Billy Hughes (November 28, 1948 â€" December 20, 2005) (Billy Eugene
Hughes, Jr.) 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 stunt men and film producers. While in Alma, Arkansas in
2005, he apparently died in his sleep.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, 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.
Hughes, Jr.) 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 stunt men and film producers. While in Alma, Arkansas in
2005, he apparently died in his sleep.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, 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.
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