Paul Hurst (actor)
Encyclopedia
Paul Causey Hurst was an America
n film actor and director
.
, and raised on a ranch, he appeared in hundreds of films during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. However, he got his start painting scenery as part of the backstage crew during the silent movie era. By 1911, he was active in films as an actor, writer and director. He free lanced and worked for many of the movie studios, building a solid reputation for his work both on and off screen.
Hurst is best remembered for two roles: as the Yankee
deserter who trespasses at Tara and is shot by Scarlett in Gone with the Wind
(1939); and his memorable characterization of the drunken and sadistic vigilante Smith in The Ox Bow Incident (1943). However, he was most proud of his role as a crotchety, old rancher who refuses water to a Quaker family in the movie Angel and the Badman
, until John Wayne
convinces him to share the water. In this picture, his character displays a gamut of emotions that ultimately wins over the audience. It was after this latter role that Republic Pictures
signed him as the comic sidekick in Monte Hale
's Western series.
His last film was John Ford
's The Sun Shines Bright
.
in late 1952, and committed suicide
in February 1953. He is buried in Reedley Cemetery in Reedley
, California
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n film actor and director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
.
Career
Born in Traver, CaliforniaTraver, California
Traver is a census-designated place in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 713 at the 2010 census, down from 732 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Traver is located at ....
, and raised on a ranch, he appeared in hundreds of films during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. However, he got his start painting scenery as part of the backstage crew during the silent movie era. By 1911, he was active in films as an actor, writer and director. He free lanced and worked for many of the movie studios, building a solid reputation for his work both on and off screen.
Hurst is best remembered for two roles: as the Yankee
Yankee
The term Yankee has several interrelated and often pejorative meanings, usually referring to people originating in the northeastern United States, or still more narrowly New England, where application of the term is largely restricted to descendants of the English settlers of the region.The...
deserter who trespasses at Tara and is shot by Scarlett in Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind (film)
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard...
(1939); and his memorable characterization of the drunken and sadistic vigilante Smith in The Ox Bow Incident (1943). However, he was most proud of his role as a crotchety, old rancher who refuses water to a Quaker family in the movie Angel and the Badman
Angel and the Badman
Angel and the Badman is a 1947 black-and-white Western film, starring John Wayne, Gail Russell, Harry Carey and Bruce Cabot which examines the ability of a gunman to renounce violence. This film, which was the first one Wayne produced as well as starred in, was a departure for this genre at the...
, until John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
convinces him to share the water. In this picture, his character displays a gamut of emotions that ultimately wins over the audience. It was after this latter role that Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, operating from 1934 through 1959, and was best known for specializing in westerns, movie serials and B films emphasizing mystery and action....
signed him as the comic sidekick in Monte Hale
Monte Hale
Monte Hale was a Country singer and movie actor of B-Western films. Often reported to have been born in San Angelo, Texas, Hale was really born in Ada, Oklahoma, but a Texan location sounded better for the movies...
's Western series.
His last film was John Ford
John Ford
John Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath...
's The Sun Shines Bright
The Sun Shines Bright
The Sun Shines Bright is a 1953 comedy film directed by John Ford, based on material taken from a series of Irvin S. Cobb stories. Ford had adapted some of the same material in 1934 in his film Judge Priest. That film originally had a scene depicting the lynching of Stepin Fetchit’s character , but...
.
Death
Hurst was diagnosed with terminal cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in late 1952, and committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in February 1953. He is buried in Reedley Cemetery in Reedley
Reedley, California
Reedley is a city in Fresno County, California, United States. Reedley is located east-southeast of Fresno, at an elevation of 348 feet . The population at the 2010 census was 24,194. Its chief economic source is agriculture, particularly fruit and vegetable cultivation. The city is dubbed as...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Selected filmography
- The Sun Shines BrightThe Sun Shines BrightThe Sun Shines Bright is a 1953 comedy film directed by John Ford, based on material taken from a series of Irvin S. Cobb stories. Ford had adapted some of the same material in 1934 in his film Judge Priest. That film originally had a scene depicting the lynching of Stepin Fetchit’s character , but...
(19531953 in filmThe year 1953 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*September 16 — The Robe debuts as the first anamorphic, widescreen CinemaScope film.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:A...
) - Big Jim McLainBig Jim McLainBig Jim McLain is a 1952 political thriller film starring John Wayne and James Arness as HUAC investigators hunting down communists in the post-war Hawaii organized labor scene. Edward Ludwig directed....
(19521952 in filmThe year 1952 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 10 - Cecil B. DeMille's circus epic, The Greatest Show on Earth, premieres at Radio City Music Hall in New York City....
) - The Missourians (1950)
- The Old Frontier (1950)
- Vanishing Westerner (1950)
- Pioneer Marshal (1949)
- Ranger of the Cherokee Strip (1949)
- San Antone Ambush (1949)
- South of Rio (1949)
- Outcasts of the Trail (1949)
- Law of the Golden West (1948)
- Prince of the Plains (1948)
- Son of God's Country (1948)
- California Firebrand (1948)
- Angel and the BadmanAngel and the BadmanAngel and the Badman is a 1947 black-and-white Western film, starring John Wayne, Gail Russell, Harry Carey and Bruce Cabot which examines the ability of a gunman to renounce violence. This film, which was the first one Wayne produced as well as starred in, was a departure for this genre at the...
(19471947 in filmThe year 1947 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 22 - Great Expectations is premiered in New York.*November 24 : The United States House of Representatives of the 80th Congress voted 346 to 17 to approve citations for contempt of Congress against the "Hollywood Ten".*November 25...
) - Under California Skies (1947)
- The Ox Bow Incident (1943)
- Caught in the DraftCaught in the DraftCaught in the Draft is a 1941 comedy/war film, directed by David Butler.-Plot:Don Bolton is a famous Hollywood star who tries to get married in order to avoid the draft, as he feels it will interfere with his career...
(19411941 in filmThe year 1941 in film involved some significant events.-Events:Citizen Kane, consistently rated as one of the greatest films of all time, was released in 1941.-Top grossing films :-Academy Awards:...
)
- The Westerner (19401940 in filmThe year 1940 in film involved some significant events, including the premieres of the Walt Disney classics Pinocchio and Fantasia.-Events:*February 7 - Walt Disney's animated film Pinocchio is released....
) - Goin' Fishin'Goin' Fishin'Goin' Fishin' is a 1940 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Edward Cahn. It was the 191st Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:...
(1940) - Gone with the WindGone with the Wind (film)Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard...
(19391939 in filmThe year 1939 in motion pictures can be justified as being called the most outstanding one ever, when it comes to the high quality and high attendance at the large set of the best films that premiered in the year .- Events :Motion picture historians and film often rate...
) - Alexander's Ragtime BandAlexander's Ragtime Band (film)Alexander's Ragtime Band is a film released by Twentieth Century Fox that takes its name from the 1911 Irving Berlin song "Alexander's Ragtime Band" to tell a story of a society boy who scandalizes his family by pursuing a career in Ragtime instead of in "serious" music...
(1938) - Ali Baba Goes to TownAli Baba Goes to TownAli Baba Goes to Town is a 1937 movie starring Eddie Cantor, Tony Martin, and Roland Young. Cantor plays a hobo named Aloysius "Al" Babson, who walks into the camp of a movie company that is making the Arabian Nights. He falls asleep and dreams he is in Baghdad as an advisor to the Sultan...
(19371937 in filmThe year 1937 in film involved some significant events, including the Walt Disney production of the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.- Events :*April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US....
) - Mississippi (19351935 in film-Events:*Judy Garland signs a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer .*Seven year old Shirley Temple wins a special Academy Award.*The Bantu Educational Kinema Experiment started in order to educate the Bantu peoples.-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:...
) - Island of Lost SoulsIsland of Lost SoulsIsland of Lost Souls may refer to* Island of Lost Souls , a movie featuring Charles Laughton and Bela Lugosi* "Island of Lost Souls" , a 1981 song from Blondie's album The Hunter...
(19331933 in film-Events:* March 2 - King Kong premieres in New York City.* June 6 - The first drive-in theater opens, in Camden, New Jersey.* British Film Institute founded....
) - The Women in His LifeThe Women in His Life-Cast:* Otto Kruger as Kent 'Barry' Barringer* Una Merkel as Miss 'Simmy' Simmons* Ben Lyon as Roger McKane* Isabel Jewell as Catherine 'Cathy' Watson* Roscoe Karns as Lester* Irene Hervey as Doris Worthing* C. Henry Gordon as Tony Perez...
(1933) - The Big StampedeThe Big StampedeThe Big Stampede is a 1932 film starring John Wayne. It is a remake of the 1927 film Land Beyond the Law.-Cast:* John Wayne - Deputy Sheriff John Steele* Noah Beery - Sam Crew* Paul Hurst - 'Arizona' Frank Bailey* Mae Madison - Ginger Malloy...
(19321932 in film-Events:*Cary Grant's film career begins*Katharine Hepburn's film career begins*Shirley Temple's film career begins*Disney released Flowers and Trees, the first cartoon in three-strip Technicolor film.*Santa, first sound film made in Mexico released....
) - The Secret SixThe Secret SixFor the DC comic book see Secret Six .The Secret Six is a fast-paced 1931 Pre-Code crime film starring Wallace Beery as "Slaughterhouse Scorpio", a character very loosely based on Al Capone, and featuring Lewis Stone, John Mack Brown, Jean Harlow, Clark Gable, Marjorie Rambeau and Ralph Bellamy. ...
(19311931 in film-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:*Best Picture: Cimarron - MGM*Best Actor: Lionel Barrymore - A Free Soul*Best Actor: Wallace Beery - The Champ*Best Actor: Fredric March - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...
) - The Public DefenderThe Public DefenderThe Public Defender is a 1931 crime film directed by J. Walter Ruben, starring Richard Dix and featuring Boris Karloff. Rich playboy Pike Winslow dons the mantle of 'The Reckoner', a mysterious avenger, when he learns that his lady friend Barbara Gerry's father has been framed in a bank...
(19311931 in film-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:*Best Picture: Cimarron - MGM*Best Actor: Lionel Barrymore - A Free Soul*Best Actor: Wallace Beery - The Champ*Best Actor: Fredric March - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...
) - Maker of MenMaker of MenMaker of Men is a 1931 American melodramatic sports film directed by Edward Sedgwick and written by Howard J. Green and Edward Sedgwick. The film starred Jack Holt, Richard Cromwell, and Joan Marsh, and featured a young John Wayne in a supporting role...
(1931) - That's My LineThat's My Line (film)That's My Line is a 1931 comedy film directed by Fatty Arbuckle.-Cast:* Louis John Bartels - The Traveling Man* Paul Hurst* Doris McMahon* Gino Corrado* Bert Young* Al Thompson* Glen Cavender...
(1931) - Tide of EmpireTide of EmpireTide of Empire is an American western film directed by Allan Dwan. The film stars Renee Adoree and Tom Keene. The film was originally slated to star Joan Crawford in the female lead, but the final filming had Renee Adoree instead of Crawford...
(19291929 in film-Events:The days of the silent film are numbered. A mad scramble to provide synchronized sound is on.*January 20 - The movie In Old Arizona is released. The film is the first full-length talking film to be filmed outdoors....
) - The RacketeerThe RacketeerThe Racketeer is a 1929 American film directed by Howard Higgin.The film is also known as Love's Conquest in the United Kingdom.- Cast :*Robert Armstrong as Mahlon Keane*Carole Lombard as Rhoda Philbrooke*Roland Drew as Tony Vaughan...
(1929) - The Tiger's TrailThe Tiger's TrailThe Tiger's Trail is a 1919 adventure film serial starring Ruth Roland, directed by Robert Ellis, Louis J. Gasnier and Paul Hurst.-Plot:A cult of Hindu Tiger Worshippers and a gang of Western outlaws outlaws attempt to cheat Belle Boyd out of the valuable mine that she has inherited from her...
(19191919 in filmThe year 1919 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 5 - Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith launch United Artists...
) - Play Straight or FightPlay Straight or FightPlay Straight or Fight is a 1918 short Western film directed by Paul Hurst.-Cast:* Hoot Gibson* Helen Gibson* Millard K. Wilson* G. Raymond Nye* Noble Johnson...
(19181918 in filmThe year 1918 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*Following litigation for anti-trust activities, the US Supreme Court orders the Motion Picture Patents Company to disband....
) - A Woman in the WebA Woman in the WebA Woman in the Web is a 1918 drama film serial directed by Paul Hurst and David Smith. It was the 9th of 17 serials released by The Vitagraph Company of America. This world war one period serial about a Russian princess and the otherthrow of the Tsar introduced the concept of the Red Menace to...
(1918) - Tragedy on Bear Mountain (1915)
- StingareeStingaree (serial)Stingaree is a 1915 drama film serial directed by James W. Horne.-Cast:* True Boardman - Irving Randolph / Stingaree* Marin Sais - Ethel Porter* Paul Hurst - Howie * Thomas G. Lingham - Guy Kentish...
(19151915 in filmThe year 1915 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 8 : D.W Griffith's The Birth of a Nation premieres at Clune's Auditorium Los Angeles and breaks box office and film length records, running at a total length of 3 hrs 10 minutes.* June 18 : The Motion Picture Directors...
) - The Hazards of HelenThe Hazards of HelenThe Hazards of Helen is an American adventure film serial of 119 twelve minute episodes released over a span of slightly more than two years by the Kalem Company between November 7, 1914 and February 24, 1917....
(19141914 in filmThe year 1914 in film involved some significant events, including the debut of Cecil B. DeMille as a director.-Events:*The 3,300-seat Mark Strand Theatre opens in New York City....
)