''Sugarfoot'' is an American

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

that aired for 69 episodes on ABC from 1957-1961 on Tuesday nights on a "shared" slot basis – rotating with ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enr ...

'' (first season); ''Cheyenne'' and ''

Bronco A bucking horse is any breed or either gender of horse with a propensity to buck. They have been, and still are, referred to by various names, including bronco, broncho, and roughstock. The harder they buck, the more desirable they are for rod ...

'' (second season); and ''Bronco'' (third season). The Warner Bros. production stars Will Hutchins as Tom Brewster, an Easterner who comes to the

Oklahoma Territory The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as t ...

to become a

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solicit ...

. Brewster was a correspondence-school student whose apparent lack of

cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the '' vaqu ...

skills earned him the nickname "Sugarfoot", a designation even below that of a tenderfoot. Hutchins was the only regular on the show. In four episodes, Hutchins also plays the dual role of Abram Thomas, a.k.a. "The Canary Kid", leader of an outlaw gang who is a dead ringer for Brewster. In each of these episodes, Brewster is joined in the fight against The Canary Kid's plans by Christopher Colt—i.e., Wayde Preston crossing over from his role in the simultaneously-produced WB series '' Colt .45''. Towards the very end of the run,

Jack Elam William Scott "Jack" Elam (November 13, 1920 – October 20, 2003) was an American film and television actor best known for his numerous roles as villains in Western films and, later in his career, comedies (sometimes spoofing his villaino ...

was cast in two of the final five episodes as Brewster's occasional sidekick Toothy Thompson, but the series was cancelled shortly thereafter.

Background

''Sugarfoot'' had no relation to the 1951

Randolph Scott George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor whose career spanned the years from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of ...

Western film '' Sugarfoot'' aside from the studio owning the title (and the theme music), but its pilot episode was a remake of a 1954 Western film called '' The Boy from Oklahoma'' starring Will Rogers, Jr., as Tom Brewster. The pilot and premiere episode, "Brannigan's Boots", was so similar to ''The Boy from Oklahoma'' that Sheb Wooley and Slim Pickens reprised their roles from the film. As played by Rogers in the film, Brewster carried no gun, disliked firearms in general, and vanquished villains with his roping skills (''à la''

Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahom ...

) if friendly persuasion failed. Perhaps for practical reasons, the pilot altered the character slightly and made Brewster more like the typical Western hero—reluctant to use guns (or any other kind of violence), but able and willing to do so if necessary. That remained his stance throughout the series, and the title song mentions that Sugarfoot carries a rifle and a law book. Whenever he enters a saloon, Sugarfoot refuses liquor and orders sarsaparilla "with a dash of cherry". (Sarsaparilla is a drink similar to

root beer Root beer is a sweet North American soft drink traditionally made using the root bark of the sassafras tree '' Sassafras albidum'' or the vine of '' Smilax ornata'' (known as sarsaparilla, also used to make a soft drink, sarsaparilla) as the ...

, both of which are non-alcohol-based.) ''Sugarfoot'' was one of the earliest products of the alliance between ABC and the fledgling Warner Bros. Television Department, chaired by

William T. Orr William T. Orr (born William Ferdinand Quinn Jr.; September 27, 1917December 25, 2002) was an American actor and television producer associated with various Western and detective programs of the 1950s-1970s. In most of his Warner Bros. series, ...

. During the same period, other similar programs appeared, including ''

Maverick Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Bure ...

'', ''Cheyenne'', ''Bronco'', '' Lawman'', and '' Colt .45''. Hutchins appeared as Sugarfoot in crossover episodes of ''Cheyenne'' and ''Maverick'', and in an installment of ''Bronco'' called "The Yankee Tornado" with Peter Breck as a young

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

. Jack Kelly appeared as Bart Maverick in the ''Sugarfoot'' episode "A Price on His Head". ''Sugarfoot'' is only partly set in Oklahoma; the character seems to appear at any place in the West, though geographic place names are often missing in the scripts. He often journeys south of the border into

Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...

, and numerous episodes are rich in

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

culture, with various roles played by Mexican or Mexican-American actors.

Cast

Cast of "Brannigan's Boots"

* Will Hutchins as Tom 'Sugarfoot' Brewster *

Merry Anders Merry Anders (born Mary Helen Anderson; May 22, 1934 – October 28, 2012) was an American actress and model who appeared in a number of television programs and films from the 1950s until her retirement from the screen in 1972. Early life Ander ...

as Katie Brannigan * Louis Jean Heydt as Paul Evans *

Dennis Hopper Dennis Lee Hopper (May 17, 1936 – May 29, 2010) was an American actor, filmmaker and photographer. He attended the Actors Studio, made his first television appearance in 1954, and soon after appeared in '' Giant'' (1956). In the next ten year ...

as Billy the Kid *

Arthur Hunnicutt Arthur Lee Hunnicutt (February 17, 1910 – September 26, 1979) was an American actor known for his portrayal of wise, grizzled, and old rural characters. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in ...

as Pop Purty * Chubby Johnson as

Postmaster A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...

Wally Higgins * Slim Pickens as Shorty * Ainslie Pryor as Mayor Barney Turlock * Sheb Wooley as Pete

Cast of ''The Boy from Oklahoma'' film (1954)

* Will Rogers, Jr. as Sheriff Tom Brewster *

Nancy Olson Nancy Ann Olson (born July 14, 1928) is an American actress. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in '' Sunset Boulevard'' (1950). She co-starred with William Holden in four films, and later appeared ...

as Katie Brannigan * Lon Chaney, Jr. as Crazy Charlie * Anthony Caruso as Mayor Barney Turlock *

Wallace Ford Wallace Ford (born Samuel Grundy Jones; 12 February 1898 – 11 June 1966) was an English-born naturalized American vaudevillian, stage performer and screen actor. Usually playing wise-cracking characters, he combined a tough but friendly-fac ...

as Postmaster Wally Higgins * Clem Bevans as Pop Pruty,

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or '' puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the s ...

* Merv Griffin as Steve * Louis Jean Heydt as Paul Evans * Sheb Wooley as Pete Martin * Slim Pickens as Shorty * Tyler MacDuff as Billy the Kid * James Griffith as Joe Downey

Guest stars

Rico Alaniz Americo Zorilla "Rico" Alaniz (October 25, 1919 – March 9, 2015) was a Mexican-American actor. Early years Alaniz was born in Juárez, Mexico, and began riding when he was a child. Selected filmography * '' The Capture'' (1950) - Policema ...

Chris Alcaide John Thomas Berger (October 22, 1923 – June 30, 2004) was an American film and television actor. He mostly appeared on western television shows including, ''Gunsmoke'', ''Bonanza'', '' Rawhide'', '' Wanted: Dead or Alive'', ''Trackdown'', ...

Roscoe Ates Roscoe Blevel Ates (January 20, 1895 – March 1, 1962) was an American vaudeville performer, actor of stage and screen, comedian and musician who primarily featured in western films and television. He was best known as western character S ...

Rayford Barnes Rayford Barnes (October 23, 1920 – November 11, 2000) was an American film and TV character actor from Whitesboro, Texas. Early years Barnes was born in Dallas, Texas, and attended the University of Texas. He acted in plays at the universit ...

Fred Beir Frederick Edwin Beir (September 21, 1927 – June 3, 1980) was an American film and television actor. Born in Niagara Falls, New York, Beir began his career in 1950, appearing in the television series ''The Philco Television Playhouse''. He als ...

* Russ Bender *

Charles Bronson Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky; November 3, 1921 – August 30, 2003) was an American actor. Known for his "granite features and brawny physique," he gained international fame for his starring roles in action, Western, and wa ...

* Joe Brooks * Ahna Capri * Albert Carrier *

Ronnie Dapo Ronald L. Dapo (born May 8, 1952) is an American film and television actor. He is known for playing Flip Rose in the American sitcom television series '' Room for One More''. Life and career Dapo was born in Plattsburgh, New York. At the age ...

Janet De Gore Janet De Gore (November 19, 1930 – June 11, 2022) was an American television and theatre actress. Born in Larchmont, New York, De Gore began her career in 1950 starring as Janice in the Broadway play ''The Member of the Wedding''. De Gore a ...

* Richard Devon * Dick Elliott *

Bill Erwin William Lindsey Erwin (December 2, 1914 – December 29, 2010) was an American film, stage and television actor and cartoonist with over 250 television and film credits. A veteran character actor, he is widely known for his 1993 Emmy Award-nomi ...

* Dean Fredericks * Richard Garland *

Sean Garrison Sean Garrison (October 19, 1937 – March 2, 2018) was an American film, television and theatre actor. He played Mark Dominic in the 1966 film '' Moment to Moment''. Garrison also played The Culhane in the American western television series ''Du ...

* Don Gordon *

Kevin Hagen Kevin Hagen (April 3, 1928 – July 9, 2005) was an American actor best known for his role as Dr. Hiram Baker on NBC's ''Little House on the Prairie (TV series), Little House on the Prairie.'' Early life Hagen was born in Chicago, Illinois, t ...

* Harry Holcombe * Rodolfo Hoyos Jr. *

Clegg Hoyt Clegg Hoyt (December 10, 1910 – October 6, 1967) was an American film and television actor. He appeared in over 100 films and television programs, and was perhaps best known for his silent role as the Sportscaster's sidekick, George, in the 19 ...

* Gary Hunley * Douglas Kennedy * Jess Kirkpatrick * Nolan Leary * Dayton Lummis * Donald May * Ken Mayer *

Patrick McVey Patrick McVey (March 17, 1910 – July 6, 1973) was an American actor who starred in three television series between 1950 and 1961: ''Big Town'', '' Boots and Saddles'', and '' Manhunt''. Early life McVey was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Hi ...

* James Millhollin * Ewing Mitchell * Neyle Morrow * Jay Novello * Cathy O'Donnell * Gregg Palmer * Michael Pate * James Philbrook * John M. Pickard * Slim Pickens * Stuart Randall * Richard Reeves *

Suzanne Storrs Suzanne Storrs (April 13, 1934 – January 25, 1995), born Suzanne Storrs Poulton and later known by her married name Suzanne Pincus, was a former Miss Utah and an American television actress, who appeared in sixteen television series between 19 ...

* Kent Taylor * Kelly Thordsen *

Gary Vinson Gary Vinson (October 22, 1936 – October 15, 1984) was an American actor who appeared in significant roles in three television series of the 1960s: '' The Roaring 20s'', ''McHale's Navy'', and '' Pistols 'n' Petticoats''. Early years Vinson was ...

* John Vivyan *

Gregory Walcott Gregory Walcott (born Bernard Wasdon Mattox, January 13, 1928 – March 20, 2015) was an American television and film actor. Although he had roles in many Hollywood films and television series, he is perhaps best known for having appeared in th ...

Patrick Waltz Jack Richard Waltz (December 6, 1924 – August 13, 1972) was an American film and television actor. He was credited in his first film as Philip Shawn. Waltz was born in Akron, Ohio, the younger of two sons born to Frank and Lucy Leona (nee Dug ...

Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. Efrem Zimbalist Jr. (November 30, 1918 – May 2, 2014) was an American actor known for his starring roles in the television series '' 77 Sunset Strip'' and ''The F.B.I.'' He is also known as recurring character "Dandy Jim Buckley" in the s ...

Episodes

Season 1: 1957–58

Season 2: 1958–59

Season 3: 1959–60

Season 4: 1960–61

Background and production

After several episodes aired in the second season, a disappointed Hutchins complained in a letter to executive director William T. Orr that the scripts were written so that the lead character Sugarfoot was not particularly needed in many of the episodes. The action revolved around Sugarfoot who was often not a real party to the events. Hutchins attributed writer and director

Montgomery Pittman Montgomery Pittman (March 1, 1920 – June 26, 1962) was a television writer, director, and actor. Among his notable credits are his work writing and directing various episodes of ''The Twilight Zone'', ''Maverick'' and ''77 Sunset Strip''. ...

for saving the series for two more seasons by setting the tone for the redirection of the latter scripts. Pittman directed four episodes and wrote four others. Sugarfoot Tommy Rettig Will Hutchins 1958

Sugarfoot Tommy Rettig Will Hutchins 1958

Wayde Preston, who played Christopher Colt on the ABC western ''Colt .45'', appeared four times in that same role on ''Sugarfoot'' in the episodes dealing with "The Canary Kid," a role also played by Will Hutchins.

Reception

''Sugarfoot'' finished at #24 in the

Nielsen ratings Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...

for the 1957-1958 season and #21 for 1958-1959.

Release

Home media

Warner Bros. has released all four seasons on MOD (manufacture on demand) DVD-R's in Region 1 via their

Warner Archive Collection The Warner Archive Collection is a home video division for releasing classic and cult films from Warner Bros.' library. It started as a manufactured-on-demand (MOD) DVD series by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on March 23, 2009, with the inten ...

In popular culture

* In an episode of '' Arrested Development'' titled "

Spring Breakout The second season of the television comedy series ''Arrested Development'' aired between November 7, 2004 and April 17, 2005, on Fox in the United States. It consisted of 18 episodes, each running approximately 22 minutes in length. The second s ...

", ''Sugarfoot'' is mentioned and the theme song is presented. * The series debuted in 1958 in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

but only in the Midlands area. In 1960, it was aired nationally in the UK by the BBC,Radio Times, week commencing September 4, 1960. at which point it was renamed ''Tenderfoot'' despite the fact that it kept the theme song which refers to the character as "Sugarfoot". After 1964, the series returned to ITV, this time not just restricted to the Midlands, where it was once again billed under its original name. * The animated television series ''King of the Hill'' features a barbecue restaurant named "Sugarfoot's".

References

External links

*
Roy Huggins' Archive of American Television Interview
{{William T. Orr shows 1957 American television series debuts 1961 American television series endings American Broadcasting Company original programming Black-and-white American television shows English-language television shows Live action television shows based on films Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios 1950s Western (genre) television series 1960s Western (genre) television series Television series about lawyers Television shows set in Oklahoma