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
(uncredited)
1928
Empire State Building Guard
1939
Sheriff Jug Mason
1949
Cookie
1945
Captain Antrim
1930
Wilson
1936
Tip Fuller
1937
Doc Meadowlark
1949
Waldorf Worthington
1950
Florabelle's Father
1938
Chickenfoot
1940
Mr. Lexiter
1952
Murphy
1945
Frederick Carson
1947
Monty Smith
1943
Soapy
1938
Drunk (uncredited)
1948
A. Adolphus Heyman
1938
Sergeant Dailey
1946
Chuck Brenner
1939
1st Deputy (uncredited)
1936
Captain Spotts
1945
Drunk
1937
Bergman
1935
Bartender
1931
Jake Compton
1944
Second Mate Mumford
1941
Maloney
1937
1946
Daniels
1914
Bartender
1939
Asst. Dist. Atty. Springer
1938
Charlie - the Bartender
1938
Slats O'Dell
1941
Headwaiter
1940
Poppy
1929
Pete Connors
1948
Reynolds, a Drunk
1939
Detective Grump
1932
Swedish Soldier Betting on 6 (uncredited)
1933
Pete Brierson
1930
Sheriff
1945
Sheriff Slim Carson
1944
Slats
1940
NYC policeman
1937
Emeralda's Torturer (uncredited)
1923
Detective Roscoe
1935
Sergeant Hasty Jones
1948
Drunk
1936
Louie
1943
Variety Club Bartender
1939
Muggsy
1937
Mac, Amalgamated Lab Tech
1940
Broderick
1942
Capt. Donahue
1932
Skipper Horton
1950
Detective
1934
Police Captain Morgan
1932
Gabby
1931
Louie
1938
Ben Riddle
1948
Dennis Huggins
1937
Butch
1932
Muley
1944
Aubrey C. Mitchell (uncredited)
1933
Eli Walker
1948
Undetermined Role
1934
Mitch
1938
Officer Brannigan
1931
Sgt. Westbrook
1929
Belcher
1936
Fibo Morgan (uncredited)
1935
Boatswain
1933
Stevens
1918
Sitchi
1928
Guard (uncredited)
1940
McCabe
1937
Lt. Sackville
1935
Inspector Killian
1936
Lucky John Hawkins
1947
Nick Mizoski - the Gouger
1931
Whit Galtry
1948
Bowler
1937
Capt. W.F. 'Big Bill' Connors
1934
Jake Waldren
1941
Man Who Speaks Final Line of the Film
1933
Doc
1931
Sheriff Hank Hartley
1949
Garsky
1939
Sgt. Burns
1941
Rufe Parker
1935
Lem Harland
1930
'Arizona' Frank Bailey
1932
John X. Finn
1950
Slug
1931
Jailer
1948
Captain Lanning - Osborn's Rival
1914
Orloff
1944
Curly Tom
1939
Hobarth
1946
Sheriff
1940
'Swig' Moran
1927
Harry
1933
Happy
1938
Pete Haig (uncredited)
1940
Stagecoach Driver
1946
Bill
1937
Michael O'Connor
1941
Tiger Malone
1937
Biff Sage
1941
Bart - Jardine's Servant
1915
Ramirez
1929
Huck Homer
1949
Policeman
1939
1952
Sailor (uncredited)
1932
Bell Captain
1935
Sgt. Murphy
1937
Dock Foreman (uncredited)
1943
Sergeant Daly
1930
Paul Hurst
1931
Page
1941
Sergeant Murphy
1927
Detective Whip Fogarty
1931
Doc Maloney, Trainer
1933
Pete Shore
1930
Sergeant Casper Riordan
1942
Hefty
1935
Prison Guard
1935
Rowdy Ryan
1929
Daniels
1940
Jimmy Bagby
1953
Bill Mulligan
1938
Detective Terrence Aloysius Hogan
1933
Defense Plant Foreman (uncredited)
1944
Motorcycle Cop
1937
American Detective
1936
Happy Daniels
1949
Ray Harvey
1951
Red
1932
Expressman (uncredited)
1935
Captain
1937
Cop
1937
Paul, Perez's Second Bodyguard
1933
Stiles
1932
Slugger McGlue
1927
Thomas
1941
Sheriff
1939
Truck Driver (uncredited)
1937
Herbert Trafagan, aka "The Devil", a wrestler
1945
Sam
1933
Al
1946
Butler
1934
Al
1932
Denny O'Brien
1934
Slapsy
1938
Mugsy
1930
Archie Billings
1943
Skipper O'Neal
1934
Chuck Waggoner
1948
Ike Bray
1918
Mehaffy - Policeman
1929
Ed the bartender
1943
World War I Ghost Soldier
1943
'Beauty' Johnson
1930
Otis Ellis
1949
Howie - Stingaree's Partner
1915
Beauty
1930
Bull Morgan
1930
Sergeant
1938
Policeman
1935
"Sport" Conly
1936
Arlington Bysshe 'Slice' Cavanaugh
1938
Railroad-Yard Superintendent
1929
Escaped Felon
1934
Andy Weems
1949
Blair / Thompson / Michaels / Snake Henely / Mike Donegal / Bat Dorgan / Kelly / Dalton / Blake
1915
Randeau
1927
Mexican Bandit
1931
Carlson
1936
Murray Sinclair
1916
'Slug', Baseball Player
1930
Howie
1917
Pete
1940
Tom
1937
Sandy
1939
Benton - a Foreman
1917
Feets
1942
1926
Foreman Butch Mehaffey
1937
Two-Gun
1942
Babe the Butcher
1934
Jimmylegs
1929
Blatchley Turrentine
1916
A Trainman
1915
Benton, the Foreman
1914
McDonald
1927
1926
Steve Arnold (as Paul C. Hurst)
1917
1940
Roger Oakley (as Paul C. Hurst)
1916
Red Axe
1913
Chief Dispatcher
1915
Murray Sinclair
1916
1916
Powder Solvang
1919
Checking Board Tabulator (uncredited)
1926
Bad Bill - a Desperado
1912
Paul - the Brains of the I.D.B.
1916
Directing (30)
Director
1925
Director
1925
Director
1922
Director
1922
Director
1919
Director
1922
Director
1924
Director
1926
Director
1918
Director
1922
Director
1921
Director
1922
Director
1917
Director
1924
Director
1921
Director
1923
Director
1926
Director
1925
Director
1926
Director
1926
Director
1918
Director
1927
Director
1926
Director
1917
Director
1924
Director
1915
Director
1925
Director
1916
Director
1919
Director
1926