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 firsthand knowledge of Western lore growing up surrounded by the multimillion 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 Hollywoods 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 BWesterns 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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