Paul Causey Hurst, born October 15, 1888, was an American film actor and director. 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. He is best remembered for two roles: as the Yankee deserter who trespasses at Tara and is shot by Scarlett in Gone with the Wind in 1939, and his memorable characterization of the drunken and sadistic vigilante Smith in The Ox Bow Incident 1943. 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 convinced 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 Hales Western series. He appeared in 327 movies and his career spanned from 1912 to 1953. He died on February 27, 1953, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 64. He was diagnosed with terminal cancer in late 1952, and committed suicide.
Posted on: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 17:48:49 +0000
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