Arthur Hoyt
Encyclopedia
Arthur Hoyt was an American film character actor
who appeared in more than 275 films in his 34 year film career, about a third of them silent film
s. He was a brother of Harry O. Hoyt
who directed the first The Lost World
(1925), and a film in which Arthur co-starred.
in 1874, Hoyt made his Broadway
debut in 1905 in a play The Prince Consort, which was not a success. He also appeared in Ferenc Molnár
's The Devil in 1908, and
made his final stand on the Great White Way in The Great Name in 1911.
Hoyt made one silent movie
in 1914, a comedy short called The Scrub Lady, but his film acting career did not begin in earnest until 1916 when he appeared in another short, The Heart of a Show Girl. From that time until 1944, not a year passed without a film being released that Hoyt had acted in – and frequently a number of them, up to a dozen or so. Hoyt had large roles in such silent films as The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
(1921), Souls for Sale
(1923), and The Lost World
(1925). He also directed two silent features, Station Content
starring Gloria Swanson
and High Stakes, and was the casting director for another, Her American Husband, all in 1918.
Hoyt's final silent film, his 80th, was The Rush Hour (1928), which starred Marie Provost. Unlike her, Hoyt survived the transition to talkies, although he generally played much smaller roles in sound films – the 5'6" Hoyt was often cast as a beleaguered husband, an exploited nine-to-fiver or a nervous politician – and he frequently did not receive screen credit for his performances. His first sound film was 1928's My Man, a musical
starring Fanny Brice
, and the pace of his work did not slack off in the sound era. He may be best remembered as the motor-court manager who hassles Clark Gable
and Claudette Colbert
in Frank Capra
's It Happened One Night
(1934).
In the 1940s, when he was nearing the end of his career, Hoyt was part of Preston Sturges
' unofficial "stock company" of character actors
, appearing in all the films written and directed by Sturges from 1940 to 1947.
At the age of 70, Hoyt, who was sometimes billed as "Mr. Arthur Hoyt", retired from acting. The last film he appeared in, Sturges' The Sin of Harold Diddlebock
was filmed in late 1944 and early 1945, although it wasn't released until 1947. Hoyt died at the Motion Picture Country Home in Woodland Hills, California on 4 January 1953, and is buried at Chapel of the Pines Crematory
in Los Angeles, California
.
Sound:
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
who appeared in more than 275 films in his 34 year film career, about a third of them silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
s. He was a brother of Harry O. Hoyt
Harry O. Hoyt
Harry O. Hoyt was an American screenwriter and film director whose career began in the silent era. His 1925 film The Lost World, based on the book by Arthur Conan Doyle, is notable as a pioneering effort in the use of stop-motion animation...
who directed the first The Lost World
The Lost World (1925 film)
The Lost World is a 1925 silent film adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's 1912 novel of the same name. The movie was produced by First National Pictures, a large Hollywood studio at the time, and stars Wallace Beery as Professor Challenger. This version was directed by Harry O...
(1925), and a film in which Arthur co-starred.
Career
Born in Georgetown, ColoradoGeorgetown, Colorado
The historic town of Georgetown is a Territorial Charter Municipality that is the county seat of Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States. The former silver mining camp along Clear Creek in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains was established in 1859 during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush...
in 1874, Hoyt made his Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
debut in 1905 in a play The Prince Consort, which was not a success. He also appeared in Ferenc Molnár
Ferenc Molnár
LanguageFerenc Molnár was a Hungarian dramatist and novelist. His Americanized name was Franz Molnar...
's The Devil in 1908, and
made his final stand on the Great White Way in The Great Name in 1911.
Hoyt made one silent movie
Silent Movie
Silent Movie is a 1976 satirical comedy film co-written, directed by, and starring Mel Brooks, and released by 20th Century Fox on June 17, 1976...
in 1914, a comedy short called The Scrub Lady, but his film acting career did not begin in earnest until 1916 when he appeared in another short, The Heart of a Show Girl. From that time until 1944, not a year passed without a film being released that Hoyt had acted in – and frequently a number of them, up to a dozen or so. Hoyt had large roles in such silent films as The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (film)
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is a 1921 silent movie produced by Metro Pictures Corporation, adapted by June Mathis, directed by Rex Ingram and starring Rudolph Valentino, Pomeroy Cannon, Josef Swickard, Wallace Beery, and Alice Terry...
(1921), Souls for Sale
Souls for Sale
Souls for Sale is a silent film written, directed, and produced by Rupert Hughes from his novel of the same name. The film featured Eleanor Boardman in her first leading role, having won a contract with Goldwyn Studios through their "New Faces of 1921" contest just two years prior.The film is most...
(1923), and The Lost World
The Lost World (1925 film)
The Lost World is a 1925 silent film adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's 1912 novel of the same name. The movie was produced by First National Pictures, a large Hollywood studio at the time, and stars Wallace Beery as Professor Challenger. This version was directed by Harry O...
(1925). He also directed two silent features, Station Content
Station Content
Station Content is a 1918 silent drama film directed by Arthur Hoyt and starring Gloria Swanson.-Cast:* Gloria Swanson - Kitty Manning* Lee Hill - Jim Manning* Arthur Millett - Stephen Morton* Nellie Allen - Mrs. Morton...
starring Gloria Swanson
Gloria Swanson
Gloria Swanson was an American actress, singer and producer. She was one of the most prominent stars during the silent film era as both an actress and a fashion icon, especially under the direction of Cecil B. DeMille, made dozens of silents and was nominated for the first Academy Award in the...
and High Stakes, and was the casting director for another, Her American Husband, all in 1918.
Hoyt's final silent film, his 80th, was The Rush Hour (1928), which starred Marie Provost. Unlike her, Hoyt survived the transition to talkies, although he generally played much smaller roles in sound films – the 5'6" Hoyt was often cast as a beleaguered husband, an exploited nine-to-fiver or a nervous politician – and he frequently did not receive screen credit for his performances. His first sound film was 1928's My Man, a musical
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
starring Fanny Brice
Fanny Brice
Fanny Brice was a popular and influential American illustrated song "model," comedienne, singer, theatre and film actress, who made many stage, radio and film appearances and is known as the creator and star of the top-rated radio comedy series, The Baby Snooks Show...
, and the pace of his work did not slack off in the sound era. He may be best remembered as the motor-court manager who hassles Clark Gable
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...
and Claudette Colbert
Claudette Colbert
Claudette Colbert was a French-born American-based actress of stage and film.Born in Paris, France and raised in New York City, Colbert began her career in Broadway productions during the 1920s, progressing to film with the advent of talking pictures...
in Frank Capra
Frank Capra
Frank Russell Capra was a Sicilian-born American film director. He emigrated to the U.S. when he was six, and eventually became a creative force behind major award-winning films during the 1930s and 1940s...
's It Happened One Night
It Happened One Night
It Happened One Night is a 1934 American romantic comedy film with elements of screwball comedy directed by Frank Capra, in which a pampered socialite tries to get out from under her father's thumb, and falls in love with a roguish reporter . The plot was based on the story Night Bus by Samuel...
(1934).
In the 1940s, when he was nearing the end of his career, Hoyt was part of Preston Sturges
Preston Sturges
Preston Sturges , originally Edmund Preston Biden, was a celebrated playwright, screenwriter and film director born in Chicago, Illinois...
' unofficial "stock company" of character actors
Preston Sturges Unofficial Stock Company Actors
Actors who frequently worked with film director Preston Sturges: !! Christmas in July !! The Lady Eve !! Sullivan's Travels !! The Palm Beach Story !! The Miracle of Morgan's Creek !! Hail the Conquering Hero !! The Great Moment !! The Sin of Harold Diddlebock !! Unfaithfully Yours !! The...
, appearing in all the films written and directed by Sturges from 1940 to 1947.
At the age of 70, Hoyt, who was sometimes billed as "Mr. Arthur Hoyt", retired from acting. The last film he appeared in, Sturges' The Sin of Harold Diddlebock
The Sin of Harold Diddlebock
The Sin of Harold Diddlebock is a 1947 comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, starring the silent film comic icon Harold Lloyd, and featuring Jimmy Conlin, Raymond Walburn, Rudy Vallee, Arline Judge, Edgar Kennedy, Franklin Pangborn and Lionel Stander...
was filmed in late 1944 and early 1945, although it wasn't released until 1947. Hoyt died at the Motion Picture Country Home in Woodland Hills, California on 4 January 1953, and is buried at Chapel of the Pines Crematory
Chapel of the Pines Crematory
Chapel of the Pines Crematory is a crematory and columbarium located at 1605 South Catalina Street Los Angeles, California, in the historic West Adams District a short distance southwest of Downtown...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
Selected filmography
Silent:- The Scrub Lady (1914)
- The Heart of a Show Girl (1916)
- The Grim GameThe Grim GameThe Grim Game is a 1919 silent film starring Harry Houdini. The film's basic plotline serves as a showcase for Houdini's talent as an escapologist, stunt performer and aviator.-Plot:...
(1919) - The Girl in Number 29The Girl in Number 29The Girl in Number 29 is a 1920 drama film directed by John Ford. The film is considered to be lost.-Cast:* Frank Mayo - Laurie Devon* Elinor Fair - Barbara Devon* Claire Anderson - Doris Williams* Robert Bolder - Jacob Epstein* Ruth Royce - Billie...
(1920) - The Four Horsemen of the ApocalypseThe Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (film)The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is a 1921 silent movie produced by Metro Pictures Corporation, adapted by June Mathis, directed by Rex Ingram and starring Rudolph Valentino, Pomeroy Cannon, Josef Swickard, Wallace Beery, and Alice Terry...
(1921) - CamilleCamille (1921 film)Camille is a 1921 silent film starring Rudolph Valentino and Alla Nazimova. It is one of numerous screen adaptations of La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The original play opened in Paris in 1852. The first Broadway production of the play opened on 9 December 1853...
(1921) - Red CourageRed CourageRed Courage is a 1921 Western film directed by B. Reeves Eason and featuring Hoot Gibson.-Cast:* Hoot Gibson - Pinto Peters* Joel Day - Chuckwalla Bill* Molly Malone - Jane Reedly* Joseph W...
(1921) - Love is an Awful Thing (1922)
- Love Piker (1923)
- Souls for SaleSouls for SaleSouls for Sale is a silent film written, directed, and produced by Rupert Hughes from his novel of the same name. The film featured Eleanor Boardman in her first leading role, having won a contract with Goldwyn Studios through their "New Faces of 1921" contest just two years prior.The film is most...
(1923) - The White FlowerThe White FlowerThe White Flower is a 1923 silent film romantic drama produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was the last film directed by early female director Julia Crawford Ivers whose son James Van Trees was the film's cinematographer. Betty Compson and Edmund Lowe star in...
(1923) - Dangerous Blonde (1924)
- Private AffairsPrivate AffairsPrivate Affairs is a 1940 film comedy starring Nancy Kelly, with a supporting cast including Hugh Herbert, Roland Young, and Robert Cummings. The movie was directed by Albert S...
(1925) - The Coming of Amos (1925)
- The Lost WorldThe Lost World (1925 film)The Lost World is a 1925 silent film adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's 1912 novel of the same name. The movie was produced by First National Pictures, a large Hollywood studio at the time, and stars Wallace Beery as Professor Challenger. This version was directed by Harry O...
(1925) - Crown of Lies 1926)
- Footloose Widows (1926)
- For Wives Only (1926)
- Midnight SunMidnight sunThe midnight sun is a natural phenomenon occurring in summer months at latitudes north and nearby to the south of the Arctic Circle, and south and nearby to the north of the Antarctic Circle where the sun remains visible at the local midnight. Given fair weather, the sun is visible for a continuous...
(1926) - An Affair of the Follies (1927)
- Husbands for Rent (1927)
- The Rejuvenation of Aunt MaryThe Rejuvenation of Aunt MaryThe Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary is a 1927 silent comedy starring veteran actress May Robson and released by Cecil B. DeMille's Producers Distributing Corporation. Robson had first appeared in the Broadway play version of this story in 1907 when she was 49. In this film she returns to enact the same...
(1927) - The Rush Hour (1928)
Sound:
- My Man (1928)
- The Wheel of LifeThe Wheel of LifeThe Wheel of Life is a famous boulder problem in Hollow Mountain Cave in the Grampians of Australia.The problem which consists of over 60 moves was first completed by Dai Koyamada in 2004, and it links up several V8 to V15 problems that were established by climbers such as Klem Loskot and Fred...
(1929) - Her Private Affair (1930)
- The Life of the PartyThe Life of the Party (1930 film)The Life of the Party is a 1930 American musical comedy film photographed entirely in Technicolor. The musical numbers of this film were cut out before general release in the United States because the public had grown tired of musicals by late 1930. Only one song was left in the picture...
(1930) - Take 'em and Shake 'emTake 'em and Shake 'emTake 'em and Shake 'em is a comedy film directed by Fatty Arbuckle.-Cast:* June MacCloy* Marion Shilling* Gertrude Short* Charles Judels* Arthur Hoyt* Frank Marlowe...
(1931) - Impatient MaidenImpatient MaidenImpatient Maiden is a drama film directed by James Whale, starring Lew Ayres and Mae Clarke, and released by Universal Pictures. The screenplay was written by Richard Schayer and Winifred Dunn, based on the novel The Impatient Virgin by Donald Henderson Clarke.-Cast:*Lew Ayres as Dr...
(1932) - American MadnessAmerican MadnessAmerican Madness is a 1932 American film directed by Frank Capra and starring Walter Huston as a New York banker embroiled in scandal. The story thematically anticipates Capra's 1946 classic It's a Wonderful Life, in which Capra repeats the "run on the bank" scene...
(1932) - Dynamite Ranch (1932)
- Love in High Gear (1932)
- Vanity Street (1932)
- The CrusaderThe Crusader (1932 film)The Crusader is a 1932 American drama film directed by Frank R. Strayer and starring Evelyn Brent.- Cast :* Evelyn Brent as Tess Brandon* H. B. Warner as Phillip Brandon* Lew Cody as Jimmie Dale* Ned Sparks as Eddie Crane* Walter Byron as Joe Carson...
(1932) - Goldie Gets AlongGoldie Gets AlongGoldie Gets Along is a 1933 film directed by Malcolm St. Clair, and starring by Lili Damita and Charles Morton. The screenplay was wtitten by William A...
(1933) - His Private SecretaryHis Private SecretaryHis Private Secretary is a 1933 comedy film starring Evalyn Knapp and John Wayne.-Cast:* Evalyn Knapp - Marion Hall* John Wayne - Dick Wallace* Reginald Barlow - Mr. Wallace* Alec B. Francis - Rev. Hall* Arthur Hoyt - Little* Natalie Kingston - Polly...
(1933) - A Shriek in the NightA Shriek in the NightA Shriek in the Night is a 1933 American comedy horror film starring Ginger Rogers, Lyle Talbot, and Harvey Clark.-Plot Outline:Rival newspaper reporters Pat Morgan and Ted Kord find themselves unravelling the mystery behind the death of a millionaire philanthropist who fell from his penthouse...
(1933) - In the MoneyIn the MoneyIn the Money is a comedy film starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on February 16, 1958 by Allied Artists Pictures and is the forty-eighth and final film in the series. It was directed by William Beaudine and written by Al Martin and Elwood Ullman.-Plot summary:Sach is hired to take...
(1934) - It Happened One NightIt Happened One NightIt Happened One Night is a 1934 American romantic comedy film with elements of screwball comedy directed by Frank Capra, in which a pampered socialite tries to get out from under her father's thumb, and falls in love with a roguish reporter . The plot was based on the story Night Bus by Samuel...
(1934) - Springtime for HenrySpringtime for HenrySpringtime for Henery is a 1934 American comedy film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Otto Kruger, Nancy Carroll and Nigel Bruce. It was based on a play of the same name by Benn W. Levy which enjoyed an eight month run on Broadway.-Plot:...
(1934) - Marrying Widows (1934)
- 1,000 Dollars a Minute1,000 Dollars a Minute1,000 Dollars a Minute is a 1935 comedy film directed by Aubrey Scotto. The film was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Sound Recording.-Cast:* Roger Pryor as Wally Jones* Leila Hyams as Dorothy Summers* Edward Brophy as Benny Dolan...
(1935) - Poor Little Rich GirlPoor Little Rich GirlPoor Little Rich Girl is a 1965 underground film by Andy Warhol starring Edie Sedgwick. Poor Little Rich Girl was conceived as the first film in part of a series featuring Sedgwick called The Poor Little Rich Girl Saga...
(1936) - Ever Since EveEver Since EveEver Since Eve is a 1937 romantic comedy film starring Marion Davies and Robert Montgomery.-Plot:Marge Winton is fed up with having to quit job after job to avoid the advances of lecherous bosses. When she goes to the employment agency, she is surprised to discover that she is too beautiful for...
(1937) - Paradise ExpressParadise Express- Cast :*Grant Withers as Lawrence 'Larry' Doyle*Dorothy Appleby as Kay Carson*Arthur Hoyt as Phineas K. Trotter*Maude Eburne as Maggie Casey*Harry Davenport as Jed Carson*Donald Kirke as Armstrong*Arthur Loft as Glover*Lew Kelly as Tom Wilson...
(1937) - The Great McGintyThe Great McGintyThe Great McGinty is a 1940 political satire comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, starring Brian Donlevy and Akim Tamiroff and featuring William Demarest and Muriel Angelus. It was Sturges's first film as a director; he sold the story to Paramount Pictures for just $10 on condition...
(1940) - Sullivan's TravelsSullivan's TravelsSullivan's Travels is a 1941 American comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges. It is a satire about a movie director, played by Joel McCrea, who longs to make a socially relevant drama, but eventually learns that comedies are his more valuable contribution to society. The film features...
(1941) - The Palm Beach StoryThe Palm Beach StoryThe Palm Beach Story is a 1942 romantic screwball comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, and starring Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea, Mary Astor and Rudy Vallée. Victor Young contributed the lively musical score, including a fast-paced variation of William Tell Overture for the...
(1942) - Hail the Conquering HeroHail the Conquering HeroHail the Conquering Hero is a satirical comedy/drama written and directed by Preston Sturges, starring Eddie Bracken, Ella Raines and William Demarest, and featuring Raymond Walburn, Franklin Pangborn, Elizabeth Patterson and Bill Edwards....
(1944) - The Sin of Harold DiddlebockThe Sin of Harold DiddlebockThe Sin of Harold Diddlebock is a 1947 comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, starring the silent film comic icon Harold Lloyd, and featuring Jimmy Conlin, Raymond Walburn, Rudy Vallee, Arline Judge, Edgar Kennedy, Franklin Pangborn and Lionel Stander...
(1947)