1888-10-14 Traver, California, USA
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)
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The Sun Shines Bright | Jimmy Bagby | 1953-05-02 |
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Big Jim McLain | Mr. Lexiter | 1952-08-30 |
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Toughest Man in Arizona | 1952-10-10 | |
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Million Dollar Pursuit | Ray Harvey | 1951-05-30 |
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The Old Frontier | Skipper Horton | 1950-07-20 |
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The Vanishing Westerner | Waldorf Worthington | 1950-03-31 |
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The Missourians | John X. Finn | 1950-11-25 |
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San Antone Ambush | Happy Daniels | 1949-10-06 |
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Law of the Golden West | Otis Ellis | 1949-05-23 |
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Outcasts of the Trail | Doc Meadowlark | 1949-06-08 |
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Pioneer Marshal | Huck Homer | 1949-11-24 |
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Ranger of Cherokee Strip | Sheriff Jug Mason | 1949-11-04 |
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South of Rio | Andy Weems | 1949-07-29 |
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Prince of the Plains | Sheriff Hank Hartley | 1949-04-08 |
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Yellow Sky | Drunk (uncredited) | 1948-12-24 |
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Who Killed Doc Robbin? | Jailer | 1948-04-09 |
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The Arizona Ranger | Ben Riddle | 1948-05-14 |
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Son of God’s Country | Eli Walker | 1948-09-15 |
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Heart of Virginia | Whit Galtry | 1948-04-25 |
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Madonna of the Desert | Pete Connors | 1948-02-23 |
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Gun Smugglers | Sergeant Hasty Jones | 1948-12-28 |
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California Firebrand | Chuck Waggoner | 1948-04-01 |
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Under Colorado Skies | Lucky John Hawkins | 1947-12-15 |
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Angel and the Badman | Frederick Carson | 1947-02-15 |
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In Old Sacramento | Stagecoach Driver | 1946-05-31 |
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The Virginian | 1946-05-05 | |
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The Plainsman and the Lady | Al | 1946-11-11 |
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Death Valley | Sergeant Dailey | 1946-08-15 |
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Murder in the Music Hall | Hobarth | 1946-04-10 |
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Scared Stiff | Sheriff | 1945-06-22 |
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Steppin' in Society | Cookie | 1945-07-09 |
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The Big Show-Off | Herbert Trafagan, aka "The Devil", a wrestler | 1945-01-22 |
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Dakota | Captain Spotts | 1945-12-15 |
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Midnight Manhunt | Murphy | 1945-07-27 |
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The Ghost That Walks Alone | Sheriff Slim Carson | 1944-02-10 |
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Barbary Coast Gent | Jake Compton | 1944-09-01 |
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Something for the Boys | Defense Plant Foreman (uncredited) | 1944-11-01 |
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Girl Rush | Muley | 1944-10-21 |
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Summer Storm | Orloff | 1944-07-14 |
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The Ox-Bow Incident | Monty Smith | 1943-03-11 |
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Coney Island | Louie | 1943-06-18 |
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The Sky's the Limit | Dock Foreman (uncredited) | 1943-07-13 |
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December 7th | World War I Ghost Soldier | 1943-03-01 |
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Hi'ya, Chum | Archie Billings | 1943-02-25 |
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Calaboose | Ed the bartender | 1943-01-29 |
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Pardon My Stripes | Feets | 1942-01-26 |
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Night in New Orleans | Sergeant Casper Riordan | 1942-07-01 |
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Dudes Are Pretty People | Two-Gun | 1942-03-13 |
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Sundown Jim | Broderick | 1942-03-27 |
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This Woman Is Mine | Second Mate Mumford | 1941-08-22 |
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The Parson of Panamint | Jake Waldren | 1941-07-25 |
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Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring | Page | 1941-11-18 |
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Tall, Dark and Handsome | Biff Sage | 1941-01-24 |
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Petticoat Politics | Slats O'Dell | 1941-01-31 |
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Virginia | Thomas | 1941-01-28 |
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Caught in the Draft | Sgt. Burns | 1941-07-04 |
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The Great Mr. Nobody | Michael O'Connor | 1941-02-15 |
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Star Dust | Mac, Amalgamated Lab Tech | 1940-04-06 |
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Tugboat Annie Sails Again | Pete | 1940-10-26 |
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Goin' Fishin' | 1940-10-26 | |
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The Westerner | Chickenfoot | 1940-09-18 |
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Edison, the Man | Sheriff | 1940-05-10 |
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Spring Parade | Headwaiter | 1940-09-27 |
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They Drive by Night | Pete Haig (uncredited) | 1940-07-26 |
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South to Karanga | Slats | 1940-08-02 |
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Castle on the Hudson | Guard (uncredited) | 1940-02-17 |
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Torrid Zone | Daniels | 1940-05-18 |
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Each Dawn I Die | Garsky | 1939-08-19 |
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Glove Slingers | Chuck Brenner | 1939-11-24 |
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Bad Lands | Curly Tom | 1939-08-28 |
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Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence | Empire State Building Guard | 1939-11-03 |
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On Your Toes | Variety Club Bartender | 1939-10-14 |
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Cafe Society | Bartender | 1939-03-03 |
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Remember? | Policeman | 1939-12-19 |
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It Could Happen to You | Sandy | 1939-06-08 |
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Broadway Serenade | Reynolds, a Drunk | 1939-04-07 |
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Quick Millions | Sheriff | 1939-08-25 |
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Gone with the Wind | Yankee Deserter | 1939-12-15 |
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No Time to Marry | Sergeant | 1938-02-05 |
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Josette | A. Adolphus Heyman | 1938-06-03 |
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The Last Express | Asst. Dist. Atty. Springer | 1938-10-27 |
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Island in the Sky | Happy | 1938-04-01 |
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My Lucky Star | Louie | 1938-09-09 |
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In Old Chicago | Mitch | 1938-04-15 |
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Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm | Florabelle's Father | 1938-03-18 |
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Secrets of a Nurse | Arlington Bysshe 'Slice' Cavanaugh | 1938-12-02 |
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Prison Break | Soapy | 1938-07-12 |
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Topper Takes a Trip | Charlie - the Bartender | 1938-12-29 |
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Hold That Co-ed | Slapsy | 1938-09-16 |
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Alexander's Ragtime Band | Bill Mulligan | 1938-05-24 |
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Trouble in Morocco | Tiger Malone | 1937-03-09 |
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Danger – Love at Work | NYC policeman | 1937-09-30 |
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We Who Are About to Die | Tip Fuller | 1937-01-08 |
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The Lady Fights Back | Maloney | 1937-10-01 |
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Ali Baba Goes to Town | Captain | 1937-10-29 |
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You Can't Beat Love | Foreman Butch Mehaffey | 1937-06-25 |
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Angel's Holiday | Sgt. Murphy | 1937-06-07 |
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Slave Ship | Drunk | 1937-06-16 |
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You Can't Have Everything | Truck Driver (uncredited) | 1937-08-02 |
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She's No Lady | Cop | 1937-08-20 |
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This Is My Affair | Bowler | 1937-05-28 |
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Second Honeymoon | Dennis Huggins | 1937-11-13 |
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The Legion of Missing Men | Muggsy | 1937-07-28 |
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Wake Up and Live | McCabe | 1937-08-23 |
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Super-Sleuth | Motorcycle Cop | 1937-07-16 |
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Wife, Doctor and Nurse | Bill | 1937-09-17 |
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Fifty Roads to Town | Tom | 1937-06-03 |
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The Gay Desperado | American Detective | 1936-10-02 |
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To Mary - with Love | Drunk | 1936-08-01 |
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Blackmailer | Inspector Killian | 1936-07-23 |
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North of Nome | Carlson | 1936-11-14 |
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Riffraff | Belcher | 1936-01-03 |
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Robin Hood of El Dorado | Wilson | 1936-03-17 |
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Mr. Deeds Goes to Town | 1st Deputy (uncredited) | 1936-04-09 |
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I'd Give My Life | "Sport" Conly | 1936-08-13 |
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The Gay Deception | Bell Captain | 1935-09-13 |
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Wilderness Mail | Jules | 1935-09-07 |
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The Case of the Curious Bride | Fibo Morgan (uncredited) | 1935-04-13 |
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Carnival | Policeman | 1935-02-15 |
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The Daring Young Man | Prison Guard | 1935-07-17 |
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Shadow of Doubt | Lt. Sackville | 1935-02-15 |
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Calm Yourself | Detective Roscoe | 1935-06-28 |
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Mississippi | Hefty | 1935-03-22 |
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Maybe It's Love | Expressman (uncredited) | 1935-01-12 |
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Sequoia | Bergman | 1935-01-16 |
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Public Hero Number 1 | Rufe Parker | 1935-05-31 |
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Take the Stand | Denny O'Brien | 1934-08-07 |
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Among the Missing | Capt. W.F. 'Big Bill' Connors | 1934-09-25 |
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A Very Honorable Guy | Butler | 1934-04-18 |
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Charlie Chan's Courage | Undetermined Role | 1934-07-06 |
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The Line-Up | Detective Sgt. Doyle | 1934-04-17 |
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Tomorrow's Youth | Detective | 1934-10-14 |
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The Ballad of Paducah Jail | Escaped Felon | 1934-10-20 |
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The Big Race | Skipper O'Neal | 1934-02-14 |
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Midnight Alibi | Babe the Butcher | 1934-07-12 |
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Queen Christina | Swedish Soldier Betting on 6 (uncredited) | 1934-02-09 |
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Grand Slam | Man Who Speaks Final Line of the Film | 1933-02-22 |
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The Women in His Life | Paul, Perez's Second Bodyguard | 1933-12-08 |
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Saturday's Millions | Doc Maloney, Trainer | 1933-09-30 |
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Day of Reckoning | Harry | 1933-10-26 |
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Tugboat Annie | Sam | 1933-08-04 |
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The Sphinx | Detective Terrence Aloysius Hogan | 1933-06-01 |
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Terror Aboard | Boatswain | 1933-04-14 |
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Hold Your Man | Aubrey C. Mitchell (uncredited) | 1933-06-30 |
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Panama Flo | Al | 1932-01-19 |
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State's Attorney | Police Captain Morgan | 1932-05-20 |
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My Pal, the King | Red | 1932-04-03 |
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The Thirteenth Guest | Detective Grump | 1932-08-09 |
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The Big Stampede | 'Arizona' Frank Bailey | 1932-09-29 |
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Men Are Such Fools | Stiles | 1932-11-18 |
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Island of Lost Souls | Capt. Donahue | 1932-12-23 |
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Hold 'Em Jail | Butch | 1932-08-19 |
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The Phantom President | Sailor (uncredited) | 1932-09-23 |
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That's My Line | Mexican Bandit | 1931-07-13 |
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Sweepstakes | Bartender | 1931-07-10 |
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The Secret Six | Nick Mizoski - the Gouger | 1931-04-18 |
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Kick In | Detective Whip Fogarty | 1931-05-22 |
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The Public Defender | Doc | 1931-08-01 |
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Maker of Men | Gabby | 1931-08-03 |
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The Secret Witness | Officer Brannigan | 1931-12-12 |
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Bad Company | Paul Hurst | 1931-10-16 |
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The Single Sin | Slug | 1931-02-23 |
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Paradise Island | Beauty | 1930-07-15 |
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The Third Alarm | 'Beauty' Johnson | 1930-11-16 |
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Hot Curves | 'Slug', Baseball Player | 1930-06-14 |
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Officer O'Brien | Captain Antrim | 1930-02-15 |
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Lucky Larkin | Pete Brierson | 1930-02-01 |
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Shadow of the Law | Pete Shore | 1930-06-06 |
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The Runaway Bride | Sergeant Daly | 1930-05-04 |
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The Swellhead | Mugsy | 1930-03-20 |
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Borrowed Wives | Bull Morgan | 1930-08-20 |
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Mountain Justice | Lem Harland | 1930-05-04 |
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The Rainbow | Pat | 1929-02-01 |
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His First Command | Sgt. Westbrook | 1929-12-28 |
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Sailor's Holiday | Jimmylegs | 1929-09-14 |
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The Lawless Legion | Ramirez | 1929-02-17 |
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The Racketeer | Mehaffy - Policeman | 1929-11-09 |
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Tide of Empire | Poppy | 1929-03-23 |
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The California Mail | Rowdy Ryan | 1929-04-07 |
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Oh, Yeah! | Railroad-Yard Superintendent | 1929-10-19 |
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Lilac Time | (uncredited) | 1928-10-18 |
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The Cossacks | Sitchi | 1928-06-23 |
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The Red Raiders | Sergeant Murphy | 1927-09-27 |
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Buttons | Slugger McGlue | 1927-12-24 |
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The Valley of the Giants | Randeau | 1927-12-04 |
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The Devil's Saddle | 'Swig' Moran | 1927-07-10 |
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Outlaw's Paradise | McDonald | 1927-03-01 |
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Roaring Road | Checking Board Tabulator (uncredited) | 1926-05-01 |
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The Fighting Ranger | 1926-09-15 | |
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Blue Streak O'Neil | 1926-12-15 | |
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The Man Who Would Not Die | 1924-02-03 | |
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The Hunchback of Notre Dame | Emeralda's Torturer (uncredited) | 1923-09-06 |
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Lightning Bryce | Powder Solvang | 1919-10-14 |
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Smashing Through | Stevens | 1918-06-09 |
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Rimrock Jones | Ike Bray | 1918-01-21 |
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The Railroad Raiders | Steve Arnold (as Paul C. Hurst) | 1917-04-09 |
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The Hazards of Helen | Benton - a Foreman | 1917-02-24 |
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The Further Adventures of Stingaree | Howie | 1917-06-01 |
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The Diamond Runners | Paul - the Brains of the I.D.B. | 1916-08-28 |
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Medicine Bend | Murray Sinclair | 1916-07-03 |
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The Manager of the B & A | Roger Oakley (as Paul C. Hurst) | 1916-09-25 |
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A Lass of the Lumberlands | 1916-01-02 | |
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Whispering Smith | Murray Sinclair | 1916-06-05 |
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Judith of the Cumberlands | Blatchley Turrentine | 1916-07-31 |
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The Girl Detective | Blair / Thompson / Michaels / Snake Henely / Mike Donegal / Bat Dorgan / Kelly / Dalton / Blake | 1915-01-02 |
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The Vivisectionist | Bart - Jardine's Servant | 1915-06-23 |
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The Red Signal | Chief Dispatcher | 1915-02-13 |
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The Hazards of Helen: Episode13, The Escape on the Fast Freight | A Trainman | 1915-02-06 |
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Stingaree | Howie - Stingaree's Partner | 1915-11-24 |
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The Quicksands | Captain Lanning - Osborn's Rival | 1914-06-10 |
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The Plot at the Railroad Cut | Benton, the Foreman | 1914-11-21 |
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The Chief of Police | Daniels | 1914-08-04 |
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The Cave Men's War | Red Axe | 1913-12-03 |
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The Driver Of The Deadwood Coach | Bad Bill - a Desperado | 1912-12-07 |
