Dana James Hutton (May 31, 1934 – June 2, 1979), usually credited as Jim Hutton, was an American actor in television and the movies.
Born in Binghamton, New York, Jim Hutton was performing in live theatre in Germany while with the United States Army when he was spotted by American film director Douglas Sirk. In Hollywood, he gained recognition with teen audiences for his role in the 1960 college student film Where the Boys Are, where he appeared with Paula Prentiss, an actress he would be teamed with in several of his early films, in part because they were the tallest contract players of their time (Hutton at 6'5" and Prentiss at 5'10"). He appeared with Prentiss in The Honeymoon Machine late in 1960, followed by 1961's Bachelor in Paradise starring Bob Hope and Lana Turner, and finally The Horizontal Lieutenant in 1962. In 1966, Hutton gained a wider audience in Walk, Don't Run, Cary Grant's last film. Due to his tall, gangly frame and the absent minded quality of his delivery, he was viewed as a successor to James Stewart.
In addition to being a gifted comedic actor, Hutton also took on dramatic roles such as Sam Peckinpah's 1965 western Major Dundee. In 1968 Hutton appeared in the John Wayne acted/directed war drama, The Green Berets, wherein Hutton played "The Scrounger". Also in 1968 Hutton appeared with John Wayne in Hellfighters playing the role of Greg Parker. The movie was loosely based on the career of oil-well firefighter Red Adair.
In the early 1970s Hutton began working almost exclusively in television and played the title role of Ellery Queen in the 1975 made-for-television movie that led to the 1975-76 television series Ellery Queen. Hutton's co-star was David Wayne who portrayed his widowed father. In the series (set in 1947), Hutton portrayed an amateur crime solver who worked on murder cases and tried to find out "whodunit."
On June 2, 1979, Jim Hutton died in Los Angeles, California from liver cancer, only 2 days after his 45th birthday.
His son, actor Timothy Hutton, dedicated his 1981 Academy Award to his late father.
