Arthur Hunnicutt

Arthur Lee Hunnicutt (February 17, 1910 – September 26, 1979) was an American actor known for his portrayal of old, wise, grizzled rural characters. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Big Sky. He was also known for his role in the Western television series Sugarfoot (1957–1961).

Early life On February 17, 1910, Hunnicutt was born in Gravelly, Arkansas. He attended the University of Central Arkansas and Arkansas State Teachers College, but dropped out when he ran out of money.

Career Hunnicutt gained early acting experience in stock theatre and entertained in traveling shows. An article in the September 22, 1940, issue of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, "There isn't a decent-sized medicine show traveling through Kentucky, Illinois, Georgia, Indiana, or Mississippi, nor a stock company touring those states, which hasn't had the name of Arthur Hunnicutt on its programs." While touring as the lead actor in Tobacco Road, he developed the country character for which he would later be typecast throughout his career. Hunnicutt often found himself cast as a character much older than himself. He appeared in a number of films in the early 1940s, then returned to the stage. In 1949, he returned to Hollywood and resumed his film career. He played a long string of supporting roles—sympathetic, wise, rural types, as in The Red Badge of Courage (1951), The Lusty Men (1952),The Kettles in the Ozarks (1955), The Last Command (1955, as Davy Crockett), The Tall T (1957), Cat Ballou (1965, as Butch Cassidy), El Dorado (1966), and The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin.

In 1952, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the Howard Hawks film The Big Sky.

Throughout the 1950s, '60s, and '70s, Hunnicutt made nearly 40 guest appearances on American television programs. He made two memorable appearances on Perry Mason; in 1963, he played orange grower Amos Kennesaw Mountain Keller in "The Case of the Golden Oranges" and prospector Sandy Bowen in "The Case of the Drowsy Mosquito". He also made guest appearances on Bonanza, Cheyenne, Gunsmoke, The Outer Limits, The Rifleman, Wanted: Dead or Alive, The Andy Griffith Show, My Three Sons, The Wild Wild West, Adam-12, and The Twilight Zone. In Moonrunners (1975), one of his later movies and the precursor to The Dukes of Hazzard, he played the original Uncle Jesse.

In his later years, Hunnicutt served as honorary mayor of Northridge, California. He developed tongue cancer.

Death On September 27, 1979, Hunnicutt died of cancer at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital at age 69. He was buried in the Coop Prairie Cemetery in Mansfield, Arkansas.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes 1942 Wildcat 'Watchfob' Jones 1942 Riding Through Nevada Arkansas 1942 Silver Queen Newspaper Publisher Brett 1942 Fall In Luke Hatfield 1942 Pardon My Gun Arkansas 1943 The Fighting Buckaroo Arkansas 1943 Law of the Northwest Arkansas 1943 Frontier Fury Arkansas 1943 Robin Hood of the Range Arkansas 1943 Johnny Come Lately Second Tramp 1943 Hail to the Rangers Arkansas 1943 The Chance of a Lifetime Elwood 'Tex' Stewart uncredited 1944 Riding West Prof. Arkansas Higgins 1944 Abroad with Two Yanks Arkie 1945 Murder, He Says Townsman uncredited 1949 Lust for Gold Ludi uncredited 1949 The Great Dan Patch Chet Williams 1949 Pinky Police Chief Anderson uncredited 1949 Border Incident Clayton Nordell 1950 Stars in My Crown Chloroform Wiggins 1950 A Ticket To Tomahawk Sad Eyes 1950 Broken Arrow Milt Duffield, Mail Superintendent 1950 The Furies Cowhand uncredited 1950 Two Flags West Sgt. Pickens 1951 Sugarfoot Fly-Up-the-Creek Jones 1951 Passage West Pop Brennan 1951 The Red Badge of Courage Bill Porter 1951 Distant Drums Monk 1952 She Couldn't Say No Odie Chalmers 1952 The Big Sky Zeb Calloway / Narrator Academy Award nominee, Best Supporting Actor 1952 The Lusty Men Booker Davis 1953 Split Second Asa Tremaine 1953 Devil's Canyon Frank Taggert 1953 The French Line 'Waco' Mosby 1954 Beautiful but Dangerous Otey 1955 The Last Command Davy Crockett 1956 The Kettles in the Ozarks Sedgewick Kettle 1956 Cheyenne Hoot Hollister episode: "Death Deals the Hand" 1957 The Tall T Ed Rintoon 1958 Born Reckless Cool Man 1959–1969 Bonanza Paiute Scroggs / Obie / Salty Hubbard 4 episodes 1960 The Rifleman Nathaniel Cameron episode: "The Grasshopper" 1960 The Andy Griffith Show Jedediah Wakefield episode: "A Feud Is a Feud" 1961 My Three Sons George, The Pony Ride Cowboy episode: "The Horseless Saddle" 1961 Laramie Earl Droody episode: "Wolf Cub" 1961 The Donna Reed Show Old Man episode: "One of Those Days" 1962 The Twilight Zone Hyder Simpson episode: "The Hunt" 1963 The Cardinal Sheriff Dubrow 1963 Perry Mason Amos Kenesaw Mountain Keller episode: "The Case of the Golden Oranges" 1963 Perry Mason Sandy Bowen episode: "The Case of the Drowsy Mosquito" 1964 A Tiger Walks Frank Lewis 1964 The Outer Limits Lamont episode: "Cry of Silence" 1965 Wagon Train Deets episode: "The Jarbo Pierce Story" 1965 Cat Ballou Butch Cassidy 1965 Apache Uprising Bill Gibson 1966 El Dorado Bull Harris 1967 The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin The Refereeing 1967 The Wild Wild West Doc Gavin episode: "The Night of the Colonel's Ghost" 1971 The Million Dollar Duck Mr. Purdham 1971 Shoot Out Homer Page (rancher) 1972 The Revengers Free State 1974 Mrs. Sundance Walt Putney 1974 Harry and Tonto Wade Carlton 1974 The Spikes Gang Kid White (aka Billy Blanco) 1975 Moonrunners Uncle Jesse 1975 Winterhawk McClusky