PH
Paul Hurst
Actor, Director, Additional Credits
Born October 14, 1888Died February 27, 1953 (64 years)
Paul Hurst (October 15, 1888 - February 27, 1953) was an American character actor of prodigious output who also directed and wrote silent films. Much of his early work was in low budget western films. A native of central California, Hurst had a first-hand knowledge of Western lore, growing up surrounded by the multi-million acre Lux & Miller ranches which ran cattle throughout the state. Visiting San Francisco as a young man, Hurst became involved in amateur theatricals and thereafter traveled to Los Angeles to join in the emerging film industry there. He began appearing in films as early as 1912, most of them Westerns. By 1916, he was directing them as well (some sources report that he served in the First World War as a member of the French Foreign Legion, but the dates of his film projects make this story highly suspect).
In the early 1920s, Hurst wrote several scenarios for films he directed and appeared in. He proved adept at working as a director for some of the cheapest producers along Gower Gulch, where movies were normally shot on location in a week or less and where stunt men were often the highest paid folks on the set. Within a few years, he focused all of his energies into acting, notably becoming one of the few successes to emerge from Hollywood's Poverty Row. Hurst quickly became one of the more prolific and familiar characters in American movies. With his blocky build and squinty demeanor, and with a raspy voice that enhanced his memorability once sound pictures came in, Hurst played villains and cops and comedy sidekicks in more than 250 films. His most famous role was that of the deserter shot dead on the stairway of Tara by Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind (1939). Hurst was the sidekick to Monte Hale in a number of B-Westerns. Former Gower Gulch veteran John Wayne hired Hurst for Big Jim McLain (1952) knowing that Hurst was ill with terminal cancer. In 1953, at the age of 64, due to his health problems, Paul Hurst committed suicide.
Date of Death: 27 February 1953, Hollywood, California (suicide)
In the early 1920s, Hurst wrote several scenarios for films he directed and appeared in. He proved adept at working as a director for some of the cheapest producers along Gower Gulch, where movies were normally shot on location in a week or less and where stunt men were often the highest paid folks on the set. Within a few years, he focused all of his energies into acting, notably becoming one of the few successes to emerge from Hollywood's Poverty Row. Hurst quickly became one of the more prolific and familiar characters in American movies. With his blocky build and squinty demeanor, and with a raspy voice that enhanced his memorability once sound pictures came in, Hurst played villains and cops and comedy sidekicks in more than 250 films. His most famous role was that of the deserter shot dead on the stairway of Tara by Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind (1939). Hurst was the sidekick to Monte Hale in a number of B-Westerns. Former Gower Gulch veteran John Wayne hired Hurst for Big Jim McLain (1952) knowing that Hurst was ill with terminal cancer. In 1953, at the age of 64, due to his health problems, Paul Hurst committed suicide.
Date of Death: 27 February 1953, Hollywood, California (suicide)
Movies & Shows on Plex
Filmography
| 1976 | Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch · as Aging Sidekick |
| 1953 | The Sun Shines Bright · as Jimmy Bagby |
| 1952 | |
| 1952 | Big Jim McLain · as Mr. Lexiter |
| 1951 | Million Dollar Pursuit · as Ray Harvey |
| 1949 | Ranger of Cherokee Strip · as Sheriff Jug Mason |
| 1949 | Law of the Golden West · as Otis Ellis |
| 1948 | Gun Smugglers · as Sergeant Hasty Jones |
| 1948 | Yellow Sky · as Drunk (uncredited) |
| 1948 | The Arizona Ranger · as Ben Riddle |
| 1948 | Old Los Angeles · as Bartender |
| 1948 | Who Killed 'Doc' Robbin? · as Jailer |
| 1948 | Madonna of the Desert · as Pete Connors |
| 1948 | On Our Merry Way · as Sheriff |
| 1947 | Under Colorado Skies · as Lucky John Hawkins |
| 1947 | Angel and the Badman · as Frederick Carson |
| 1946 | Plainsman and the Lady · as Al |
| 1946 | Death Valley · as Sergeant Dailey |
| 1946 | In Old Sacramento · as Stagecoach Driver |
| 1946 | |
| 1946 | Murder in the Music Hall · as Hobarth |
| 1945 | Dakota · as Captain Spotts |
| 1945 | Nob Hill · as El Dorado Doorman |
| 1945 | The Dolly Sisters · as Tim Dowling |
| 1945 | Midnight Manhunt · as Murphy |
| 1945 | Scared Stiff · as Sheriff |
| 1945 | Her Lucky Night · as Maloney |
| 1945 | The Big Show-Off · as Herbert Trafagan, Aka "the Devil", A Wrestler |
| 1944 | Something for the Boys · as Defense Plant Foreman (uncredited) |
| 1944 | Girl Rush · as Muley |
| 1944 | Greenwich Village · as Milkman |
| 1944 | Barbary Coast Gent · as Jake Compton |
| 1944 | Summer Storm · as Orloff |
| 1944 | The Ghost That Walks Alone · as Sheriff Slim Carson |
| 1943 | Jack London · as 'lucky Luke' Lannigan |
| 1943 | The Sky's the Limit · as Dock Foreman (uncredited) |
| 1943 | Coney Island · as Louie |
| 1943 | December 7th · as World War I Ghost Soldier |
| 1943 | Young and Willing · as First Cop |
| 1943 | |
| 1942 | The Ox-Bow Incident · as Monty Smith |
| 1942 | Night in New Orleans · as Sergeant Casper Riordan |
| 1941 | Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring · as Page |
| 1941 | This Woman Is Mine · as Second Mate Mumford |
| 1941 | Caught in the Draft · as Sgt. Burns |
| 1941 | Virginia · as Thomas |
| 1941 | The Great Mr. Nobody · as Michael O'connor |
| 1941 | Tall, Dark and Handsome · as Biff Sage |
| 1940 | Tugboat Annie Sails Again · as Pete |
| 1940 | Spring Parade · as Headwaiter |
| 1940 | The Westerner · as Chickenfoot |
| 1940 | Men Against the Sky · as Mechanic |
| 1940 | They Drive by Night · as Pete Haig (uncredited) |
| 1940 | South to Karanga · as Slats |
| 1940 | Torrid Zone · as Daniels |
| 1940 | Edison, the Man · as Sheriff |
| 1940 | Star Dust · as Mac, Amalgamated Lab Tech |
| 1940 | Castle on the Hudson · as Guard (uncredited) |
| 1939 | Remember? · as Policeman |
| 1939 | Gone with the Wind · as Yankee Deserter |
| 1939 | Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence · as Empire State Building Guard |
| 1939 | On Your Toes · as Variety Club Bartender |
| 1939 | Bad Lands · as Curly Tom |
| 1939 | Each Dawn I Die · as Garsky |
| 1939 | It Could Happen to You · as Sandy |
| 1939 | The Kid from Kokomo · as First Old Man In Fistfight |
| 1939 | Broadway Serenade · as Reynolds, A Drunk |
| 1939 | Cafe Society · as Bartender |
| 1938 | Topper Takes a Trip · as Charlie - The Bartender |
| 1938 | Thanks for Everything · as Guard |
| 1938 | My Lucky Star · as Louie |
| 1938 | Hold That Co-ed · as Slapsy |
| 1938 | Alexander's Ragtime Band · as Bill Mulligan |
| 1938 | Prison Break · as Soapy |
| 1938 | Josette · as A. Adolphus Heyman |
| 1938 | Island in the Sky · as Happy |
| 1938 | In Old Chicago · as Mitch |
| 1938 | Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm · as Florabelle's Father |
| 1937 | Second Honeymoon · as Dennis Huggins |
| 1937 | Ali Baba Goes to Town · as Captain |
| 1937 | Danger - Love at Work · as Nyc Policeman |
| 1937 | Wife, Doctor and Nurse · as Bill |
| 1937 | Slave Ship · as Drunk |
| 1937 | You Can't Have Everything · as Truck Driver (uncredited) |
| 1937 | The Legion of Missing Men · as Muggsy |
| 1937 | Super-Sleuth · as Motorcycle Cop |
| 1937 | Wake Up and Live · as Mccabe |
| 1937 | You Can't Beat Love · as Foreman Butch Mehaffey |
| 1937 | Fifty Roads to Town · as Tom |
| 1937 | This Is My Affair · as Bowler |
| 1937 | Song of the City · as First Detective |
| 1936 | We Who Are About to Die · as Tip Fuller |
| 1936 | The Gay Desperado · as American Detective |
| 1936 | I'd Give My Life · as "sport" Conly |
| 1936 | To Mary - with Love · as Drunk |
| 1936 | Mr. Deeds Goes to Town · as 1st Deputy (uncredited) |
| 1936 | Robin Hood of El Dorado · as Wilson |
| 1936 | It Had to Happen · as Workman |
| 1935 | Riffraff · as Belcher |
| 1935 | The Gay Deception · as Bell Captain |
| 1935 | The Daring Young Man · as Prison Guard |
| 1935 | Calm Yourself · as Detective Roscoe |
| 1935 | Public Hero Number 1 · as Rufe Parker |
| 1935 | Star of Midnight · as Detective Corbett |
| 1935 | The Case of the Curious Bride · as Fibo Morgan - Florabelle's Cousin |
| 1935 | Mississippi · as Hefty |
| 1935 | Times Square Lady · as Cast |
| 1935 | Shadow of Doubt · as Lt. Sackville |
| 1935 | Carnival · as Policeman |
| 1935 | Maybe It's Love · as Expressman (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Romance in Manhattan · as Joe - Policeman |
| 1934 | Sequoia · as Bergman |
| 1934 | Tomorrow's Youth · as Detective |
| 1934 | Among the Missing · as Capt. W.f. 'big Bill' Connors |
| 1934 | Take the Stand · as Denny O'brien |
| 1934 | Midnight Alibi · as Babe The Butcher |
| 1934 | Charlie Chan's Courage · as Undetermined Role |
| 1934 | A Very Honorable Guy · as Butler |
| 1934 | Sing and Like It · as Tied Up Mug |
| 1934 | Gold Nuggets · as Cast |
| 1934 | Nana · as Nana's First Employer |
| 1933 | Queen Christina · as Swedish Soldier Betting On 6 (uncredited) |
| 1933 | The Women in His Life · as Paul, Perez's Second Bodyguard |
| 1933 | Day of Reckoning · as Harry |
| 1933 | Saturday's Millions · as Doc Maloney, Trainer |
| 1933 | Tugboat Annie · as Sam |
| 1933 | Hold Your Man · as Aubrey C. Mitchell |
| 1933 | The Sphinx · as Detective Terrence Aloysius Hogan |
| 1933 | Terror Aboard · as Boatswain |
| 1933 | Out All Night · as Henry |
| 1933 | Grand Slam · as Man Who Speaks Final Line Of The Film |
| 1932 | Island of Lost Souls · as Capt. Donahue |
| 1932 | Men Are Such Fools · as Stiles |
| 1932 | The Big Stampede · as 'arizona' Frank Bailey |
| 1932 | The Phantom President · as Sailor (uncredited) |
| 1932 | Hold 'Em Jail · as Butch |
| 1932 | The Thirteenth Guest · as Detective Grump |
| 1932 | My Pal, the King · as Red |
| 1932 | State's Attorney · as Police Captain Morgan |
| 1932 | Panama Flo · as Al |
| 1931 | The Secret Witness · as Officer Brannigan |
| 1931 | Maker of Men · as Gabby |
| 1931 | The Public Defender · as Doc |
| 1931 | Sweepstakes · as Bartender |
| 1931 | Kick In · as Detective Whip Fogarty |
| 1931 | The Secret 6 · as Nick Mizoski - The Gouger |
| 1930 | The Lottery Bride · as Lottery Agent |
| 1930 | Borrowed Wives · as Bull Morgan |
| 1930 | Paradise Island · as Beauty |
| 1930 | Hot Curves · as 'slug', Baseball Player |
| 1930 | Shadow of the Law · as Pete Shore |
| 1930 | The Runaway Bride · as Sergeant Daly |
| 1930 | Officer O'Brien · as Captain Antrim |
| 1929 | His First Command · as Sgt. Westbrook |
| 1929 | The Racketeer · as Mehaffy - Policeman |
| 1929 | Oh, Yeah? · as Railroad-Yard Superintendent |
| 1929 | Sailor's Holiday · as Jimmylegs |
| 1929 | Tide of Empire · as Poppy |
| 1928 | Lilac Time · as (uncredited) |
| 1928 | The Cossacks · as Sitchi |
| 1926 | The Roaring Road · as Checking Board Tabulator (uncredited) |
| 1923 | The Hunchback of Notre Dame · as Emeralda's Torturer (uncredited) |
| 1919 | Lightning Bryce · as Powder Solvang |
| 1914 | The Hazards of Helen · as Benton - A Foreman |
| 1914 | The District Attorney's Duty · as Bill Savage - Sibley's Henchman |
| 1913 | The Cave Men's War · as Red Axe |
| 1913 | The Fight at Grizzly Gulch · as The Medicine Man |
| 1913 | The Circle of Fate · as The Husband |
| 1913 | The Cheyenne Massacre · as Lt. Allen |
| 1913 | The California Oil Crooks · as Todd |
| 1913 | A Dangerous Wager · as Ned - Jack's Rival |