Brian Geoffrey Hutton (January 1, 1935 – August 19, 2014) was an American actor and film director whose notable credits are for the action films '' Where Eagles Dare'' (1968) and ''

Kelly's Heroes ''Kelly's Heroes'' is a 1970 World War II comedy-drama heist film, directed by Brian G. Hutton, about a motley crew of American GIs who go AWOL in order to rob a French bank, located behind German lines, of its stored Nazi gold bars. The film ...

'' (1970).

Acting career

Hutton was born in New York City and studied at the Actors Studio. 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 Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'' 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. In 1958, Hutton played a young gunfighter named The Kid in the episode "Yampa Crossing" of the western series ''

Sugarfoot ''Sugarfoot'' is an American Western television series that aired for 69 episodes on ABC from 1957-1961 on Tuesday nights on a "shared" slot basis – rotating with ''Cheyenne'' (first season); ''Cheyenne'' and ''Bronco'' (second season); and ...

''. 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.

Director

Hutton made his debut as a director in 1965 with '' Wild Seed'' starring Michael Parks. His first studio film was ''

The Pad and How to Use It ''The Pad (and How to Use It)'' is a 1966 comedy film directed by Brian G. Hutton. It was based on the one-act play ''The Private Ear'' by Peter Shaffer. Plot A sensitive man named Bob Handman ( Brian Bedford), who lives alone in his apartment, ...

'' (1966) produced by Ross Hunter, shot in 19 days. Hutton then did '' Sol Madrid'' (1967) for producer Elliot Kastner. Kastner hired Hutton to direct '' Where Eagles Dare'', from a screenplay by

Alistair MacLean Alistair Stuart MacLean ( gd, Alasdair MacGill-Eain; 21 April 1922 – 2 February 1987) was a 20th-century Scottish novelist who wrote popular thrillers and adventure stories. Many of his novels have been adapted to film, most notably '' The ...

at MGM starring

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable pe ...

and Clint Eastwood. It was a huge success.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. MGM hired Hutton to direct Clint Eastwood again in ''

''. He then directed Elizabeth Taylor in ''

Zee and Co. ''Zee and Co'' (also known as ''X Y and Zee'' and ''Zee and Company'') is a 1972 British drama film directed by Brian G. Hutton and starring Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Caine, and Susannah York. Released by Columbia Pictures, it was based upon ...

'' (1972) and '' Night Watch'' (1973).Obituary
theguardian.co.uk; accessed August 25, 2014. He was going to do ''Sleep is for the Rich'' for Kastner but it was never made. In November 1972 Martin Poll announced he would direct ''

The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing ''The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing'' is a novel written by Marilyn Durham first published in 1972. Plot The novel is set in the American West in the 1880s, but is not written in a genre style. It is the story of Jay, a man of the West, and his offbe ...

'' but he did not make the final movie.

Retirement

After '' Night Watch'' came out in 1973, Hutton stopped making films for seven years because he lost his enthusiasm for it.

Temporary return to filmmaking

He came back at the behest of Elliot Kastner who needed a director to replace

Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański , group=lower-alpha, name=note_a ( né Liebling; 18 August 1933) is a French-Polish film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, tw ...

on ''

The First Deadly Sin ''The First Deadly Sin'' is a 1980 American crime thriller film produced by and starring Frank Sinatra. The film features Faye Dunaway, David Dukes, Brenda Vaccaro, James Whitmore, and Martin Gabel in his final role. The film is based on the ...

'' (1980) with Frank Sinatra.Brian G Hutton Pendreigh, Brian. The Herald; Glasgow (UK) lasgow (UK)0 Aug 2014: 18. Hutton then made '' High Road to China'' (1983) with

Tom Selleck Thomas William Selleck (; born January 29, 1945) is an American actor. His breakout role was playing private investigator Thomas Magnum in the television series '' Magnum, P.I.'' (1980–1988), for which he received five Emmy Award nominations ...

. Hutton retired from making films altogether in the 1980s and began working in real-estate. 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.

Filmography

References

External links

*
Brian G. Hutton profile
allmovie.com; accessed August 25, 2014. 1935 births 2014 deaths American male film actors American male television actors American film directors Male actors from New York City Place of birth missing {{US-film-director-1930s-stub