Billy Hughes

Billy Eugene Hughes, Jr. (November 28, 1948 – December 20, 2005) was an American actor best known for various television and film roles he played during the 1960s. His Hollywood lineage included both his father (Bill Hughes) and uncle (Whitey Hughes), who were both stuntmen and film producers.

Television roles Between 1960 and 1964 Hughes appeared in over a dozen television programs, beginning with Robert Taylor's Detectives, where he played the role of Bobby Marx in the episode "The Little Witness". Other TV work included The Shirley Temple Show, Leave It to Beaver, Gunsmoke, The Twilight Zone, Dr. Kildare, Wagon Train, and Lassie.

Hughes appeared in three different episodes of Gunsmoke between 1961 and '62, playing the roles of Joey Glover (in "Millie"), Timmy (in "Us Haggens"), which introduced Ken Curtis in the role of Festus, and Tommy. From 1961 to 1964 he also had three appearances on Wagon Train (playing Adam Bancroft as a Boy, Mark Basham, and Matt). Two of his three appearances on Lassie were in the role of Billy Joe (in the 1961 episodes "Cracker Jack" and "Yochim's Christmas"), while in 1964 he played Ricky Sutton in the episode "Climb the Mountain Slowly".

Hughes also appeared in three episodes of The Rifleman: "Long Gun From Tucson", "Day of Reckoning", and "Sidewinder". In "Sidewinder", he had a lead role playing 13-year-old Gridley Maule Jr., a young gunman seeking vengeance for his father's death. Filmed while he was still only thirteen years old, Hughes displayed remarkable talent at handling a Colt revolver. According to a close friend of Hughes, this was one of his favorite roles.

Television appearances Program Season Episode # Series # Air Date Title Role Notes Detectives 2 7 40 11/11/1960 "The Little Witness" Bobby Marx Credit: Billy Hughes Law and Mr. Jones 1 6 6 11/18/1960 "The Promise of Life" Paul Rice Credit: Billy Hughes Shirley Temple's Storybook 2 20 36 02/12/1961 "Onawandah" Daniel Winters Credit: Billy Hughes Lassie 7 24 243 02/26/1961 "Cracker Jack" Billy Joe Credit: Billy Hughes Law and Mr. Jones 1 22 22 03/17/1961 "Everybody Versus Timmy Drayton" Timmy Drayton Credit: Billy Hughes 87th Precinct 1 3 3 10/09/1961 "Lady Killer" Frankie Annuci Credit: Billy Hughes Wagon Train 5 4 156 10/18/1961 "The Selena Hartnell Story" Matt Credit: Billy Hughes Gunsmoke 7 9 242 11/25/1961 "Milly" Joey Glover Credit: Billy Hughes The Rifleman 4 11 121 12/18/1961 "Long Gun from Tucson" Jeffrey Waller Credit: Billy Hughes Lassie 8 15 270 12/24/1961 "Yochim's Christmas" Billy Joe Yochim Credit: Billy Hughes New Breed 1 16 16 01/16/1962 "To Sell a Human Being" unnamed Credit: Billy Hughes General Electric Theater 10 20 289 02/11/1962 "Badge of Honor" unnamed Credit: Billy Hughes Gunsmoke 7 23 256 03/10/1962 "Reprisal" Tommy Credit: Billy Hughes The Rifleman 4 28 138 04/09/1962 "Day of Reckoning" Aaron Jamison Credit: Billy Hughes General Electric Theater 10 30 299 04/29/1962 "Mister Doc" Grover Darrow Credit: Billy Hughes Dennis the Menace 3 36 106 06/17/1962 "The Club Initiation" Walter Hooper Credit: Billy Hughes Wide Country 1 8 8 11/08/1962 "A Devil in the Chute" Jay (as a boy) Credit: Billy Hughes Leave It to Beaver 6 11 206 12/06/1962 "Beaver, the Sheep Dog" Chuck Credit: Billy Hughes Gunsmoke 8 13 280 12/08/1962 "Us Haggens" Timmy Credit: Billy Hughes The Rifleman 5 16 158 01/21/1963 "The Sidewinder" Gridley Maule, Jr. Credit: Billy Hughes, Jr. Laramie 4 19 111 02/12/1963 "The Fugitives" Adam Tolliver Credit: Billy Hughes Dr. Kildare 2 20 53 02/21/1963 "A Trip to Niagara" David Jonah Credit: Billy Hughes Twilight Zone 4 15 117 04/18/1963 "The Incredible World of Horace Ford" Kid Credit: (uncredited) Our Man Higgins 1 30 30 04/24/1963 "Delinquent for a Day" Eddie Credit: Billy Hughes Wagon Train 7 9 235 11/11/1963 "The Eli Bancroft Story" Matt Credit: Billy Hughes 77 Sunset Strip 6 9 195 11/15/1963 "By His Own Verdict" Terry Nilson Credit: Billy Hughes Arrest and Trial 1 6 6 10/20/1963 "A Flame in the Dark" Steve Hockinger Credit: Billy E. Hughes Wagon Train 7 22 248 02/17/1964 "The Melanie Craig Story" Mark Basham Credit: Billy Hughes Lassie 11 5 357 10/04/1964 "Climb the Mountain Slowly" Ricky Sutton Credit: Billy Hughes

Filmography Ole Rex (1961) - The runaway boy Posse from Hell (1961) - Jackie Hutchins (uncredited role) Stakeout! (1962) - Joey Dasco, Jr. My Six Loves (1963) - Leo Smoke in the Wind (1975) - Till Mondier (as Billy Hughes, Jr.)

Billy Hughes also had an uncredited stunt role in the 1969 film The Wild Bunch. He is sometimes mistakenly credited with a role in Gone with the West (1975) but this was likely a token appearance by his father Billy Hughes Sr.