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Born · October 14, 1888
Died · February 27, 1953 (64 years old)
Known For: Acting
Place of Birth: Traver, California, USA
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)
Jimmy Bagby
6.5
1953
0.0
1952
Mr. Lexiter
4.9
1952
Ray Harvey
5.8
1951
John X. Finn
6.0
1950
Skipper Horton
0.0
1950
Waldorf Worthington
2.0
1950
Huck Homer
0.0
1949
Sheriff Jug Mason
0.0
1949
Happy Daniels
4.0
1949
Andy Weems
0.0
1949
Doc Meadowlark
0.0
1949
Otis Ellis
6.0
1949
Sheriff Hank Hartley
0.0
1949
Sergeant Hasty Jones
0.0
1948
Drunk (uncredited)
6.9
1948
Eli Walker
0.0
1948
Ben Riddle
6.0
1948
Whit Galtry
0.0
1948
Jailer
4.0
1948
Chuck Waggoner
3.0
1948
Pete Connors
6.0
1948
Lucky John Hawkins
0.0
1947
Frederick Carson
6.4
1947
Al
3.0
1946
Sergeant Dailey
5.0
1946
Stagecoach Driver
6.0
1946
6.1
1946
Hobarth
4.6
1946
Captain Spotts
5.1
1945
Murphy
4.5
1945
Cookie
0.0
1945
Sheriff
4.5
1945
Herbert Trafagan, aka "The Devil", a wrestler
4.5
1945
Defense Plant Foreman (uncredited)
6.2
1944
Muley
5.0
1944
Jake Compton
4.6
1944
Orloff
5.1
1944
Sheriff Slim Carson
3.7
1944
Dock Foreman (uncredited)
6.2
1943
Louie
6.1
1943
Monty Smith
7.7
1943
World War I Ghost Soldier
5.8
1943
Archie Billings
6.0
1943
Ed the bartender
0.0
1943
Sergeant Casper Riordan
4.0
1942
Broderick
0.0
1942
Two-Gun
0.0
1942
Feets
6.0
1942
Page
5.7
1941
Second Mate Mumford
3.7
1941
Jake Waldren
5.0
1941
Sgt. Burns
5.8
1941
Michael O'Connor
5.3
1941
Slats O'Dell
0.0
1941
Thomas
0.0
1941
Biff Sage
5.7
1941
Pete
5.5
1940
6.0
1940
Headwaiter
6.7
1940
Chickenfoot
7.0
1940
Slats
0.0
1940
Pete Haig (uncredited)
6.9
1940
Daniels
6.4
1940
Sheriff
6.6
1940
Mac, Amalgamated Lab Tech
4.7
1940
Guard (uncredited)
6.8
1940
Policeman
5.8
1939
Yankee Deserter
7.9
1939
Chuck Brenner
0.0
1939
Empire State Building Guard
6.3
1939
Variety Club Bartender
3.9
1939
Curly Tom
3.7
1939
Sheriff
7.5
1939
Garsky
6.8
1939
Sandy
1.5
1939
Reynolds, a Drunk
6.2
1939
Bartender
6.0
1939
Charlie - the Bartender
6.4
1938
Arlington Bysshe 'Slice' Cavanaugh
3.0
1938
Asst. Dist. Atty. Springer
1.0
1938
Slapsy
6.3
1938
Louie
5.3
1938
Soapy
5.1
1938
A. Adolphus Heyman
6.5
1938
Bill Mulligan
6.7
1938
Mitch
6.4
1938
Happy
7.0
1938
Florabelle's Father
6.7
1938
Sergeant
6.0
1938
Dennis Huggins
5.8
1937
Captain
5.8
1937
Maloney
6.0
1937
NYC policeman
7.3
1937
Bill
6.0
1937
McCabe
5.3
1937
Cop
0.0
1937
Truck Driver (uncredited)
5.7
1937
Muggsy
5.0
1937
Motorcycle Cop
5.0
1937
Foreman Butch Mehaffey
6.0
1937
Drunk
4.8
1937
Sgt. Murphy
5.5
1937
Tom
0.0
1937
Bowler
7.3
1937
Tiger Malone
6.0
1937
Tip Fuller
6.8
1937
Carlson
6.0
1936
American Detective
2.8
1936
"Sport" Conly
6.0
1936
Drunk
4.5
1936
Inspector Killian
5.0
1936
1st Deputy (uncredited)
7.5
1936
Wilson
4.7
1936
Belcher
5.0
1936
Bell Captain
6.4
1935
Prison Guard
0.0
1935
Detective Roscoe
4.5
1935
Rufe Parker
6.2
1935
Hefty
6.7
1935
Lt. Sackville
6.2
1935
Policeman
0.0
1935
Bergman
6.0
1935
Expressman (uncredited)
6.0
1935
Escaped Felon
0.0
1934
Detective
0.0
1934
Capt. W.F. 'Big Bill' Connors
6.5
1934
Denny O'Brien
4.0
1934
Babe the Butcher
6.0
1934
Undetermined Role
8.0
1934
Butler
2.0
1934
Skipper O'Neal
0.0
1934
Swedish Soldier Betting on 6 (uncredited)
6.8
1933
Paul, Perez's Second Bodyguard
4.0
1933
Harry
5.0
1933
Doc Maloney, Trainer
0.0
1933
Sam
7.0
1933
Aubrey C. Mitchell (uncredited)
6.1
1933
Detective Terrence Aloysius Hogan
4.8
1933
Boatswain
6.0
1933
Man Who Speaks Final Line of the Film
3.7
1933
Capt. Donahue
6.9
1932
Stiles
0.0
1932
'Arizona' Frank Bailey
4.8
1932
Sailor (uncredited)
5.5
1932
Butch
6.8
1932
Detective Grump
5.2
1932
Police Captain Morgan
6.7
1932
Red
0.0
1932
Al
7.0
1932
Officer Brannigan
3.0
1931
Paul Hurst
4.6
1931
Gabby
0.0
1931
Doc
6.0
1931
Mexican Bandit
0.0
1931
Bartender
4.5
1931
Detective Whip Fogarty
6.0
1931
Nick Mizoski - the Gouger
5.8
1931
Slug
0.0
1931
'Beauty' Johnson
0.0
1930
Bull Morgan
4.6
1930
Beauty
3.5
1930
'Slug', Baseball Player
5.7
1930
Pete Shore
6.4
1930
Sergeant Daly
5.0
1930
Lem Harland
5.0
1930
Mugsy
0.0
1930
Captain Antrim
3.7
1930
Pete Brierson
0.0
1930
Sgt. Westbrook
7.0
1929
Mehaffy - Policeman
4.9
1929
Railroad-Yard Superintendent
4.3
1929
Jimmylegs
5.2
1929
Rowdy Ryan
0.0
1929
Poppy
5.9
1929
Ramirez
0.0
1929
(uncredited)
6.2
1928
Sitchi
7.3
1928
Slugger McGlue
1.0
1927
Randeau
0.0
1927
Sergeant Murphy
8.0
1927
'Swig' Moran
0.0
1927
McDonald
0.0
1927
0.0
1926
0.0
1926
Checking Board Tabulator (uncredited)
0.0
1926
Emeralda's Torturer (uncredited)
6.5
1923
Powder Solvang
0.0
1919
Stevens
0.0
1918
Ike Bray
0.0
1918
Howie
0.0
1917
Steve Arnold (as Paul C. Hurst)
0.0
1917
Benton - a Foreman
0.0
1917
Roger Oakley (as Paul C. Hurst)
0.0
1916
Paul - the Brains of the I.D.B.
0.0
1916
Blatchley Turrentine
0.0
1916
Murray Sinclair
0.0
1916
Murray Sinclair
0.0
1916
0.0
1916
Howie - Stingaree's Partner
0.0
1915
Bart - Jardine's Servant
0.0
1915
Chief Dispatcher
0.0
1915
A Trainman
5.8
1915
Blair / Thompson / Michaels / Snake Henely / Mike Donegal / Bat Dorgan / Kelly / Dalton / Blake
5.8
1915
Benton, the Foreman
0.0
1914
Daniels
0.0
1914
Captain Lanning - Osborn's Rival
0.0
1914
Red Axe
0.0
1913
Bad Bill - a Desperado
0.0
1912