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
Monty Smith
The Ox-Bow Incident
Yankee Deserter
Gone with the Wind
Capt. Donahue
Island of Lost Souls
Beauty
Paradise Island
Frederick Carson
Angel and the Badman
Cookie
Steppin' in Society
Checking Board Tabulator (uncredited)
Roaring Road
Slats O'Dell
Petticoat Politics
Tiger Malone
Trouble in Morocco
Nick Mizoski - the Gouger
The Secret Six
Bad Bill - a Desperado
The Driver Of The Deadwood Coach
Sheriff
Scared Stiff
Steve Arnold (as Paul C. Hurst)
The Railroad Raiders
Benton - a Foreman
The Hazards of Helen
Blair / Thompson / Michaels / Snake Henely / Mike Donegal / Bat Dorgan / Kelly / Dalton / Blake
The Girl Detective
A Lass of the Lumberlands
Archie Billings
Hi'ya, Chum
Chickenfoot
The Westerner
Bill Mulligan
Alexander's Ragtime Band
Toughest Man in Arizona
Ray Harvey
Million Dollar Pursuit
Florabelle's Father
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
'Arizona' Frank Bailey
The Big Stampede
Page
Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring
Emeralda's Torturer (uncredited)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Orloff
Summer Storm
Detective Terrence Aloysius Hogan
The Sphinx
Charlie - the Bartender
Topper Takes a Trip
Bell Captain
The Gay Deception
Murray Sinclair
Whispering Smith
Sgt. Murphy
Angel's Holiday
Biff Sage
Tall, Dark and Handsome
Captain Lanning - Osborn's Rival
The Quicksands
Detective Grump
The Thirteenth Guest
Paul Hurst
Bad Company
Daniels
The Chief of Police
Mitch
In Old Chicago
Mehaffy - Policeman
The Racketeer
World War I Ghost Soldier
December 7th
Ike Bray
Rimrock Jones
Howie - Stingaree's Partner
Stingaree
Howie
The Further Adventures of Stingaree
Boatswain
Terror Aboard
Captain
Ali Baba Goes to Town
Sgt. Burns
Caught in the Draft
Jimmy Bagby
The Sun Shines Bright
Chief Dispatcher
The Red Signal
Benton, the Foreman
The Plot at the Railroad Cut
Bergman
Sequoia
Murray Sinclair
Medicine Bend
Blatchley Turrentine
Judith of the Cumberlands
Paul - the Brains of the I.D.B.
The Diamond Runners
Sergeant Casper Riordan
Night in New Orleans
Reynolds, a Drunk
Broadway Serenade
Mugsy
The Swellhead
NYC policeman
Danger – Love at Work
Happy
Island in the Sky
Sandy
It Could Happen to You
Bull Morgan
Borrowed Wives
Sheriff Jug Mason
Ranger of Cherokee Strip
Mexican Bandit
That's My Line
Dennis Huggins
Second Honeymoon
Babe the Butcher
Midnight Alibi
"Sport" Conly
I'd Give My Life
Sitchi
The Cossacks
Ed the bartender
Calaboose
Bartender
Sweepstakes
'Slug', Baseball Player
Hot Curves
Lt. Sackville
Shadow of Doubt
Arlington Bysshe 'Slice' Cavanaugh
Secrets of a Nurse
Herbert Trafagan, aka "The Devil", a wrestler
The Big Show-Off
Pete
Tugboat Annie Sails Again
Policeman
Remember?
Curly Tom
Bad Lands
Al
The Plainsman and the Lady
Muggsy
The Legion of Missing Men
McCabe
Wake Up and Live
Muley
Girl Rush
Thomas
Virginia
Soapy
Prison Break
Slapsy
Hold That Co-ed
Dock Foreman (uncredited)
The Sky's the Limit
Defense Plant Foreman (uncredited)
Something for the Boys
Sergeant Daly
The Runaway Bride
Louie
My Lucky Star
Captain Antrim
Officer O'Brien
Police Captain Morgan
State's Attorney
'Swig' Moran
The Devil's Saddle
Slug
The Single Sin
Rowdy Ryan
The California Mail
Stiles
Men Are Such Fools
Sergeant Murphy
The Red Raiders
Ramirez
The Lawless Legion
Pete Brierson
Lucky Larkin
Lem Harland
Mountain Justice
Red Axe
The Cave Men's War
Cop
She's No Lady
Maloney
The Lady Fights Back
Red
My Pal, the King
Poppy
Tide of Empire
Pete Shore
Shadow of the Law
Drunk
Slave Ship
A. Adolphus Heyman
Josette
Powder Solvang
Lightning Bryce
Rufe Parker
Public Hero Number 1
A Trainman
The Hazards of Helen: Episode13, The Escape on the Fast Freight
Jimmylegs
Sailor's Holiday
Tip Fuller
We Who Are About to Die
Blue Streak O'Neil
Truck Driver (uncredited)
You Can't Have Everything
Wilson
Robin Hood of El Dorado
Butler
A Very Honorable Guy
Bartender
Cafe Society
(uncredited)
Lilac Time
Officer Brannigan
The Secret Witness
Jailer
Who Killed Doc Robbin?
The Virginian
Detective
Tomorrow's Youth
Doc
The Public Defender
Expressman (uncredited)
Maybe It's Love
Variety Club Bartender
On Your Toes
Garsky
Each Dawn I Die
Empire State Building Guard
Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence
Denny O'Brien
Take the Stand
Two-Gun
Dudes Are Pretty People
Sheriff Hank Hartley
Prince of the Plains
Chuck Brenner
Glove Slingers
Huck Homer
Pioneer Marshal
Headwaiter
Spring Parade
Randeau
The Valley of the Giants
Happy Daniels
San Antone Ambush
Sailor (uncredited)
The Phantom President
Capt. W.F. 'Big Bill' Connors
Among the Missing
Ben Riddle
The Arizona Ranger
Sam
Tugboat Annie
Railroad-Yard Superintendent
Oh, Yeah!
Butch
Hold 'Em Jail
Michael O'Connor
The Great Mr. Nobody
Prison Guard
The Daring Young Man
Andy Weems
South of Rio
Bart - Jardine's Servant
The Vivisectionist
1st Deputy (uncredited)
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
Captain Spotts
Dakota
Sheriff
Edison, the Man
Foreman Butch Mehaffey
You Can't Beat Love
Sergeant Dailey
Death Valley
Pete Connors
Madonna of the Desert
Louie
Coney Island
Gabby
Maker of Men
Carlson
North of Nome
Sergeant
No Time to Marry
Jake Waldren
The Parson of Panamint
Eli Walker
Son of God’s Country
Asst. Dist. Atty. Springer
The Last Express
Sergeant Hasty Jones
Gun Smugglers
Bowler
This Is My Affair
Stagecoach Driver
In Old Sacramento
Murphy
Midnight Manhunt
Chuck Waggoner
California Firebrand
Stevens
Smashing Through
Swedish Soldier Betting on 6 (uncredited)
Queen Christina
Drunk
To Mary - with Love
Bill
Wife, Doctor and Nurse
Guard (uncredited)
Castle on the Hudson
Pete Haig (uncredited)
They Drive by Night
Daniels
Torrid Zone
Al
Panama Flo
John X. Finn
The Missourians
Skipper Horton
The Old Frontier
Second Mate Mumford
This Woman Is Mine
Broderick
Sundown Jim
Mr. Lexiter
Big Jim McLain
Detective Whip Fogarty
Kick In
Goin' Fishin'
Lucky John Hawkins
Under Colorado Skies
Policeman
Carnival
Waldorf Worthington
The Vanishing Westerner
Otis Ellis
Law of the Golden West
Doc Meadowlark
Outcasts of the Trail
American Detective
The Gay Desperado
Drunk (uncredited)
Yellow Sky
Jake Compton
Barbary Coast Gent
Doc Maloney, Trainer
Saturday's Millions
Whit Galtry
Heart of Virginia
Motorcycle Cop
Super-Sleuth
Tom
Fifty Roads to Town
Mac, Amalgamated Lab Tech
Star Dust
Harry
Day of Reckoning
Hobarth
Murder in the Music Hall
Skipper O'Neal
The Big Race
Paul, Perez's Second Bodyguard
The Women in His Life
Man Who Speaks Final Line of the Film
Grand Slam
McDonald
Outlaw's Paradise
Feets
Pardon My Stripes
The Fighting Ranger
Sheriff Slim Carson
The Ghost That Walks Alone
Inspector Killian
Blackmailer
Slats
South to Karanga
Slugger McGlue
Buttons
Roger Oakley (as Paul C. Hurst)
The Manager of the B & A
'Beauty' Johnson
The Third Alarm
Sheriff
Quick Millions
Hefty
Mississippi
Sgt. Westbrook
His First Command
Belcher
Riffraff
Escaped Felon
The Ballad of Paducah Jail
Undetermined Role
Charlie Chan's Courage
Detective Roscoe
Calm Yourself
Aubrey C. Mitchell (uncredited)
Hold Your Man
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
209
Gender
Male
Birthday
1888-10-14
Place of Birth
Traver, California, USA
Also Known As
Paul Causey Hurst