Who Is Still Alive From the TV Western ‘Annie Oakley’?
Annie Oakley became internationally famous for her extraordinary sharpshooting skills and her performances with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. Her life later inspired the groundbreaking television Western Annie Oakley, starring Gail Davis. The syndicated series debuted in 1954 and produced 81 episodes over three seasons. Davis made television history as the first woman to star in a TV Western, giving young girls a capable heroine who could ride horses and outthink the outlaws.
The show’s central cast featured Davis as Annie, Brad Johnson as Deputy Sheriff Lofty Craig, and Jimmy Hawkins as Annie’s younger brother, Tagg. In honor of the real Annie Oakley’s birthday, August 13, 1860, let’s find out who is still alive from the beloved television show.
Jimmy Hawkins, 84 (Tagg Oakley)
Everett Collection; Jonathan Leibson/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Jimmy Hawkins played Tagg Oakley in almost all of the show’s episodes. Hawkins was already an experienced child actor when he joined Annie Oakley. At just around 4 years old, he played Tommy Bailey, the youngest son of George and Mary Bailey, in the 1946 holiday classic It’s a Wonderful Life. He later reunited with Donna Reed on The Donna Reed Show, playing Scotty, the boyfriend of Shelley Fabares‘ character, Mary Stone.
His other credits included The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Petticoat Junction, Leave It to Beaver, and two Elvis Presley movies, Girl Happy, and Spinout. Hawkins eventually moved behind the camera as a producer and became an author and a longtime supporter of organizations that preserve the legacies of Jimmy Stewart, Reed, and It’s a Wonderful Life.
In September 2025, Hawkins released another book about the beloved Christmas film, The Heart of It’s a Wonderful Life. According to his publisher’s biography, he appeared in more than 40 movies and hundreds of television episodes during his long career.
In Memoriam
Gail Davis (Annie Oakley) died of cancer on March 15, 1997, at the age of 71.
Brad Johnson (Deputy Sheriff Lofty Craig) died on April 4, 1981, at the age of 56. A cause of death was not widely reported.
Bob Woodward (Stagecoach Driver) died on February 7, 1972, at the age of 62.
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