an episode of Have Gun Will Travel as Adam and Sam M.[citation needed]
Hutton also taught acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse,[4] where he staged a production of The Connection that starred Robert Blake and was produced by Albert S. Ruddy.[3]
Director
editHutton made his debut as a director in 1965 with Wild Seed, a low-budget drama starring Michael Parks and Celia Kaye.[2] His first studio film was The Pad and How to Use It (1966), produced by Ross Hunter, shot in 19 days.[5]
Hutton then did Sol Madrid (1967) for producer Elliot Kastner. Kastner hired Hutton to direct Where Eagles Dare, from a screenplay by Alistair MacLean at MGM starring Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood. It was a huge success.[6]
MGM hired Hutton to direct Clint Eastwood again in Kelly's Heroes.[1]
He then directed Elizabeth Taylor in X Y & Zee (1972) and Night Watch (1973).[2] He was going to do Sleep is for the Rich for Kastner but it was never made.[7] In November 1972 Martin Poll announced he would direct The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing but he did not make the final movie.[8]
Retirement
editAfter Night Watch came out in 1973, Hutton stopped making films for seven years because he lost his enthusiasm for it.[9]
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.[9]
— Brian G. Hutton
Temporary return to filmmaking
editHe came back at the behest of Elliot Kastner who needed a director to replace Roman Polanski on The First Deadly Sin (1980) with Frank Sinatra.[10] Hutton then made High Road to China (1983), this time replacing Sidney J. Furie, with Tom Selleck.[11]
Hutton retired from making films altogether 1980s by the end of the decade, and worked in real-estate.[1]
Death
editAppraisal
editErin Free of FilmInk included Hutton in the publication's "Unsung Auteur" series, writing "Though not as driven to the task as most successful directors, Brian G. Hutton nevertheless helmed a number of excellent features, most notably a truly cracking Clint Eastwood double-shot with 1968’s Where Eagles Dare and 1970’s Kelly’s Heroes (....) Hutton imbued his films with something a little extra in terms of attitude and originality."[11]
Filmography
editDirector
edit| Year | Title | Starring cast | Studio/Distributor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Wild Seed | Michael Parks, Celia Kaye | Universal Pictures |
| 1966 | The Pad and How to Use It | Brian Bedford, Julie Sommars, James Farentino | |
| 1968 | Sol Madrid | David McCallum, Stella Stevens, Telly Savalas | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Where Eagles Dare | Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood, Mary Ure | ||
| 1970 | Kelly's Heroes | Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Don Rickles | |
| 1972 | X Y & Zee | Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Caine, Susannah York | Columbia Pictures |
| 1973 | Night Watch | Elizabeth Taylor, Laurence Harvey, Billie Whitelaw | Avco Embassy Pictures |
| 1980 | The First Deadly Sin | Frank Sinatra, Faye Dunaway, James Whitmore | Filmways Pictures |
| 1983 | High Road to China | Tom Selleck, Bess Armstrong, Jack Weston | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Actor
editFilm
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Good Morning, Miss Dove | Student | Uncredited |
| 1957 | Fear Strikes Out | Bernie Sherwill | |
| Gunfight at the O.K. Corral | Rick | ||
| Carnival Rock | Stanley | ||
| 1958 | The Case Against Brooklyn | Jess Johnson | |
| King Creole | Sal | ||
| 1959 | Last Train from Gun Hill | Lee Smithers | |
| The Big Fisherman | John | ||
| 1962 | Geronimo | Indian Scout | Uncredited |
| The Interns | Dr. Joe Parelli |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Gunsmoke | Joe Trimble | Episode: "Custer" |
| 1957 | Official Detective | Branton | Episode: "The Wristwatch" |
| Perry Mason | Rod Gleason | Episode: "The Case of the Sulky Girl" | |
| 1958 | The Walter Winchell File | Jerry Milner | Episode: "The Bargain" |
| 1959, 1962 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Kenneth Jerome, Mitch | Episodes: "Your Witness", "The Big Kick" |
| 1961 | Rawhide | Chandler | Episode: "Incident on the Road Back" |
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 Anthony (August 25, 2014). "Obituary". The Times. London.
- 1 2 3 4 Bergan, Ronald (2014-08-24). "Brian G Hutton obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-04-23.
- 1 2 3 4 "Brian G. Hutton, Director of 'Kelly's Heroes' and 'Where Eagles Dare', Dies at 79". Hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 2014-08-20.
- ↑ "Brian G. Hutton 1935 – 2014". Empire. 2014-08-22. Retrieved 2026-04-20.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- 1 2 "Brian G Hutton. Film Director. January 1, 1935 - August 19, 2014. Aged 79". Daily Express. 30 August 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
- ↑ Brian G Hutton Pendreigh, Brian. The Herald; Glasgow (UK) [Glasgow (UK)]30 Aug 2014: 18.
- 1 2 Nash, Cara (2024-07-24). "Unsung Auteurs: Brian G. Hutton". FilmInk. Retrieved 2026-04-20.
External links
edit- Brian G. Hutton at IMDb
- Brian G. Hutton profile, allmovie.com; accessed August 25, 2014.