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
Gone with the Wind
(1939)
Yankee Deserter
Queen Christina
(1933)
Swedish Soldier Betting on 6 (uncredited)
The Westerner
(1940)
Chickenfoot
My Lucky Star
(1938)
Louie
Island of Lost Souls
(1932)
Capt. Donahue
Angel and the Badman
(1947)
Frederick Carson
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
(1923)
Emeralda's Torturer (uncredited)
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
(1936)
1st Deputy (uncredited)
Dakota
(1945)
Captain Spotts
Prison Break
(1938)
Soapy
Riffraff
(1936)
Belcher
The Ox-Bow Incident
(1943)
Monty Smith
Yellow Sky
(1948)
Drunk (uncredited)
They Drive by Night
(1940)
Pete Haig (uncredited)
The Virginian
(1946)
Full Filmography
Acting
The Driver Of The Deadwood Coach
(1912)
Bad Bill - a Desperado
The Cave Men's War
(1913)
Red Axe
The Chief of Police
(1914)
Daniels
The Plot at the Railroad Cut
(1914)
Benton, the Foreman
The Quicksands
(1914)
Captain Lanning - Osborn's Rival
Stingaree
(1915)
Howie - Stingaree's Partner
The Girl Detective: The Mystery of the Tea Dansant
(1915)
(Episode #1, 2, etc.)
The Hazards of Helen: Episode13, The Escape on the Fast Freight
(1915)
A Trainman
The Red Signal
(1915)
Chief Dispatcher
The Girl Detective: Old Isaacson's Diamonds
(1915)
Snake Henely
The Vivisectionist
(1915)
Bart - Jardine's Servant
The Manager of the B & A
(1916)
Roger Oakley (as Paul C. Hurst)
The Diamond Runners
(1916)
Paul - the Brains of the I.D.B.
A Lass of the Lumberlands
(1916)
Whispering Smith
(1916)
Murray Sinclair
Judith of the Cumberlands
(1916)
Blatchley Turrentine
Medicine Bend
(1916)
Murray Sinclair
The Further Adventures of Stingaree
(1917)
Howie
The Railroad Raiders
(1917)
Steve Arnold (as Paul C. Hurst)
The Hazards of Helen
(1917)
Benton - a Foreman
Rimrock Jones
(1918)
Ike Bray
Lightning Bryce
(1919)
Powder Solvang
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
(1923)
Emeralda's Torturer (uncredited)
Roaring Road
(1926)
Checking Board Tabulator (uncredited)
Blue Streak O'Neil
(1926)
The Fighting Ranger
(1926)
Buttons
(1927)
Slugger McGlue
The Devil's Saddle
(1927)
'Swig' Moran
Outlaw's Paradise
(1927)
McDonald
The Valley of the Giants
(1927)
Randeau
The Red Raiders
(1927)
Sergeant Murphy
Lilac Time
(1928)
(uncredited)
The Cossacks
(1928)
Sitchi
The Racketeer
(1929)
Mehaffy - Policeman
The California Mail
(1929)
Rowdy Ryan
His First Command
(1929)
Sgt. Westbrook
Sailor's Holiday
(1929)
Jimmylegs
Tide of Empire
(1929)
Poppy
Oh, Yeah!
(1929)
Railroad-Yard Superintendent
The Lawless Legion
(1929)
Ramirez
Swellhead
(1930)
Mugsy
Borrowed Wives
(1930)
Bull Morgan
Mountain Justice
(1930)
Lem Harland
The Third Alarm
(1930)
'Beauty' Johnson
The Runaway Bride
(1930)
Sergeant Daly
Shadow of the Law
(1930)
Pete Shore
Paradise Island
(1930)
Beauty
Officer O'Brien
(1930)
Captain Antrim
Lucky Larkin
(1930)
Pete Brierson
Hot Curves
(1930)
'Slug', Baseball Player
Sweepstakes
(1931)
Bartender
The Secret Witness
(1931)
Officer Brannigan
Bad Company
(1931)
Paul Hurst
That's My Line
(1931)
Mexican Bandit
The Secret Six
(1931)
Nick Mizoski - the Gouger
Maker of Men
(1931)
Gabby
The Single Sin
(1931)
Slug
Kick In
(1931)
Detective Whip Fogarty
The Public Defender
(1931)
Doc
Panama Flo
(1932)
Al
The Thirteenth Guest
(1932)
Detective Grump
The Phantom President
(1932)
Sailor (uncredited)
The Big Stampede
(1932)
'Arizona' Frank Bailey
Island of Lost Souls
(1932)
Capt. Donahue
Men Are Such Fools
(1932)
Stiles
State's Attorney
(1932)
Police Captain Morgan
Hold 'Em Jail
(1932)
Butch
My Pal, the King
(1932)
Red
Day of Reckoning
(1933)
Harry
Tugboat Annie
(1933)
Sam
Saturday's Millions
(1933)
Doc Maloney, Trainer
Terror Aboard
(1933)
Boatswain
Queen Christina
(1933)
Swedish Soldier Betting on 6 (uncredited)
The Sphinx
(1933)
Detective Terrence Aloysius Hogan
The Women in His Life
(1933)
Paul, Perez's Second Bodyguard
Grand Slam
(1933)
Man Who Speaks Final Line of the Film
Midnight Alibi
(1934)
Babe the Butcher
Charlie Chan's Courage
(1934)
Undetermined Role
Tomorrow's Youth
(1934)
Detective
The Ballad of Paducah Jail
(1934)
Escaped Felon
A Very Honorable Guy
(1934)
Butler
The Big Race
(1934)
Skipper O'Neal
Take the Stand
(1934)
Denny O'Brien
Among the Missing
(1934)
Capt. W.F. 'Big Bill' Connors
Shadow of Doubt
(1935)
Lt. Sackville
Calm Yourself
(1935)
Detective Roscoe
Sequoia
(1935)
Bergman
Mississippi
(1935)
Hefty
The Gay Deception
(1935)
Bell Captain
The Daring Young Man
(1935)
Prison Guard
Carnival
(1935)
Policeman
Maybe It's Love
(1935)
Expressman (uncredited)
Public Hero Number 1
(1935)
Rufe Parker
The Gay Desperado
(1936)
American Detective
North of Nome
(1936)
Carlson
I'd Give My Life
(1936)
"Sport" Conly
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
(1936)
1st Deputy (uncredited)
Riffraff
(1936)
Belcher
Blackmailer
(1936)
Inspector Killian
Robin Hood of El Dorado
(1936)
Wilson
To Mary - with Love
(1936)
Drunk
You Can't Have Everything
(1937)
Truck Driver (uncredited)
We Who Are About to Die
(1937)
Tip Fuller
Slave Ship
(1937)
Drunk
The Lady Fights Back
(1937)
Maloney
She's No Lady
(1937)
Cop
Trouble in Morocco
(1937)
Tiger Malone
Wife, Doctor and Nurse
(1937)
Bill
Wake Up and Live
(1937)
McCabe
The Legion of Missing Men
(1937)
Muggsy
Fifty Roads to Town
(1937)
Tom
You Can't Beat Love
(1937)
Foreman Butch Mehaffey
Second Honeymoon
(1937)
Dennis Huggins
Danger – Love at Work
(1937)
NYC policeman
Angel's Holiday
(1937)
Sgt. Murphy
Super-Sleuth
(1937)
Motorcycle Cop
Ali Baba Goes to Town
(1937)
Captain
This Is My Affair
(1937)
Bowler
No Time To Marry
(1938)
Sergeant
Josette
(1938)
A. Adolphus Heyman
My Lucky Star
(1938)
Louie
Hold That Co-ed
(1938)
Slapsy
Prison Break
(1938)
Soapy
Secrets of a Nurse
(1938)
Arlington Bysshe 'Slice' Cavanaugh
Island in the Sky
(1938)
Happy
In Old Chicago
(1938)
Mitch
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
(1938)
Florabelle's Father
Topper Takes a Trip
(1938)
Charlie - the Bartender
Alexander's Ragtime Band
(1938)
Bill Mulligan
The Last Express
(1938)
Asst. Dist. Atty. Springer
Glove Slingers
(1939)
Chuck Brenner
Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence
(1939)
Empire State Building Guard
Each Dawn I Die
(1939)
Garsky
On Your Toes
(1939)
Variety Club Bartender
Cafe Society
(1939)
Bartender
Bad Lands
(1939)
Curly Tom
Remember?
(1939)
Policeman
It Could Happen to You
(1939)
Sandy
Broadway Serenade
(1939)
Reynolds, a Drunk
Gone with the Wind
(1939)
Yankee Deserter
Quick Millions
(1939)
Sheriff
Spring Parade
(1940)
Headwaiter
Edison, the Man
(1940)
Sheriff
South to Karanga
(1940)
Slats
Tugboat Annie Sails Again
(1940)
Pete
The Westerner
(1940)
Chickenfoot
Castle on the Hudson
(1940)
Guard (uncredited)
Goin' Fishin'
(1940)
Star Dust
(1940)
Mac, Amalgamated Lab Tech
They Drive by Night
(1940)
Pete Haig (uncredited)
Torrid Zone
(1940)
Daniels
The Great Mr. Nobody
(1941)
Michael O'Connor
Virginia
(1941)
Thomas
Caught in the Draft
(1941)
Sgt. Burns
Tall, Dark and Handsome
(1941)
Biff Sage
Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring
(1941)
Page
Petticoat Politics
(1941)
Slats O'Dell
This Woman Is Mine
(1941)
Second Mate Mumford
The Parson of Panamint
(1941)
Jake Waldren
Dudes Are Pretty People
(1942)
Two-Gun
Pardon My Stripes
(1942)
Feets
Night in New Orleans
(1942)
Sergeant Casper Riordan
Sundown Jim
(1942)
Broderick
The Sky's the Limit
(1943)
Dock Foreman (uncredited)
Calaboose
(1943)
Ed the bartender
December 7th
(1943)
World War I Ghost Soldier
The Ox-Bow Incident
(1943)
Monty Smith
Hi'ya, Chum
(1943)
Archie Billings
Coney Island
(1943)
Louie
Something for the Boys
(1944)
Defense Plant Foreman (uncredited)
Girl Rush
(1944)
Muley
Summer Storm
(1944)
Orloff
Barbary Coast Gent
(1944)
Jake Compton
The Ghost That Walks Alone
(1944)
Sheriff Slim Carson
Dakota
(1945)
Captain Spotts
Midnight Manhunt
(1945)
Murphy
The Big Show-Off
(1945)
Herbert Trafagan, aka "The Devil", a wrestler
Scared Stiff
(1945)
Sheriff
Steppin' in Society
(1945)
Cookie
Murder in the Music Hall
(1946)
Hobarth
In Old Sacramento
(1946)
Stagecoach Driver
Death Valley
(1946)
Sergeant Dailey
The Virginian
(1946)
The Plainsman and the Lady
(1946)
Al
Under Colorado Skies
(1947)
Lucky John Hawkins
Angel and the Badman
(1947)
Frederick Carson
Heart of Virginia
(1948)
Whit Galtry
Yellow Sky
(1948)
Drunk (uncredited)
Gun Smugglers
(1948)
Sergeant Hasty Jones
California Firebrand
(1948)
Chuck Waggoner
The Arizona Ranger
(1948)
Ben Riddle
Son of God’s Country
(1948)
Eli Walker
Madonna of the Desert
(1948)
Pete Connors
Who Killed Doc Robbin?
(1948)
Jailer
Law of the Golden West
(1949)
Otis Ellis
Outcasts of the Trail
(1949)
Doc Meadowlark
Pioneer Marshal
(1949)
Huck Homer
South of Rio
(1949)
Andy Weems
San Antone Ambush
(1949)
Happy Daniels
Prince of the Plains
(1949)
Sheriff Hank Hartley
Ranger of Cherokee Strip
(1949)
Sheriff Jug Mason
The Vanishing Westerner
(1950)
Waldorf Worthington
The Missourians
(1950)
John X. Finn
The Old Frontier
(1950)
Skipper Horton
Million Dollar Pursuit
(1951)
Ray Harvey
Big Jim McLain
(1952)
Mr. Lexiter
Toughest Man in Arizona
(1952)
The Sun Shines Bright
(1953)
Jimmy Bagby
Directing
The Red Signal
(1915)
Director
A Lass of the Lumberlands
(1916)
Director
The Further Adventures of Stingaree
(1917)
Director
The Railroad Raiders
(1917)
Director
The Woman in the Web
(1918)
Director
Play Straight or Fight
(1918)
Director
The Tiger's Trail
(1919)
Director
Lightning Bryce
(1919)
Director
Shadows of the West
(1921)
Director
King Fisher's Roost
(1921)
Director
Table Top Ranch
(1922)
Director
The Heart of a Texan
(1922)
Director
South of Northern Lights
(1922)
Director
Rangeland
(1922)
Director
Golden Silence
(1923)
Director
The Passing of Wolf MacLean
(1924)
Director
Branded a Bandit
(1924)
Director
Battling Bunyan
(1924)
Director
The Were-Tiger
(1925)
Director
The Fighting Cub
(1925)
Director
A Western Engagement
(1925)
Director
The Demon Rider
(1925)
Director
The Law of the Snow Country
(1926)
Director
Roaring Road
(1926)
Director
The Fighting Ranger
(1926)
Director
The Midnight Message
(1926)
Director
Blue Streak O'Neil
(1926)
Director
Haunted Range
(1926)
Director
Outlaw's Paradise
(1927)
Director
Production
Writing