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)
Acted in 205
1950s
- 1953
- 1952
Big Jim McLain
Mr. Lexiter
- 1951
Million Dollar Pursuit
Ray Harvey
- 1950
The Missourians
John X. Finn
The Old Frontier
Skipper Horton
The Vanishing Westerner
Waldorf Worthington
1940s
- 1949
Pioneer Marshal
Huck Homer
Ranger of Cherokee Strip
Sheriff Jug Mason
San Antone Ambush
Happy Daniels
South of Rio
Andy Weems
Outcasts of the Trail
Doc Meadowlark
Law of the Golden West
Otis Ellis
Prince of the Plains
Sheriff Hank Hartley
- 1948
Gun Smugglers
Sergeant Hasty Jones
Son of God’s Country
Eli Walker
The Arizona Ranger
Ben Riddle
Heart of Virginia
Whit Galtry
California Firebrand
Chuck Waggoner
Madonna of the Desert
Pete Connors
- 1947
Under Colorado Skies
Lucky John Hawkins
- 1946
The Plainsman and the Lady
Al
The Virginian
Movie
Murder in the Music Hall
Hobarth
- 1945
Dakota
Captain Spotts
Midnight Manhunt
Murphy
Steppin' in Society
Cookie
Scared Stiff
Sheriff
The Big Show-Off
Herbert Trafagan, aka "The Devil", a wrestler
- 1944
Something for the Boys
Defense Plant Foreman (uncredited)
Barbary Coast Gent
Jake Compton
The Ghost That Walks Alone
Sheriff Slim Carson
- 1943
Coney Island
Louie
The Ox-Bow Incident
Monty Smith
Hi'ya, Chum
Archie Billings
Calaboose
Ed the bartender
- 1942
Night in New Orleans
Sergeant Casper Riordan
Sundown Jim
Broderick
Dudes Are Pretty People
Two-Gun
Pardon My Stripes
Feets
- 1941
Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring
Page
This Woman Is Mine
Second Mate Mumford
The Parson of Panamint
Jake Waldren
Caught in the Draft
Sgt. Burns
The Great Mr. Nobody
Michael O'Connor
Virginia
Thomas
Tall, Dark and Handsome
Biff Sage
- 1940
Tugboat Annie Sails Again
Pete
Goin' Fishin'
Movie
Spring Parade
Headwaiter
South to Karanga
Slats
Torrid Zone
Daniels
Edison, the Man
Sheriff
Star Dust
Mac, Amalgamated Lab Tech
Castle on the Hudson
Guard (uncredited)
1930s
- 1939
Remember?
Policeman
Glove Slingers
Chuck Brenner
Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence
Empire State Building Guard
On Your Toes
Variety Club Bartender
Bad Lands
Curly Tom
Quick Millions
Sheriff
It Could Happen to You
Sandy
Broadway Serenade
Reynolds, a Drunk
Cafe Society
Bartender
- 1938
Topper Takes a Trip
Charlie - the Bartender
Secrets of a Nurse
Arlington Bysshe 'Slice' Cavanaugh
The Last Express
Asst. Dist. Atty. Springer
Hold That Co-ed
Slapsy
My Lucky Star
Louie
Josette
A. Adolphus Heyman
Alexander's Ragtime Band
Bill Mulligan
In Old Chicago
Mitch
Island in the Sky
Happy
No Time to Marry
Sergeant
- 1937
Second Honeymoon
Dennis Huggins
Ali Baba Goes to Town
Captain
Danger – Love at Work
NYC policeman
Wife, Doctor and Nurse
Bill
Wake Up and Live
McCabe
She's No Lady
Cop
You Can't Have Everything
Truck Driver (uncredited)
The Legion of Missing Men
Muggsy
Super-Sleuth
Motorcycle Cop
You Can't Beat Love
Foreman Butch Mehaffey
Slave Ship
Drunk
Angel's Holiday
Sgt. Murphy
Fifty Roads to Town
Tom
This Is My Affair
Bowler
Trouble in Morocco
Tiger Malone
We Who Are About to Die
Tip Fuller
- 1936
North of Nome
Carlson
The Gay Desperado
American Detective
To Mary - with Love
Drunk
Blackmailer
Inspector Killian
Robin Hood of El Dorado
Wilson
Riffraff
Belcher
- 1935
The Gay Deception
Bell Captain
The Daring Young Man
Prison Guard
Calm Yourself
Detective Roscoe
Public Hero Number 1
Rufe Parker
The Case of the Curious Bride
Fibo Morgan (uncredited)
Mississippi
Hefty
Shadow of Doubt
Lt. Sackville
Carnival
Policeman
Sequoia
Bergman
Maybe It's Love
Expressman (uncredited)
- 1934
The Ballad of Paducah Jail
Escaped Felon
Tomorrow's Youth
Detective
Among the Missing
Capt. W.F. 'Big Bill' Connors
Take the Stand
Denny O'Brien
Midnight Alibi
Babe the Butcher
Charlie Chan's Courage
Undetermined Role
A Very Honorable Guy
Butler
The Line-Up
Detective Sgt. Doyle
The Big Race
Skipper O'Neal
Queen Christina
Swedish Soldier Betting on 6 (uncredited)
- 1933
The Women in His Life
Paul, Perez's Second Bodyguard
Day of Reckoning
Harry
Saturday's Millions
Doc Maloney, Trainer
Tugboat Annie
Sam
Hold Your Man
Aubrey C. Mitchell (uncredited)
The Sphinx
Detective Terrence Aloysius Hogan
Terror Aboard
Boatswain
Grand Slam
Man Who Speaks Final Line of the Film
- 1932
Island of Lost Souls
Capt. Donahue
Men Are Such Fools
Stiles
The Phantom President
Sailor (uncredited)
Hold 'Em Jail
Butch
The Thirteenth Guest
Detective Grump
State's Attorney
Police Captain Morgan
My Pal, the King
Red
Panama Flo
Al
- 1931
The Secret Witness
Officer Brannigan
Bad Company
Paul Hurst
Maker of Men
Gabby
The Public Defender
Doc
That's My Line
Mexican Bandit
Sweepstakes
Bartender
Kick In
Detective Whip Fogarty
The Secret Six
Nick Mizoski - the Gouger
The Single Sin
Slug
- 1930
The Third Alarm
'Beauty' Johnson
Borrowed Wives
Bull Morgan
Paradise Island
Beauty
Hot Curves
'Slug', Baseball Player
The Runaway Bride
Sergeant Daly
Mountain Justice
Lem Harland
Swellhead
Mugsy
Officer O'Brien
Captain Antrim
Lucky Larkin
Pete Brierson
1920s
- 1929
His First Command
Sgt. Westbrook
The Racketeer
Mehaffy - Policeman
Oh, Yeah!
Railroad-Yard Superintendent
Sailor's Holiday
Jimmylegs
The California Mail
Rowdy Ryan
Tide of Empire
Poppy
The Lawless Legion
Ramirez
The Rainbow
Pat
- 1928
Lilac Time
(uncredited)
The Cossacks
Sitchi
- 1927
Buttons
Slugger McGlue
The Valley of the Giants
Randeau
The Devil's Saddle
'Swig' Moran
- 1926
Blue Streak O'Neil
Movie
Roaring Road
Checking Board Tabulator (uncredited)
- 1923
1910s
- 1919
Lightning Bryce
Powder Solvang
- 1918
Smashing Through
Stevens
Rimrock Jones
Ike Bray
- 1917
The Further Adventures of Stingaree
Howie
The Railroad Raiders
Steve Arnold (as Paul C. Hurst)
The Hazards of Helen
Benton - a Foreman
- 1916
The Manager of the B & A
Roger Oakley (as Paul C. Hurst)
Judith of the Cumberlands
Blatchley Turrentine
Medicine Bend
Murray Sinclair
A Lass of the Lumberlands
Movie
- 1915
Stingaree
Howie - Stingaree's Partner
The Vivisectionist
Bart - Jardine's Servant
The Red Signal
Chief Dispatcher
The Hazards of Helen: Episode13, The Escape on the Fast Freight
A Trainman
The Girl Detective
Blair / Thompson / Michaels / Snake Henely / Mike Donegal / Bat Dorgan / Kelly / Dalton / Blake
- 1914
The Plot at the Railroad Cut
Benton, the Foreman
- 1913
The Cave Men's War
Red Axe
- 1912
The Driver Of The Deadwood Coach
Bad Bill - a Desperado
Directed 23
1920s
- 1926
Blue Streak O'Neil
Director
The Midnight Message
Director
Roaring Road
Director
Haunted Range
Director
- 1925
The Demon Rider
Director
A Western Engagement
Director
Folly of Youth
Director
- 1924
Branded a Bandit
Director
The Passing of Wolf MacLean
Director
Battling Bunyan
Director
- 1922
The Crow's Nest
Director
Table Top Ranch
Director
The Heart of a Texan
Director
Rangeland
Director
- 1921
King Fisher's Roost
Director
Shadows of the West
Director
1910s
- 1919
Lightning Bryce
Director
The Tiger's Trail
Director
- 1918
The Woman in the Web
Director
- 1917
The Further Adventures of Stingaree
Director
The Railroad Raiders
Director
- 1916
A Lass of the Lumberlands
Director
- 1915
The Red Signal
Director
Wrote 6
1920s
- 1924
Branded a Bandit
Story, Scenario Writer
- 1922
Table Top Ranch
Scenario Writer, Story
The Heart of a Texan
Scenario Writer
Rangeland
Writer
- 1921
King Fisher's Roost
Story, Scenario Writer
1910s
- 1917
The Railroad Raiders
Writer
Produced 1
1910s
- 1915
The Hazards of Helen: Episode13, The Escape on the Fast Freight
Producer