Paul Hurst

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)

Personal info

Gender

Male

Birthday

1888-10-14

Place of birth

Traver, California, USA

Images

Cast

Roaring Road

Roaring Road

1926

0.00

Scared Stiff

Scared Stiff

1945

4.00

Hi'ya, Chum

Hi'ya, Chum

1943

6.00

Summer Storm

Summer Storm

1944

5.30

The Sphinx

The Sphinx

1933

4.46

Bad Company

Bad Company

1931

4.60

December 7th

December 7th

1943

5.80

Stingaree

Stingaree

1915

0.00

Sequoia

Sequoia

1935

6.00

Swellhead

Swellhead

1930

0.00

The Cossacks

The Cossacks

1928

7.30

Calaboose

Calaboose

1943

0.00

Sweepstakes

Sweepstakes

1931

4.50

Hot Curves

Hot Curves

1930

5.70

Remember?

Remember?

1939

5.80

Bad Lands

Bad Lands

1939

3.70

Girl Rush

Girl Rush

1944

5.00

Virginia

Virginia

1941

0.00

Prison Break

Prison Break

1938

5.17

Lucky Larkin

Lucky Larkin

1930

0.00

Slave Ship

Slave Ship

1937

4.80

Josette

Josette

1938

6.50

Cafe Society

Cafe Society

1939

6.00

Lilac Time

Lilac Time

1928

6.20

On Your Toes

On Your Toes

1939

3.90

Oh, Yeah!

Oh, Yeah!

1929

4.30

South of Rio

South of Rio

1949

0.00

Dakota

Dakota

1945

5.10

Death Valley

Death Valley

1946

5.00

Coney Island

Coney Island

1943

6.13

Maker of Men

Maker of Men

1931

0.00

Torrid Zone

Torrid Zone

1940

6.39

Panama Flo

Panama Flo

1932

7.00

Sundown Jim

Sundown Jim

1942

0.00

Kick In

Kick In

1931

6.00

Carnival

Carnival

1935

0.00

Yellow Sky

Yellow Sky

1948

6.90

Super-Sleuth

Super-Sleuth

1937

5.00

Star Dust

Star Dust

1940

4.70

The Big Race

The Big Race

1934

0.00

Grand Slam

Grand Slam

1933

3.70

Blackmailer

Blackmailer

1936

5.00

Buttons

Buttons

1927

1.00

Mississippi

Mississippi

1935

6.70

Riffraff

Riffraff

1936

5.00