Birth Day: 1888-10-14
Place of birth: Traver, California, USA
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)
Credits
-
As Jimmy Bagby -
As Mr. Lexiter -
-
As Ray Harvey -
As Skipper Horton -
As Waldorf Worthington -
As John X. Finn -
As Sheriff Hank Hartley -
As Andy Weems -
As Huck Homer -
As Happy Daniels -
As Sheriff Jug Mason -
As Otis Ellis -
As Doc Meadowlark -
As Sergeant Hasty Jones -
As Ben Riddle -
As Whit Galtry -
As Chuck Waggoner -
As Pete Connors -
As Jailer -
As Eli Walker -
As Drunk (uncredited) -
As Lucky John Hawkins -
As Frederick Carson -
-
As Sergeant Dailey -
As Stagecoach Driver -
As Hobarth -
As Al -
As Murphy -
As Cookie -
As Sheriff -
As Captain Spotts -
As Herbert Trafagan, aka "The Devil", a wrestler -
As Orloff -
As Defense Plant Foreman (uncredited) -
As Jake Compton -
As Sheriff Slim Carson -
As Muley -
As Ed the bartender -
As World War I Ghost Soldier -
As Dock Foreman (uncredited) -
As Archie Billings -
As Louie -
As Monty Smith -
As Broderick -
As Sergeant Casper Riordan -
As Feets -
As Two-Gun -
As Michael O'Connor -
As Jake Waldren -
As Thomas -
As Sgt. Burns -
As Slats O'Dell -
As Page -
As Second Mate Mumford -
As Biff Sage -
-
As Headwaiter -
As Slats -
As Pete -
As Mac, Amalgamated Lab Tech -
As Chickenfoot -
As Daniels -
As Sheriff -
As Pete Haig (uncredited) -
As Guard (uncredited) -
As Reynolds, a Drunk -
As Garsky -
As Bartender -
As Yankee Deserter -
As Sandy -
As Policeman -
As Curly Tom -
As Chuck Brenner -
As Empire State Building Guard -
As Sheriff -
As Variety Club Bartender -
As Louie -
As A. Adolphus Heyman -
As Slapsy -
As Bill Mulligan -
As Arlington Bysshe 'Slice' Cavanaugh -
As Happy -
As Sergeant -
As Asst. Dist. Atty. Springer -
As Soapy -
As Mitch -
As Charlie - the Bartender -
As Mug -
As Tom -
As Truck Driver (uncredited) -
As Bill -
As Motorcycle Cop -
As Drunk -
As Foreman Butch Mehaffey -
As Bowler -
As Tip Fuller -
As Dennis Huggins -
As Sgt. Murphy -
As Tiger Malone -
As Captain -
As Muggsy -
As McCabe -
As NYC policeman -
As Cop -
As Maloney
-
As Drunk -
As Inspector Killian -
As Belcher -
As Wilson -
As "Sport" Conly
-
As 1st Deputy (uncredited) -
As American Detective -
As Carlson -
As Prison Guard -
As Lt. Sackville -
As Hefty -
As Detective Roscoe -
As Jules
-
As Expressman (uncredited) -
As Rufe Parker -
As Policeman -
As Bell Captain -
As Fibo Morgan (uncredited) -
As Bergman -
As Detective Sgt. Doyle -
As Babe the Butcher -
As Undetermined Role -
As Capt. W.F. 'Big Bill' Connors -
As Escaped Felon -
As Swedish Soldier Betting on 6 (uncredited) -
As Skipper O'Neal -
As Butler -
As Detective -
As Denny O'Brien -
As Sam -
As Paul, Perez's Second Bodyguard -
As Detective Terrence Aloysius Hogan -
As Aubrey C. Mitchell (uncredited) -
As Boatswain -
As Doc Maloney, Trainer -
As Man Who Speaks Final Line of the Film -
As Harry -
As Al -
As Detective Grump -
As Capt. Donahue -
As 'Arizona' Frank Bailey -
As Red -
As Stiles -
As Sailor (uncredited) -
As Police Captain Morgan -
As Butch -
As Nick Mizoski - the Gouger -
As Officer Brannigan -
As Doc -
As Detective Whip Fogarty -
As Paul Hurst -
As Slug -
As Gabby -
As Bartender -
As Mexican Bandit -
As Pete Brierson -
As Sergeant Daly -
As Captain Antrim -
As 'Slug', Baseball Player -
As Pete Shore -
As Mugsy -
As Beauty -
As Bull Morgan -
As Lem Harland -
As 'Beauty' Johnson -
As Railroad-Yard Superintendent -
As Jimmylegs -
As Pat -
As Ramirez -
As Poppy -
As Sgt. Westbrook -
As Mehaffy - Policeman -
As Rowdy Ryan -
As (uncredited) -
As Sitchi -
As Randeau -
As 'Swig' Moran -
As McDonald
-
As Slugger McGlue -
As Sergeant Murphy -
As Checking Board Tabulator (uncredited) -
-
-
-
As Emeralda's Torturer (uncredited) -
As Powder Solvang -
-
As Stevens -
As Ike Bray -
As Benton - a Foreman -
As Steve Arnold (as Paul C. Hurst) -
As Howie -
As Paul - the Brains of the I.D.B.
-
-
As Roger Oakley (as Paul C. Hurst) -
As Murray Sinclair -
As Murray Sinclair -
As Blatchley Turrentine -
As Howie - Stingaree's Partner -
As Blair / Thompson / Michaels / Snake Henely / Mike Donegal / Bat Dorgan / Kelly / Dalton / Blake -
As A Trainman -
As Bart - Jardine's Servant -
As Chief Dispatcher -
As Benton, the Foreman -
As Daniels
-
As Captain Lanning - Osborn's Rival
-
As Red Axe -
As Bad Bill - a Desperado