Paul Hurst
Biography
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)
Known For
Acting
1943
asMonty Smith
1939
asYankee Deserter
1932
asCapt. Donahue
1930
asBeauty
1947
asFrederick Carson
1945
asCookie
1926
asChecking Board Tabulator (uncredited)
1941
asSlats O'Dell
1937
asTiger Malone
1931
asNick Mizoski - the Gouger
1912
asBad Bill - a Desperado
1945
asSheriff
1917
asSteve Arnold (as Paul C. Hurst)
1917
asBenton - a Foreman
1915
asBlair / Thompson / Michaels / Snake Henely / Mike Donegal / Bat Dorgan / Kelly / Dalton / Blake
1916
as
1943
asArchie Billings
1940
asChickenfoot
1938
asBill Mulligan
1952
as
1951
asRay Harvey
1938
asFlorabelle's Father
1932
as'Arizona' Frank Bailey
1941
asPage
1923
asEmeralda's Torturer (uncredited)
1944
asOrloff
1933
asDetective Terrence Aloysius Hogan
1938
asCharlie - the Bartender
1935
asBell Captain
1916
asMurray Sinclair
1937
asSgt. Murphy
1941
asBiff Sage
1914
asCaptain Lanning - Osborn's Rival
1932
asDetective Grump
1931
asPaul Hurst
1914
asDaniels
1938
asMitch
1929
asMehaffy - Policeman
1943
asWorld War I Ghost Soldier
1918
asIke Bray
1915
asHowie - Stingaree's Partner
1917
asHowie
1933
asBoatswain
1937
asCaptain
1941
asSgt. Burns
1953
asJimmy Bagby
1915
asChief Dispatcher
1914
asBenton, the Foreman
1935
asBergman
1916
asMurray Sinclair
1916
asBlatchley Turrentine
1916
asPaul - the Brains of the I.D.B.
1942
asSergeant Casper Riordan
1939
asReynolds, a Drunk
1930
asMugsy
1937
asNYC policeman
1938
asHappy
1939
asSandy
1930
asBull Morgan
1949
asSheriff Jug Mason
1931
asMexican Bandit
1937
asDennis Huggins
1934
asBabe the Butcher
1936
as"Sport" Conly
1928
asSitchi
1943
asEd the bartender
1931
asBartender
1930
as'Slug', Baseball Player
1935
asLt. Sackville
1938
asArlington Bysshe 'Slice' Cavanaugh
1945
asHerbert Trafagan, aka "The Devil", a wrestler
1940
asPete
1939
asPoliceman
1939
asCurly Tom
1946
asAl
1937
asMuggsy
1937
asMcCabe
1944
asMuley
1941
asThomas
1938
asSoapy
1938
asSlapsy
1943
asDock Foreman (uncredited)
1944
asDefense Plant Foreman (uncredited)
1930
asSergeant Daly
1938
asLouie
1930
asCaptain Antrim
1932
asPolice Captain Morgan
1927
as'Swig' Moran
1931
asSlug
1929
asRowdy Ryan
1932
asStiles
1927
asSergeant Murphy
1929
asRamirez
1930
asPete Brierson
1930
asLem Harland
1913
asRed Axe
1937
asCop
1937
asMaloney
1932
asRed
1929
asPoppy
1930
asPete Shore
1937
asDrunk
1938
asA. Adolphus Heyman
1919
asPowder Solvang
1935
asRufe Parker
1915
asA Trainman
1929
asJimmylegs
1937
asTip Fuller
1926
as
1937
asTruck Driver (uncredited)
1936
asWilson
1934
asButler
1939
asBartender
1928
as(uncredited)
1931
asOfficer Brannigan
1948
asJailer
1946
as
1934
asDetective
1931
asDoc
1935
asExpressman (uncredited)
1939
asVariety Club Bartender
1939
asGarsky
1939
asEmpire State Building Guard
1934
asDenny O'Brien
1942
asTwo-Gun
1949
asSheriff Hank Hartley
1939
asChuck Brenner
1949
asHuck Homer
1940
asHeadwaiter
1927
asRandeau
1949
asHappy Daniels
1932
asSailor (uncredited)
1934
asCapt. W.F. 'Big Bill' Connors
1948
asBen Riddle
1933
asSam
1929
asRailroad-Yard Superintendent
1932
asButch
1941
asMichael O'Connor
1935
asPrison Guard
1949
asAndy Weems
1915
asBart - Jardine's Servant
1936
as1st Deputy (uncredited)
1945
asCaptain Spotts
1940
asSheriff
1937
asForeman Butch Mehaffey
1946
asSergeant Dailey
1948
asPete Connors
1943
asLouie
1931
asGabby
1936
asCarlson
1938
asSergeant
1941
asJake Waldren
1948
asEli Walker
1938
asAsst. Dist. Atty. Springer
1948
asSergeant Hasty Jones
1937
asBowler
1946
asStagecoach Driver
1945
asMurphy
1948
asChuck Waggoner
1918
asStevens
1933
asSwedish Soldier Betting on 6 (uncredited)
1936
asDrunk
1937
asBill
1940
asGuard (uncredited)
1940
asPete Haig (uncredited)
1940
asDaniels
1932
asAl
1950
asJohn X. Finn
1950
asSkipper Horton
1941
asSecond Mate Mumford
1942
asBroderick
1952
asMr. Lexiter
1931
asDetective Whip Fogarty
1940
as
1947
asLucky John Hawkins
1935
asPoliceman
1950
asWaldorf Worthington
1949
asOtis Ellis
1949
asDoc Meadowlark
1936
asAmerican Detective
1948
asDrunk (uncredited)
1944
asJake Compton
1933
asDoc Maloney, Trainer
1948
asWhit Galtry
1937
asMotorcycle Cop
1937
asTom
1940
asMac, Amalgamated Lab Tech
1933
asHarry
1946
asHobarth
1934
asSkipper O'Neal
1933
asPaul, Perez's Second Bodyguard
1933
asMan Who Speaks Final Line of the Film
1927
asMcDonald
1942
asFeets
1926
as
1944
asSheriff Slim Carson
1936
asInspector Killian
1940
asSlats
1927
asSlugger McGlue
1916
asRoger Oakley (as Paul C. Hurst)
1930
as'Beauty' Johnson
1939
asSheriff
1935
asHefty
1929
asSgt. Westbrook
1936
asBelcher
1934
asEscaped Felon
1934
asUndetermined Role
1935
asDetective Roscoe
1933
asAubrey C. Mitchell (uncredited)
Production
1915
asCrew
Directing
1917
as1915
as1918
as
1918
as
1924
as
1925
as1916
as1923
as
1926
as
1921
as1926
as1919
as
1924
as1926
as
1925
as1922
as
1922
as
1922
as
1921
as
1922
as
1924
as1925
as
1926
as
1919
as1927
as1926
as1925
as1926
as1917
as
