All MoviesTV ShowsPeopleDiscover

Browse By Genre

ActionAdventureAnimationComedyCrimeDocumentaryDramaFamilyFantasyHistoryHorrorMusicMysteryRomanceScience FictionTV MovieThrillerWarWestern
NextFlixCinematic Explorer

Paul Hurst

Paul Hurst profile
Known For: Acting
Birthday: 1888-10-14
Place of Birth: Traver, California, USA
Popularity: 0.5

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)

Known For Filmography

Gone with the Wind poster

Gone with the Wind

1939
Angel and the Badman poster

Angel and the Badman

1947
The Ox-Bow Incident poster

The Ox-Bow Incident

1943
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town poster

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

1936
The Hunchback of Notre Dame poster

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

1923
Island of Lost Souls poster

Island of Lost Souls

1932
The Westerner poster

The Westerner

1940
Yellow Sky poster

Yellow Sky

1948
Dakota poster

Dakota

1945
The Virginian poster

The Virginian

1946
Alexander's Ragtime Band poster

Alexander's Ragtime Band

1938
Queen Christina poster

Queen Christina

1934
They Drive by Night poster

They Drive by Night

1940
Each Dawn I Die poster

Each Dawn I Die

1939
Coney Island poster

Coney Island

1943
Robin Hood of El Dorado poster

Robin Hood of El Dorado

1936
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm poster

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

1938
Something for the Boys poster

Something for the Boys

1944
Super-Sleuth poster

Super-Sleuth

1937
Broadway Serenade poster

Broadway Serenade

1939
Slave Ship poster

Slave Ship

1937
Caught in the Draft poster

Caught in the Draft

1941
Big Jim McLain poster

Big Jim McLain

1952
Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence poster

Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence

1939
The Sun Shines Bright poster

The Sun Shines Bright

1953
Night in New Orleans poster

Night in New Orleans

1942
Summer Storm poster

Summer Storm

1944
This Is My Affair poster

This Is My Affair

1937
Midnight Manhunt poster

Midnight Manhunt

1945
Torrid Zone poster

Torrid Zone

1940
Tall, Dark and Handsome poster

Tall, Dark and Handsome

1941
Riffraff poster

Riffraff

1936
The Case of the Curious Bride poster

The Case of the Curious Bride

1935
The Gay Deception poster

The Gay Deception

1935
Star Dust poster

Star Dust

1940
Public Hero Number 1 poster

Public Hero Number 1

1935
Remember? poster

Remember?

1939
The Valley of the Giants poster

The Valley of the Giants

1927
Edison, the Man poster

Edison, the Man

1940
Toughest Man in Arizona poster

Toughest Man in Arizona

1952
Mississippi poster

Mississippi

1935
December 7th poster

December 7th

1943
Ali Baba Goes to Town poster

Ali Baba Goes to Town

1937
The Secret Six poster

The Secret Six

1931
Cafe Society poster

Cafe Society

1939
The Last Express poster

The Last Express

1938
In Old Chicago poster

In Old Chicago

1938
State's Attorney poster

State's Attorney

1932
Grand Slam poster

Grand Slam

1933
The Secret Witness poster

The Secret Witness

1931
This Woman Is Mine poster

This Woman Is Mine

1941
The Thirteenth Guest poster

The Thirteenth Guest

1932
Charlie Chan's Courage poster

Charlie Chan's Courage

1934
Midnight Alibi poster

Midnight Alibi

1934
The Sky's the Limit poster

The Sky's the Limit

1943
We Who Are About to Die poster

We Who Are About to Die

1937
The Vanishing Westerner poster

The Vanishing Westerner

1950
Tugboat Annie poster

Tugboat Annie

1933
The Sphinx poster

The Sphinx

1933
Castle on the Hudson poster

Castle on the Hudson

1940
Buttons poster

Buttons

1927
Topper Takes a Trip poster

Topper Takes a Trip

1938
Danger – Love at Work poster

Danger – Love at Work

1937
The Racketeer poster

The Racketeer

1929
Lilac Time poster

Lilac Time

1928
Death Valley poster

Death Valley

1946
The Red Raiders poster

The Red Raiders

1927
The Runaway Bride poster

The Runaway Bride

1930
Angel's Holiday poster

Angel's Holiday

1937
Under Colorado Skies poster

Under Colorado Skies

1947
Tugboat Annie Sails Again poster

Tugboat Annie Sails Again

1940
The California Mail poster

The California Mail

1929
Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring poster

Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring

1941
The Public Defender poster

The Public Defender

1931
The Daring Young Man poster

The Daring Young Man

1935
Sweepstakes poster

Sweepstakes

1931
Hold Your Man poster

Hold Your Man

1933
Josette poster

Josette

1938
The Plainsman and the Lady poster

The Plainsman and the Lady

1946
Girl Rush poster

Girl Rush

1944
The Cossacks poster

The Cossacks

1928
Sundown Jim poster

Sundown Jim

1942
The Great Mr. Nobody poster

The Great Mr. Nobody

1941
Pardon My Stripes poster

Pardon My Stripes

1942
My Lucky Star poster

My Lucky Star

1938
Scared Stiff poster

Scared Stiff

1945
No Photo

The Lady Fights Back

1937
The Arizona Ranger poster

The Arizona Ranger

1948
The Parson of Panamint poster

The Parson of Panamint

1941
The Missourians poster

The Missourians

1950
Among the Missing poster

Among the Missing

1934
To Mary - with Love poster

To Mary - with Love

1936
Oh, Yeah! poster

Oh, Yeah!

1929
Hot Curves poster

Hot Curves

1930
The Big Stampede poster

The Big Stampede

1932
Pioneer Marshal poster

Pioneer Marshal

1949
Maker of Men poster

Maker of Men

1931
No Time to Marry poster

No Time to Marry

1938
Calm Yourself poster

Calm Yourself

1935
The Legion of Missing Men poster

The Legion of Missing Men

1937
Secrets of a Nurse poster

Secrets of a Nurse

1938
Son of God’s Country poster

Son of God’s Country

1948
Shadow of the Law poster

Shadow of the Law

1930
The Cave Men's War poster

The Cave Men's War

1913
Wife, Doctor and Nurse poster

Wife, Doctor and Nurse

1937
Mountain Justice poster

Mountain Justice

1930
Fifty Roads to Town poster

Fifty Roads to Town

1937
Shadow of Doubt poster

Shadow of Doubt

1935
California Firebrand poster

California Firebrand

1948
In Old Sacramento poster

In Old Sacramento

1946
Kick In poster

Kick In

1931
Law of the Golden West poster

Law of the Golden West

1949
Carnival poster

Carnival

1935
The Girl Detective poster

The Girl Detective

1915
You Can't Beat Love poster

You Can't Beat Love

1937
A Very Honorable Guy poster

A Very Honorable Guy

1934
No Photo

The Quicksands

1914
Heart of Virginia poster

Heart of Virginia

1948
You Can't Have Everything poster

You Can't Have Everything

1937
Blue Streak O'Neil poster

Blue Streak O'Neil

1926
The Phantom President poster

The Phantom President

1932
That's My Line poster

That's My Line

1931
Spring Parade poster

Spring Parade

1940
Petticoat Politics poster

Petticoat Politics

1941
Gun Smugglers poster

Gun Smugglers

1948
North of Nome poster

North of Nome

1936
Day of Reckoning poster

Day of Reckoning

1933
The Women in His Life poster

The Women in His Life

1933
Island in the Sky poster

Island in the Sky

1938
Million Dollar Pursuit poster

Million Dollar Pursuit

1951
Murder in the Music Hall poster

Murder in the Music Hall

1946
The Gay Desperado poster

The Gay Desperado

1936
Tomorrow's Youth poster

Tomorrow's Youth

1934
Prison Break poster

Prison Break

1938
Hold 'Em Jail poster

Hold 'Em Jail

1932
Borrowed Wives poster

Borrowed Wives

1930
Madonna of the Desert poster

Madonna of the Desert

1948
Trouble in Morocco poster

Trouble in Morocco

1937
Rimrock Jones poster

Rimrock Jones

1918
My Pal, the King poster

My Pal, the King

1932
Prince of the Plains poster

Prince of the Plains

1949
The Hazards of Helen: Episode13, The Escape on the Fast Freight poster

The Hazards of Helen: Episode13, The Escape on the Fast Freight

1915
Wake Up and Live poster

Wake Up and Live

1937
Sequoia poster

Sequoia

1935
On Your Toes poster

On Your Toes

1939
Panama Flo poster

Panama Flo

1932
The Big Show-Off poster

The Big Show-Off

1945
No Photo

Wilderness Mail

1935
Maybe It's Love poster

Maybe It's Love

1935
Sailor's Holiday poster

Sailor's Holiday

1929
Barbary Coast Gent poster

Barbary Coast Gent

1944
Whispering Smith poster

Whispering Smith

1916
South of Rio poster

South of Rio

1949
Who Killed Doc Robbin? poster

Who Killed Doc Robbin?

1948
The Lawless Legion poster

The Lawless Legion

1929
Men Are Such Fools poster

Men Are Such Fools

1932
Bad Lands poster

Bad Lands

1939
Officer O'Brien poster

Officer O'Brien

1930
The Ghost That Walks Alone poster

The Ghost That Walks Alone

1944
The Railroad Raiders poster

The Railroad Raiders

1917
The Devil's Saddle poster

The Devil's Saddle

1927
No Photo

Outlaw's Paradise

1927
Outcasts of the Trail poster

Outcasts of the Trail

1949
Blackmailer poster

Blackmailer

1936
Terror Aboard poster

Terror Aboard

1933
The Single Sin poster

The Single Sin

1931
No Photo

It Could Happen to You

1939
The Third Alarm poster

The Third Alarm

1930
Hold That Co-ed poster

Hold That Co-ed

1938
Second Honeymoon poster

Second Honeymoon

1937
Paradise Island poster

Paradise Island

1930
Take the Stand poster

Take the Stand

1934
The Line-Up poster

The Line-Up

1934
Ranger of Cherokee Strip poster

Ranger of Cherokee Strip

1949
The Hazards of Helen poster

The Hazards of Helen

1917
Glove Slingers poster

Glove Slingers

1939
Dudes Are Pretty People poster

Dudes Are Pretty People

1942
The Rainbow poster

The Rainbow

1929
Roaring Road poster

Roaring Road

1926
Virginia poster

Virginia

1941
Lucky Larkin poster

Lucky Larkin

1930
Bad Company poster

Bad Company

1931
The Big Race poster

The Big Race

1934
The Ballad of Paducah Jail poster

The Ballad of Paducah Jail

1934
South to Karanga poster

South to Karanga

1940
Smashing Through poster

Smashing Through

1918
Medicine Bend poster

Medicine Bend

1916
Saturday's Millions poster

Saturday's Millions

1933
Goin' Fishin' poster

Goin' Fishin'

1940
The Old Frontier poster

The Old Frontier

1950
Tide of Empire poster

Tide of Empire

1929
Steppin' in Society poster

Steppin' in Society

1945
No Photo

The Fighting Ranger

1926
Quick Millions poster

Quick Millions

1939
Calaboose poster

Calaboose

1943
Stingaree poster

Stingaree

1915
The Red Signal poster

The Red Signal

1915
His First Command poster

His First Command

1929
She's No Lady poster

She's No Lady

1937
San Antone Ambush poster

San Antone Ambush

1949
The Manager of the B & A poster

The Manager of the B & A

1916
No Photo

The Chief of Police

1914
Lightning Bryce poster

Lightning Bryce

1919
No Photo

I'd Give My Life

1936
Judith of the Cumberlands poster

Judith of the Cumberlands

1916
A Lass of the Lumberlands poster

A Lass of the Lumberlands

1916
The Plot at the Railroad Cut poster

The Plot at the Railroad Cut

1914
Swellhead poster

Swellhead

1930
The Vivisectionist poster

The Vivisectionist

1915
No Photo

The Diamond Runners

1916
Hi'ya, Chum poster

Hi'ya, Chum

1943
No Photo

The Man Who Would Not Die

1924
The Further Adventures of Stingaree poster

The Further Adventures of Stingaree

1917
The Driver Of The Deadwood Coach poster

The Driver Of The Deadwood Coach

1912