SUGARFOOT was a Western series that lasted four seasons, from 1957-1961, but produced only 69 episodes due to its alternating timeslot with two to three other Westerns, among them CHEYENNE and MAVERICK. Will Hutchins played the title character, described as an 'aw shucks' Jimmy Stewart type, which is fairly accurate. Tom Brewster is a law graduate out west, much like the Jimmy Stewart character Ransom Stoddard in "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," and just about as useless with a gun, although he does carry one in his saddlebag. Replacing the owner of an Arapaho trading post killed by an arrow, Tom Brewster is warned away by a little 'devil doll' planted in his saddlebag, an ill omen that terrifies the Arapahos. Tol Avery plays Jim Case, owner of a rival trading post, who sends his drunken cohort, Mathew McDavitt (John Carradine), around to spy on his competition, since Brewster finds the post occupied by a young Arapaho maiden, Monah (Grace Raynor), and her two companions, Grey Hawk (H. M. Wynant) and Charlie Falling Horse (Western veteran Charles Stevens). Little is made of the evil idol, and Monah's endless cooing with Brewster quickly grows tiresome, but it's still a fine example of this unusual TV Western hero. John Carradine again proves to be his usual scene stealing self, confiscating several bottles of liquor, or rather cough syrup, adding to his growing tab, like a frontier version of CHEERS' Norm Peterson. In an interesting bit of casting, Carradine is joined by H. M. Wynant, his future co-star on the memorable TWILIGHT ZONE episode "The Howling Man," from November 4 1960, presenting a mortal depiction of the Devil (Robin Hughes), while this Western entry, from December 23 1958, strangely foreshadows that story with a 'devil doll' meant to ward off intruders, and a sequence showing the frightened Indians worshipping it. In 1967, both actors shared the small screen yet again in "The Prince of Darkness Affair," a 2 part episode of THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.
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