
John Hart
Born
December 13, 1917
Died
September 20, 2009 (91 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Los Angeles, California, USA
John Lewis Hart, also credited as John Hilton was an American film and television actor. In his early career, Hart appeared mostly in Westerns. Although Hart played mostly minor roles in some fairly well known films, he was probably best known for having replaced Clayton Moore in 1952 in the television series, The Lone Ranger for one season from 1952 until 1953.
Hart began his screen career in 1937 with a bit part in Daughter of Shanghai. He continued in a variety of B pictures such as Prison Farm and King of Alcatraz before appearing in two of Cecil B. DeMille's films The Buccaneer and North West Mounted Police. In 1941, Hart's acting career was interrupted when he was drafted into the United States Army. He rose to the rank of first sergeant in the Coast Artillery and eventually served in the Philippines. Following his military service, Hart worked frequently for Sam Katzman; he was given the lead role in the Jack Armstrong film serial. Hart did stunt work and acted in numerous Westerns
Hart was eventually offered the opportunity to replace Clayton Moore on The Lone Ranger television series. Based on the assumption that the masked character, rather than the actor, was the true star of The Lone Ranger, the program's producers fired Moore (presumably over salary differences) and replaced him with Hart, who was of a similar build and had a comparable background in Westerns. However, the public never truly accepted Hart as the Lone Ranger, and by 1954 the producers returned Moore to the role. According to Clayton Moore's autobiography I Was That Masked Man, Moore never knew why he was replaced by Hart, and also stated that he had not sought a pay increase. Hart acted in minor roles in two episodes of The Lone Ranger before being asked to replace Clayton Moore for the entire third season. The episodes were "Rifles and Renegades" (#34) and "Sheriff at Gunstock" (#46).
Hart continued to act in films for more than two decades, appearing in films of several genres, almost always in supporting roles. Hart appeared twice in on the TV series I Love Lucy as Lucy's old boyfriend and again in the Hollywood episodes as a lifeguard at the hotel pool. In 1955, Hart starred in The Adventures of Captain Africa, which was originally intended to be a new movie about famous comic book hero The Phantom. However, licensing issues forced Columbia Pictures re-film the entire serial and re-christen the hero "Captain Africa." Hart also had numerous supporting roles in the Highway Patrol TV series. In 1965 Hart made two brief appearances on the TV series Perry Mason, including the role of title character and murder victim Jamison Selff in "The Case of the Wrathful Wraith." In the 1970 film The Phynx, Hart played the Lone Ranger alongside Jay Silverheels as Tonto, spoofing their characters. Hart's last theatrical film appearance was in 1981's The Legend of the Lone Ranger in which he appeared as a newspaper editor. He appeared in the television series Happy Days as the Lone Ranger in the episode "Hi Yo, Fonzie Away". In this episode Fonzie, played by Henry Winkler, meets his childhood hero, the Lone Ranger, for his birthday. Hart's other major late appearance was in an episode of The Greatest American Hero, My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys, where Hart gives the title character an inspiring speech about heroism.
Hope & Fury: MLK, the Movement and the Media
Self (archive footage)
2018

The Nineties
Self (archive footage) · (1 episode)
2017

The Bible According to Hollywood
Self
1994

The Legend of the Lone Ranger
Lucas Striker
1981

The Greatest American Hero
Lone Ranger · (1 episode)
1981

The Gift of Love
Justice of the Peace
1978

Kate Bliss and the Ticker Tape Kid
Jake Terry
1978

Sam
(1 episode)
1978

The Astral Factor
Harbormaster
1978

Blood Voyage
Jules
1976

Gemini Affair
Bob
1975

Only with Married Men
Minister
1974

The Great Ice Rip-Off
Klein Salesman
1974

The Centerfold Girls
Sheriff
1974

Welcome to Arrow Beach
Doctor
1974

Happy Days
(1 episode)
1974

Blackenstein
Dr. Stein
1973

The Roommates
Sheriff Sam
1973

Bonnie's Kids
Sheriff with Sunglasses
1973

The Phynx
The Lone Ranger
1970

Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?
Policeman (uncredited)
1968

Riot on Sunset Strip
Pritchard
1967

Hold On!
Detective #2
1966

The Cincinnati Kid
Poker Player (uncredited)
1965

Day of the Nightmare
Dr. Philip Crane
1965

The Sandpiper
Trooper (uncredited)
1965

36 Hours
Lt. Cmdr. Perkins (uncredited)
1964

The Addams Family
Scotty · (1 episode)
1964

Marnie
Dr. Gilliat (uncredited)
1964

Viva Las Vegas
Casino Patron (uncredited)
1964

The Long Rifle and the Tomahawk
Nat 'Hawkeye' Cutler
1964

Mondo Inferno
Commentator
1964

The Lieutenant
Capt. Adam Quincy · (1 episode)
1963

The Courtship of Eddie's Father
State Trooper (uncredited)
1963

Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol
Billings / Stage Manager / Milkman (voice)
1962

Ben Casey
(1 episode)
1961

Atlantis: The Lost Continent
Nobleman (uncredited)
1961

Go Naked in the World
Club Doorman (uncredited)
1961

Maigret
Character in Corridor (uncredited) · (1 episode)
1960

The Case of the Dangerous Robin
Pilot · (1 episode)
1960

Pete and Gladys
(1 episode)
1960

National Velvet
(1 episode)
1960

The Subterraneans
Cop (uncredited)
1960

Noose for a Gunman
Dave Barker - Avery Gunman (uncredited)
1960

Vice Raid
Blond Gunman at Office Door
1959

The Diary of a High School Bride
Policeman
1959

Rawhide
Narbo · (8 episodes)
1959

Rawhide
Spence · (1 episode)
1959

Rawhide
Nate Johnson · (1 episode)
1959

Rawhide
Sheriff · (2 episodes)
1959

Rawhide
Rep · (1 episode)
1959

Rawhide
Harley Lear · (1 episode)
1959

Rawhide
Slim · (1 episode)
1959

Rawhide
Posseman · (1 episode)
1959

Bat Masterson
Wilson · (2 episodes)
1958

Bat Masterson
Jacobs · (1 episode)
1958

Wolf Dog
Andy Bates (uncredited)
1958

Leave It to Beaver
Troop #21 Scoutmaster Norton · (3 episodes)
1957

Perry Mason
Dion · (1 episode)
1957

Perry Mason
Jamison Selff · (1 episode)
1957

Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans
Hawkeye · (39 episodes)
1957

Tales of Wells Fargo
Weaver · (1 episode)
1957

Along the Mohawk Trail
Nat 'Hawkeye' Cutler
1957

The Ten Commandments
Cretan Ambassador (uncredited)
1956

The Crooked Web
1955

Last of the Desperados
?
1955

Highway Patrol
Sergeant at Headquarters · (1 episode)
1955

Sergeant Preston of the Yukon
(1 episode)
1955

Gunsmoke
Crowd member (uncredited) · (1 episode)
1955

Adventures of Captain Africa
Captain Africa
1955

Dial Red O
Uniformed Deputy (uncredited)
1955

The Man Who Loved Redheads
Sergei
1955

The Great Adventures of Captain Kidd
Mate Jenkins
1953

Prince of Pirates
Captain of the Guards (uncredited)
1953

The Pathfinder
British Sergeant
1952

Caribbean
Stuart
1952

Kansas Territory
U.S. Marshal Matt Furness
1952
Gang Busters
(1 episode)
1952

The Living Bible
Matthew
1952

Stage to Blue River
Frederick Kingsley
1951

The Longhorn
Moresby
1951

Warpath
Sgt. Plennert
1951

I Love Lucy
Lifeguard · (1 episode)
1951

I Love Lucy
Tom Henderson · (1 episode)
1951

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
(2 episodes)
1951

Stagecoach Driver
Slim Cole
1951

Revenue Agent
U.S. Border Patroman
1950

Champagne for Caesar
Executive No. 4
1950

Cowboy and the Prizefighter
Mark Palmer
1949

The Fighting Redhead
Faro Savage
1949

The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger · (52 episodes)
1949

The Lone Ranger
Duke · (1 episode)
1949

Joe Palooka in the Counterpunch
Pedro
1949

Special Agent
Ranch Foreman Frank Kent (as John Hilton)
1949

El Paso
1949

Joe Palooka in Winner Take All
Army Sergeant George Malone
1948

Brick Bradford
Dent
1947

Jack Armstrong
Jack Armstrong
1947

Vacation Days
Big Jim
1947

Son of the Guardsman
Martin, Bullard soldier (uncredited)
1946

North West Mounted Police
Constable Norman
1940

$1,000 a Touchdown
Buck (uncredited)
1939

Persons in Hiding
Male Stenographer
1939

Disbarred
First Reporter
1939

Illegal Traffic
Davis
1938

King of Alcatraz
1st Radio Operator
1938

Prison Farm
'Texas' Jack
1938

Hunted Men
Young Man at Party
1938

Daughter of Shanghai
Sailor (uncredited)
1937