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)
Movie | The Sun Shines Bright | Jimmy Bagby | 1953-05-02 |
Movie | Big Jim McLain | Mr. Lexiter | 1952-08-30 |
Movie | Toughest Man in Arizona | 1952-10-10 | |
Movie | Million Dollar Pursuit | Ray Harvey | 1951-05-30 |
Movie | The Vanishing Westerner | Waldorf Worthington | 1950-03-31 |
Movie | The Missourians | John X. Finn | 1950-11-25 |
Movie | The Old Frontier | Skipper Horton | 1950-07-20 |
Movie | Law of the Golden West | Otis Ellis | 1949-05-23 |
Movie | South of Rio | Andy Weems | 1949-07-29 |
Movie | Prince of the Plains | Sheriff Hank Hartley | 1949-04-08 |
Movie | Outcasts of the Trail | Doc Meadowlark | 1949-06-08 |
Movie | Ranger of Cherokee Strip | Sheriff Jug Mason | 1949-11-04 |
Movie | Pioneer Marshal | Huck Homer | 1949-11-24 |
Movie | San Antone Ambush | Happy Daniels | 1949-10-06 |
Movie | Who Killed Doc Robbin? | Jailer | 1948-04-09 |
Movie | California Firebrand | Chuck Waggoner | 1948-04-01 |
Movie | Madonna of the Desert | Pete Connors | 1948-02-23 |
Movie | Heart of Virginia | Whit Galtry | 1948-04-25 |
Movie | Son of God’s Country | Eli Walker | 1948-09-15 |
Movie | Yellow Sky | Drunk (uncredited) | 1948-12-24 |
Movie | The Arizona Ranger | Ben Riddle | 1948-05-14 |
Movie | Gun Smugglers | Sergeant Hasty Jones | 1948-12-28 |
Movie | Angel and the Badman | Frederick Carson | 1947-02-15 |
Movie | Under Colorado Skies | Lucky John Hawkins | 1947-12-15 |
Movie | The Plainsman and the Lady | Al | 1946-11-11 |
Movie | Murder in the Music Hall | Hobarth | 1946-04-10 |
Movie | The Virginian | 1946-05-05 | |
Movie | Death Valley | Sergeant Dailey | 1946-08-15 |
Movie | In Old Sacramento | Stagecoach Driver | 1946-05-31 |
Movie | The Big Show-Off | Herbert Trafagan, aka "The Devil", a wrestler | 1945-01-22 |
Movie | Scared Stiff | Sheriff | 1945-06-22 |
Movie | Dakota | Captain Spotts | 1945-12-15 |
Movie | Steppin' in Society | Cookie | 1945-07-09 |
Movie | Midnight Manhunt | Murphy | 1945-07-27 |
Movie | The Ghost That Walks Alone | Sheriff Slim Carson | 1944-02-10 |
Movie | Summer Storm | Orloff | 1944-07-14 |
Movie | Something for the Boys | Defense Plant Foreman (uncredited) | 1944-11-01 |
Movie | Barbary Coast Gent | Jake Compton | 1944-09-01 |
Movie | Girl Rush | Muley | 1944-10-21 |
Movie | Hi'ya, Chum | Archie Billings | 1943-02-25 |
Movie | Calaboose | Ed the bartender | 1943-01-29 |
Movie | December 7th | World War I Ghost Soldier | 1943-03-01 |
Movie | The Ox-Bow Incident | Monty Smith | 1943-03-11 |
Movie | Coney Island | Louie | 1943-06-18 |
Movie | The Sky's the Limit | Dock Foreman (uncredited) | 1943-07-13 |
Movie | Sundown Jim | Broderick | 1942-03-27 |
Movie | Dudes Are Pretty People | Two-Gun | 1942-03-13 |
Movie | Night in New Orleans | Sergeant Casper Riordan | 1942-07-01 |
Movie | Virginia | Thomas | 1941-01-28 |
Movie | Tall, Dark and Handsome | Biff Sage | 1941-01-24 |
Movie | Caught in the Draft | Sgt. Burns | 1941-07-04 |
Movie | The Great Mr. Nobody | Michael O'Connor | 1941-02-15 |
Movie | This Woman Is Mine | Second Mate Mumford | 1941-08-22 |
Movie | Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring | Page | 1941-11-18 |
Movie | The Parson of Panamint | Jake Waldren | 1941-07-25 |
Movie | Edison, the Man | Sheriff | 1940-05-10 |
Movie | Star Dust | Mac, Amalgamated Lab Tech | 1940-04-06 |
Movie | Castle on the Hudson | Guard (uncredited) | 1940-02-17 |
Movie | Torrid Zone | Daniels | 1940-05-18 |
Movie | Spring Parade | Headwaiter | 1940-09-27 |
Movie | They Drive by Night | Pete Haig (uncredited) | 1940-07-26 |
Movie | Goin' Fishin' | 1940-10-26 | |
Movie | Tugboat Annie Sails Again | Pete | 1940-10-26 |
Movie | The Westerner | Chickenfoot | 1940-09-18 |
Movie | Each Dawn I Die | Garsky | 1939-08-19 |
Movie | It Could Happen to You | Sandy | 1939-06-08 |
Movie | Cafe Society | Bartender | 1939-03-03 |
Movie | Bad Lands | Curly Tom | 1939-08-28 |
Movie | Broadway Serenade | Reynolds, a Drunk | 1939-04-07 |
Movie | Quick Millions | Sheriff | 1939-08-25 |
Movie | Remember? | Policeman | 1939-12-19 |
Movie | Glove Slingers | Chuck Brenner | 1939-11-24 |
Movie | Gone with the Wind | Yankee Deserter | 1939-12-15 |
Movie | Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence | Empire State Building Guard | 1939-11-03 |
Movie | On Your Toes | Variety Club Bartender | 1939-10-14 |
Movie | In Old Chicago | Mitch | 1938-04-15 |
Movie | Island in the Sky | Happy | 1938-04-01 |
Movie | No Time To Marry | Sergeant | 1938-02-05 |
Movie | Josette | A. Adolphus Heyman | 1938-06-03 |
Movie | Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm | Florabelle's Father | 1938-03-18 |
Movie | Alexander's Ragtime Band | Bill Mulligan | 1938-05-24 |
Movie | Secrets of a Nurse | Arlington Bysshe 'Slice' Cavanaugh | 1938-12-02 |
Movie | Prison Break | Soapy | 1938-07-12 |
Movie | Hold That Co-ed | Slapsy | 1938-09-16 |
Movie | The Last Express | Asst. Dist. Atty. Springer | 1938-10-27 |
Movie | My Lucky Star | Louie | 1938-09-09 |
Movie | Topper Takes a Trip | Charlie - the Bartender | 1938-12-29 |
Movie | You Can't Beat Love | Foreman Butch Mehaffey | 1937-06-25 |
Movie | Super-Sleuth | Motorcycle Cop | 1937-07-16 |
Movie | Slave Ship | Drunk | 1937-06-16 |
Movie | We Who Are About to Die | Tip Fuller | 1937-01-08 |
Movie | The Legion of Missing Men | Muggsy | 1937-07-28 |
Movie | This Is My Affair | Bowler | 1937-05-28 |
Movie | Fifty Roads to Town | Tom | 1937-06-03 |
Movie | Angel's Holiday | Sgt. Murphy | 1937-06-07 |
Movie | You Can't Have Everything | Truck Driver (uncredited) | 1937-08-02 |
Movie | Second Honeymoon | Dennis Huggins | 1937-11-13 |
Movie | She's No Lady | Cop | 1937-08-20 |
Movie | Ali Baba Goes to Town | Captain | 1937-10-29 |
Movie | The Lady Fights Back | Maloney | 1937-10-01 |
Movie | Wake Up and Live | McCabe | 1937-08-23 |
Movie | Wife, Doctor and Nurse | Bill | 1937-09-17 |
Movie | Danger – Love at Work | NYC policeman | 1937-09-30 |
Movie | Robin Hood of El Dorado | Wilson | 1936-03-17 |
Movie | Riffraff | Belcher | 1936-01-03 |
Movie | Mr. Deeds Goes to Town | 1st Deputy (uncredited) | 1936-04-09 |
Movie | The Gay Desperado | American Detective | 1936-10-02 |
Movie | To Mary - with Love | Drunk | 1936-08-01 |
Movie | North of Nome | Carlson | 1936-11-14 |
Movie | I'd Give My Life | "Sport" Conly | 1936-08-13 |
Movie | Shadow of Doubt | Lt. Sackville | 1935-02-15 |
Movie | Sequoia | Bergman | 1935-01-16 |
Movie | Maybe It's Love | Expressman (uncredited) | 1935-01-12 |
Movie | Mississippi | Hefty | 1935-03-22 |
Movie | Carnival | Policeman | 1935-02-15 |
Movie | Public Hero Number 1 | Rufe Parker | 1935-05-31 |
Movie | Calm Yourself | Detective Roscoe | 1935-06-28 |
Movie | The Daring Young Man | Prison Guard | 1935-07-17 |
Movie | The Gay Deception | Bell Captain | 1935-09-13 |
Movie | A Very Honorable Guy | Butler | 1934-04-18 |
Movie | The Big Race | Skipper O'Neal | 1934-02-14 |
Movie | Charlie Chan's Courage | Undetermined Role | 1934-07-06 |
Movie | Midnight Alibi | Babe the Butcher | 1934-07-12 |
Movie | Among the Missing | Capt. W.F. 'Big Bill' Connors | 1934-09-25 |
Movie | Tomorrow's Youth | Detective | 1934-10-14 |
Movie | Take the Stand | Denny O'Brien | 1934-08-07 |
Movie | The Sphinx | Detective Terrence Aloysius Hogan | 1933-06-01 |
Movie | Terror Aboard | Boatswain | 1933-04-14 |
Movie | Grand Slam | Man Who Speaks Final Line of the Film | 1933-02-22 |
Movie | Tugboat Annie | Sam | 1933-08-04 |
Movie | Queen Christina | Swedish Soldier Betting on 6 (uncredited) | 1933-12-26 |
Movie | Saturday's Millions | Doc Maloney, Trainer | 1933-09-30 |
Movie | The Women in His Life | Paul, Perez's Second Bodyguard | 1933-12-08 |
Movie | Day of Reckoning | Harry | 1933-10-26 |
Movie | The Thirteenth Guest | Detective Grump | 1932-08-09 |
Movie | State's Attorney | Police Captain Morgan | 1932-05-20 |
Movie | Hold 'Em Jail | Butch | 1932-08-19 |
Movie | My Pal, the King | Red | 1932-04-03 |
Movie | Panama Flo | Al | 1932-01-19 |
Movie | The Phantom President | Sailor (uncredited) | 1932-09-23 |
Movie | Men Are Such Fools | Stiles | 1932-11-18 |
Movie | Island of Lost Souls | Capt. Donahue | 1932-12-24 |
Movie | The Big Stampede | 'Arizona' Frank Bailey | 1932-09-29 |
Movie | Kick In | Detective Whip Fogarty | 1931-05-22 |
Movie | The Secret Six | Nick Mizoski - the Gouger | 1931-04-18 |
Movie | Sweepstakes | Bartender | 1931-07-10 |
Movie | The Single Sin | Slug | 1931-02-23 |
Movie | The Public Defender | Doc | 1931-08-01 |
Movie | Bad Company | Paul Hurst | 1931-10-16 |
Movie | The Secret Witness | Officer Brannigan | 1931-12-12 |
Movie | Maker of Men | Gabby | 1931-08-03 |
Movie | Mountain Justice | Lem Harland | 1930-05-04 |
Movie | Officer O'Brien | Captain Antrim | 1930-02-15 |
Movie | Lucky Larkin | Pete Brierson | 1930-02-01 |
Movie | The Runaway Bride | Sergeant Daly | 1930-05-04 |
Movie | Hot Curves | 'Slug', Baseball Player | 1930-06-14 |
Movie | Shadow of the Law | Pete Shore | 1930-06-06 |
Movie | Borrowed Wives | Bull Morgan | 1930-08-20 |
Movie | The Third Alarm | 'Beauty' Johnson | 1930-11-16 |
Movie | Paradise Island | Beauty | 1930-07-15 |
Movie | The California Mail | Rowdy Ryan | 1929-04-07 |
Movie | The Lawless Legion | Ramirez | 1929-02-17 |
Movie | Tide of Empire | Poppy | 1929-03-23 |
Movie | Sailor's Holiday | Jimmylegs | 1929-09-14 |
Movie | Oh, Yeah! | Railroad-Yard Superintendent | 1929-10-19 |
Movie | His First Command | Sgt. Westbrook | 1929-12-28 |
Movie | The Racketeer | Mehaffy - Policeman | 1929-11-09 |
Movie | The Cossacks | Sitchi | 1928-06-23 |
Movie | Lilac Time | (uncredited) | 1928-10-18 |
Movie | Outlaw's Paradise | McDonald | 1927-03-01 |
Movie | The Devil's Saddle | 'Swig' Moran | 1927-07-10 |
Movie | Buttons | Slugger McGlue | 1927-12-24 |
Movie | The Red Raiders | Sergeant Murphy | 1927-09-27 |
Movie | The Valley of the Giants | Randeau | 1927-12-04 |
Movie | The Fighting Ranger | 1926-09-15 | |
Movie | Roaring Road | Checking Board Tabulator (uncredited) | 1926-05-01 |
Movie | Blue Streak O'Neil | 1926-12-15 | |
Movie | The Hunchback of Notre Dame | Emeralda's Torturer (uncredited) | 1923-09-06 |
Movie | Lightning Bryce | Powder Solvang | 1919-10-14 |
Movie | Rimrock Jones | Ike Bray | 1918-01-21 |
Movie | The Further Adventures of Stingaree | Howie | 1917-06-01 |
Movie | The Hazards of Helen | Benton - a Foreman | 1917-02-24 |
Movie | A Lass of the Lumberlands | 1916-01-02 | |
Movie | Medicine Bend | Murray Sinclair | 1916-07-03 |
Movie | Whispering Smith | Murray Sinclair | 1916-06-05 |
Movie | The Girl Detective: The Mystery of the Tea Dansant | (Episode #1, 2, etc.) | 1915-01-02 |
Movie | The Hazards of Helen: Episode13, The Escape on the Fast Freight | A Trainman | 1915-02-06 |
Movie | The Girl Detective: Old Isaacson's Diamonds | Snake Henely | 1915-02-25 |
Movie | The Plot at the Railroad Cut | Benton, the Foreman | 1914-11-21 |