Paul Hurst
Acting
🎂 1888-10-14
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)
Cast credits(210)
Yankee Deserter
1939
1st Deputy (uncredited)
1936
Frederick Carson
1947
Monty Smith
1943
Chickenfoot
1940
Swedish Soldier Betting on 6 (uncredited)
1933
World War I Ghost Soldier
1943
Drunk (uncredited)
1948
Emeralda's Torturer (uncredited)
1923
Detective Terrence Aloysius Hogan
1933
Soapy
1938
Capt. Donahue
1932
Mr. Lexiter
1952
Captain Spotts
1945
Mehaffy - Policeman
1929
Louie
1943
Pete Haig (uncredited)
1940
Mitch
1938
1946
Nick Mizoski - the Gouger
1931
Aubrey C. Mitchell (uncredited)
1933
Bill Mulligan
1938
Headwaiter
1940
Jailer
1948
Bell Captain
1935
Garsky
1939
Wilson
1936
Orloff
1944
Belcher
1936
Prison Guard
1935
Jimmy Bagby
1953
Murphy
1945
Charlie - the Bartender
1938
Bartender
1931
Jake Waldren
1941
Sheriff
1940
Daniels
1940
Reynolds, a Drunk
1939
Policeman
1935
Stagecoach Driver
1946
Capt. W.F. 'Big Bill' Connors
1934
Fibo Morgan (uncredited)
1935
Florabelle's Father
1938
Sergeant Hasty Jones
1948
Bull Morgan
1930
Sandy
1939
Randeau
1927
Two-Gun
1942
Guard (uncredited)
1940
Sergeant
1938
Waldorf Worthington
1950
Captain
1937
Dock Foreman (uncredited)
1943
Sheriff Hank Hartley
1949
Hefty
1935
John X. Finn
1950
1952
Sgt. Burns
1941
Al
1946
Detective Grump
1932
Sheriff
1939
Policeman
1939
Sheriff
1945
Bowler
1937
Variety Club Bartender
1939
Muggsy
1937
Sergeant Daly
1930
Sergeant Dailey
1946
Stiles
1932
NYC policeman
1937
Detective Whip Fogarty
1931
Louie
1938
Red
1932
Railroad-Yard Superintendent
1929
Undetermined Role
1934
Chuck Waggoner
1948
Pete Connors
1948
Sergeant Casper Riordan
1942
Skipper Horton
1950
Drunk
1936
Rufe Parker
1935
Foreman Butch Mehaffey
1937
Slug
1931
Sheriff Jug Mason
1949
Huck Homer
1949
Hobarth
1946
Biff Sage
1941
Sam
1933
Eli Walker
1948
Sitchi
1928
Police Captain Morgan
1932
Arlington Bysshe 'Slice' Cavanaugh
1938
Sailor (uncredited)
1932
Muley
1944
Second Mate Mumford
1941
Inspector Killian
1936
Bill
1937
Ed the bartender
1943
Beauty
1930
Bartender
1939
Broderick
1942
Jake Compton
1944
Truck Driver (uncredited)
1937
Slapsy
1938
Doc Meadowlark
1949
McCabe
1937
Michael O'Connor
1941
Expressman (uncredited)
1935
Pete Shore
1930
Detective Roscoe
1935
Ben Riddle
1948
'Arizona' Frank Bailey
1932
Howie
1917
Tom
1937
"Sport" Conly
1936
Pete Brierson
1930
Pete
1940
Mac, Amalgamated Lab Tech
1940
Happy
1938
(uncredited)
1928
Otis Ellis
1949
Curly Tom
1939
Boatswain
1933
Motorcycle Cop
1937
Tip Fuller
1937
Slugger McGlue
1927
Harry
1933
Sgt. Murphy
1937
Skipper O'Neal
1934
A Trainman
1915
Drunk
1937
Benton - a Foreman
1917
Detective
1934
Feets
1942
Doc Maloney, Trainer
1933
Captain Lanning - Osborn's Rival
1914
Poppy
1929
Dennis Huggins
1937
Captain Antrim
1930
Defense Plant Foreman (uncredited)
1944
Roger Oakley (as Paul C. Hurst)
1916
Empire State Building Guard
1939
Red Axe
1913
Blatchley Turrentine
1916
Murray Sinclair
1916
Officer Brannigan
1931
Happy Daniels
1949
Page
1941
A. Adolphus Heyman
1938
Butch
1932
Doc
1931
Thomas
1941
Man Who Speaks Final Line of the Film
1933
Checking Board Tabulator (uncredited)
1926
Andy Weems
1949
Bergman
1935
Cookie
1945
Tiger Malone
1937
Blair / Thompson / Michaels / Snake Henely / Mike Donegal / Bat Dorgan / Kelly / Dalton / Blake
1915
Maloney
1937
Ray Harvey
1951
Butler
1934
Chuck Brenner
1939
Babe the Butcher
1934
Lt. Sackville
1935
Benton, the Foreman
1914
Sheriff Slim Carson
1944
McDonald
1927
1916
Chief Dispatcher
1915
Gabby
1931
Sgt. Westbrook
1929
Denny O'Brien
1934
Slats
1940
Lucky John Hawkins
1947
Al
1932
'Slug', Baseball Player
1930
Rowdy Ryan
1929
Paul Hurst
1931
Stevens
1918
Jimmylegs
1929
Ike Bray
1918
Steve Arnold (as Paul C. Hurst)
1917
Cop
1937
American Detective
1936
Asst. Dist. Atty. Springer
1938
Howie - Stingaree's Partner
1915
Ramirez
1929
Murray Sinclair
1916
Carlson
1936
Sergeant Murphy
1927
Powder Solvang
1919
Paul, Perez's Second Bodyguard
1933
Herbert Trafagan, aka "The Devil", a wrestler
1945
1940
Mexican Bandit
1931
Whit Galtry
1948
Escaped Felon
1934
Archie Billings
1943
Bad Bill - a Desperado
1912
'Beauty' Johnson
1930
Bart - Jardine's Servant
1915
1926
1926
Mugsy
1930
'Swig' Moran
1927
Lem Harland
1930
Slats O'Dell
1941
Paul - the Brains of the I.D.B.
1916
Daniels
1914
Directing (30)
Director
1924
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1916
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1922