Paul Hurst Movies
When American actor Paul Hurst became the comedy sidekick in the Monte Hale western series at Republic in the early '50s, he came by the work naturally; he had been born and bred on California's Miller and Lux Ranch. While in his teens, Hurst attained his first theatre job as a scenery painter in San Francisco, making his on-stage debut at age 19. In 1911, Hurst ventured into western films, wearing three hats as a writer, director and actor. He worked ceaselessly in character roles throughout the '20s, '30s and '40s, most often in comedy parts as dim-witted police officers and muscle-headed athletes. He also showed up in leading roles in 2-reelers, notably as a punchdrunk trainer in Columbia's Glove Slingers series. On at least two memorable occasions, Hurst eschewed comedy for villainy: in 1943's The Ox-Bow Incident, he's the lynch-mob member who ghoulishly reminds the victims what's in store for them by grabbing his collar and making choking sounds. And in Gone with the Wind, Hurst is Hell personified as the Yankee deserter and would-be rapist whom Scarlet O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) shoots in the face at point blank range. Paul Hurst kept busy into the early '50s; at the age of 65, he ended his career and his life in suicide. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1953
Director John Ford, notoriously difficult to please, regarded The Sun Shines Bright as his favorite film. Laurence Stalllings' screenplay is based on several short stories by Kentucky humorist Irvin S. Cobb, some of which had previously been cinematized in Ford's 1934 Will Rogers vehicle Judge Priest. Charles Winninger stars as Judge William Pittman Priest, whose down-home, common-sense approach to his job has endeared himself to most of the residents of his small Kentucky home town, while alienating many of the "better" people. Up for election, Judge Priest is challenged by a Yankee upstart who has most of the influential citizens in his pocket. Almost deliberately courting defeat, the doggedly honest Priest champions several unpopular causes. In the film's most memorable scene, the Judge arranges a fancy funeral procession for an impoverished town prostitute. The film retains much of the charm of its predecessor Judge Priest; unfortunately (at least by P.C. standards), The Sun Shines Bright also retains the most questionable aspect of the earlier film: the stereotyped routines of African-American comedian Stepin Fetchit. One hardly knows how to react to the sequence in which the supplicative Fetchit tries to hush up a defiant young black man who is in danger of being lynched (Ford plays this scene for laughs!) While Fetchit's participation will hardly endear the film to modern audiences, it is unfair to write off the rest of The Sun Shines Bright, which otherwise fully lives up to director Ford's affectionate assessment. Long available only in its 90 minute release version, the film has in recent years been restored to the 100-minute "director's cut." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Charles Winninger, Arleen Whelan, (more)
- 1952
In his second and last Western for Republic Pictures, former bandleader Vaughn Monroe plays a marshal returning to Tombstone with a wanted gun-runner (Victor Jory) when he stumbles upon a woman (Joan Leslie) and a couple of children, apparently the only survivors of an Indian raid on a wagon train. The woman's cowardly husband, a telegrapher (Harry Morgan), had managed to escape and is now helping the gun-runner's siblings (Ian MacDonald and Lee MacGregor) to both free their brother and attack a valuable shipment of silver. When Monroe comes gunning for the bandits, he learns that the supposedly dead husband of the woman he has grown to love is still alive. There is a final shootout and the marshal comes face-to-face with his rival, now a murderer. Learning that her husband is to be tried in Prescott, Leslie loyally leaves to be with him despite the fact that she has fallen in love with Monroe. But, as Monroe's young daughter (Diana Christian) predicts, "she'll be back." In between the action, Monroe finds time to perform "Hound Dog," "Bay at the Moon," "A Man's Best Friend is His Horse," and the ballad "The Man Don't Live Who Can't Die Alone." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- Starring:
- Vaughn Monroe, Joan Leslie, (more)
Of all the "kill the commies" cold war films of the 1950s, John Wayne's Big Jim McLain may well be the worst. Certainly it's the hardest one to sit through today. The Duke and his partner Jim Arness (Wayne's real-life protege) head to Hawaii to investigate a subversive pro-Red organization. Feigning love for suspect Nancy Olson, Wayne ferrets out the name of the Big Cheese, played by Gayne Whitman. After a long wild-goose chase, peopled by such oddball types as Hans Conried and Alan Napier, Wayne catches up with his quarry, who has--egad!--already murdered Arness. Wayne exacts vengeance, paving the way for a final clinch with Nancy Olson, who turns out to be true-blue and not red after all. To quote Spike Jones: "Peeeeee.....yewwwww." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Wayne, Nancy Olson, (more)
- 1951
An all-supporting-player cast graces the Republic actioner Million Dollar Pursuit. Top billing goes to Penny Edwards as nightclub chanteuse Bonnie Laverne, but the film's leading character is small-time crook Monte Norris, played by Norman Budd. Planning a major heist, Norris gets in over his head when he enlists the aid of more experienced criminals, headed by cabaret owner Carlo Petrov (Grant Withers). So fascinating are the villainous characters in Million Dollar Pursuit that nominal good guy Lt. Whitcomb (Steve Flagg) seems downright intrusive. The film was an early TV arrival, where it has shown up with startling frequency on the nation's many Late Late Shows. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Penny Edwards, Grant Withers, (more)
- 1950
This Monte Hale western casts the tall-in-the-saddle hero as a wandering cavalier who strikes a blow for tolerance. Hale is sheriff of a jerkwater frontier town where Polish/American Robert Neil is treated with contempt by certain prejudiced townsfolk. Neil's kinsman Roy Barcroft comes to town with the intent of pulling off a robbery. Implicated in the crime, Neil is cleared by Hale, who also makes a heartfelt speech against judging one by his heritage. As in all of his Republic program westerns, Monte Hale is given an opportunity to sing in The Missourians, though in this case the musical elements take a back seat to the story and its moral. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Monte Hale, Paul Hurst, (more)
- 1950
Despite its somewhat lofty, Zane Grey-flavored title, The Vanishing Westerner is a modest Republic western, off and on the screen in about an hour. Cowboy hero Monte Hale is accused of the murder of sheriff Arthur Space. The principal accuser is Space's look-alike British cousin, who stirs the townsfolk into a lynch-mob mentality. While on the run, Hale discovers that the "murder" sheriff was never dead in the first place; he's disguised himself as his own cousin, in order to cover up his criminal activities with bandit Roy Barcroft. With the help of his grizzled sidekick Paul Hurst, Hale brings the villains to justice and clears his name. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Monte Hale, Paul Hurst, (more)
- 1950
Breaking from the Republic tradition, cowboy star Monte Hale does not play a character named Monte Hale in The Old Frontier. Instead, Hale is cast as town marshal Barney Regan. It is Barney's formidable task to round up a gang of bank robbers and expose the "Mr. Big" behind all the robberies. Some novelty value is provided by comical sidekick Paul Hurst, here cast as a seafaring man named Skipper Horton, who insists upon imposing his nautical vernacular on every frontiersman he meets. The villainy is in the capable (if unwashed) hands of Tristam Coffin and William Haade. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Monte Hale, Paul Hurst, (more)
- 1949
An above-average entry in Republic Pictures' fine Monte Hale series, this Western was directed by John Ford's nephew, Philip Ford. Hale stars as legendary lawman Pat Garrett, here winning the Fourth of July buckboard race in a small Nevada town against the unscrupulous Fred Smith (Ted Mapes) and pretty Lavinia White (Jeff Donnell). Lavinia blames Garrett for sending her pa, Ivory White (John Gallaudet), to jail for robbing 100,000 dollars. White, who has stashed the loot away someplace, is about to be released and plans to return the money to the express office for the sake of his children, Lavinia and Chad (Tommy Ivo). Nasty Jim Judd (Roy Barcroft), however, forces Lavinia to help him rob the coach carrying Ivory and the money, counting on the fact that White will keep quiet for his daughter's sake. Garrett's sudden appearance ruins the plan and Ivory is able to make good on his promise. Not about to say goodbye to a windfall, Judd breaks into the express office safe and takes off with the loot, kidnapping little Chad White along the way. The villain chooses a wagon loaded with explosive for his getaway vehicle, but the pursuing Garret manages to rescue the boy just as the wagon explodes. Hale, whose hero has absolutely nothing to do with the historical Garrett, is fine and even makes his crooning of "I Wish I Was a Boy Again" seem less out of place than could be expected. But the studio's public enemy number one, Roy Barcroft, at his despicable best, easily steals the show, going as far as using spunky little Tommy Ivo to get what he wants. Close behind him is Hollywood's perennial undertaker, the cadaverous Milton Parsons, here playing a crooked express office clerk with a phony British accent. The comedy relief is provided by yet another veteran Bad Guy, Paul Hurst, as an absent-minded barber-dentist. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- Starring:
- Monte Hale, Paul Hurst, (more)
- 1949
Monte Hale stars in the Republic oater Pioneer Marshal. This time, Hale is cast as Ted Post, a Texas marshal who's on the trail of embezzler Larry Forester (Myron Healey). His search takes him to a remote frontier town that serves as an outlaw hideaway. All previous lawmen have been disposed of by town boss Bruce Burnett (Damian O'Flynn), who demands a hefty price for his services. By travelling incognito, Post manages to escape detection by Burnett -- at least for five reels. Pioneer Marshal is capped by one of the most fascinating variations on the traditional hero-villain shootout ever conceived for a "B" western. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Monte Hale, Paul Hurst, (more)
- 1949
Republic singing cowboy Monte Hale headlines San Antone Ambush. It's the usual melange of fast action, black-hearted villains and blazing guns, expertly assembled by veteran western helmsman Philip Ford. Hale plays an Army officer who investigates the robbery charges levelled against rancher Clint Wheeler (James B. Cardwell). The crimes are actually the handiwork of crooked federal commissioner Roberts (who else but Roy Barcroft). Evidently Hale was trying to shed his musical image, since he doesn't sing at all in the film's 60 minutes. Director Ford's father Francis Ford (brother of John) shows up in a supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1949
Singing cowboy Monte Hale was relying more on action than songs by the time he starred in Republic's Prince of the Plains. Hale is cast as none other than Bat Masterson, who in this film is in the process of becoming a famed gunslinger. The reason for this metamorphosis is the brutal murder of a banker by a crooked photographer (Rory Mallinson). Masterson recognizes the villain as a member of the gang responsible for the death of his own father, and the guns start a-blazin'. Republic "regulars" Roy Barcroft and Lane Bradford do their usual, while Shirley Davis proves feminine appeal. Unlike the previous season's Monte Hale vehicles, Prince of the Plains was lensed in black-and-white rather than color, providing the film with an aura of gritty austerity. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Monte Hale, Paul Hurst, (more)
- 1949
Ranger of Cherokee Strip stars Republic horse-opera hero Monte Hale. This time, Steve Howard (Hale) comes to the aid of Joe Bearclaws (Douglas Kennedy), a patriotic Cherokee tribesman who tries to halt the exploitation of his people by unscrupulous cattlemen. The villains manage to frame Joe for murder, but the Indian escapes from jail. Assigned to track down Joe and return him to prison, Howard instead champions the Cherokee's cause and endeavors to bring the true culprits to justice. Roy Barcroft does his usual scowling-badman bit, while George Meeker turns in an interesting portrayal as a ham actor who figures prominently in the murder plot. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Monte Hale, Paul Hurst, (more)
- 1949
Many observers felt that western star Monte Hale finally hit his stride with Law of the Golden West. This time, Hale plays young William Cody in his pre-Buffalo Bill days. When his wagon train is raided by bandits and his father is killed, Cody doggedly pursues the villains, with only a hotel-room key as a clue to the head culprit's identity. The bad guys include John Holland as a well-Educated easterner with a predilection for quoting Shakespeare to his nonplussed henchmen (including the inevitable Roy Barcroft) Gail Davis, who went on to play TV's Annie Oakley, is Hale's spirited leading lady, while Paul Hurst provides chuckles as a grizzled hotelier. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Monte Hale, Paul Hurst, (more)
- 1949
Singing cowboy Monte Hale rides back into view in Republic's South of Rio. Borrowing a page from Hollywood's gangster-flick lexicon, Hale tackles a group of protection racketeers who were responsible for his dishonorable discharge from the Arizona Rangers. Making things dicey is the fact that one of the gang members (Douglas Kennedy) is Monte's own brother. The fact that Roy Barcroft is the head of the crooks comes as no surprise; it is surprising, however, to find traditional comic relief Paul Hurst in a relatively straight role as a newspaper reporter. South of Rio was one of several Monte Hale starrers directed by Philip Ford, the nephew of John Ford. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Monte Hale, Kay Christopher, (more)
- 1948
Tim Holt stars in Gun Smugglers, stretching his range by playing a character named Tim Holt. Our Hero, once again teamed with wisecracking Chico Rafferty (Richard Martin), is working on behalf of the government. His quarry: A gang of mercenary criminals who steal weapons from the US Army, then sell their contraband to sinister Enemy Agents (most of whom wear baggy suits and drink vodka). There's a surprise in store for Holt when he puts his trust in a small boy (Gary Gray), who turns out to be a member of the gang! Tim Holt's leading lady in Gun Smugglers is the up and coming Martha Hyer, in her sixth film. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tim Holt, Richard Martin, (more)
- 1948
Republic's heartwarming Heart of Virginia has the homey charm of a 1930s "regional" picture. In one of his rare late-1940s leading roles, Frankie Darro plays a reckless jockey who'll stop at nothing to win. His fierce competitiveness results in the death of another rider. With the help of understanding Janet Martin, the daughter of his former boss, Darro redeems himself. The film benefits from its location footage and thrill-packed racing sequences. Originally released at 60 minutes, Heart of Virginia is generally available in the slightly abridged TV version. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Janet Martin, Robert Lowery, (more)
- 1948
Son of God's Country stars singing cowboy Monte Hale in his traditional screen role of do-gooder and last-minute problem-solver. This time, it's the old "evil land baron" plot again, with the villains eager to grab up all available ranch property, then sell it back to the incoming railroad. The chief heavy (Jim Nolan) orders the killings of several ranchers, carefully framing a former Confederate officer (Steve Darrell) for the murders. Hale puts an end to this perfidy with the assistance of comic sidekick Eli Walker (Paul Hurst). Surprisingly, Monte Hale is permitted to sing only once. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Monte Hale, Pamela Blake, (more)
- 1948
Its poetic title aside, Republic's Madonna of the Desert is a formula murder mystery with an occasional surprise or two. The titular madonna is a priceless statue owned by wealthy rancher Joe Salinas (Don Castle). Crooked Nick Julian (Sheldon Leonard) intends to steal the statue, enlisting the aid of the lovely Monica Dale (Lynne Roberts). Meanwhile, another team of crooks headed by Tony French (Don Barry) plans to beat Julian to the punch. Ah, but it said that the madonna has miraculous powers which will melt even the most larcenous of hearts. Under the influence of the "little lady," Monica and Tony mend their ways and fall in love. Unfortunately, Nick and the other crooks manage to resist the madonna's peculiar charms, leading to a typically violent Republic Pictures climax. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Roy Barcroft, Don "Red" Barry, (more)
William Wellman's westerns always seemed a little claustrophobic, but in Yellow Sky the director's technique works to the film's advantage. Outlaw leader Gregory Peck takes refuge in a frontier ghost town. The only inhabitants are elderly James Barton and his pretty granddaughter Anne Baxter. Barton reveals that there's gold hereabouts, prompting a few of Peck's companions--especially Richard Widmark--to plot the old man's demise and claim the treasure for themselves. For his part, Peck is basically honorable, and offers to split fifty-fifty with Barton. Dissension, hostility and gunplay ensue, finally narrowing down to a standoff between Peck and Widmark. Yellow Sky was based on a novel by W.R. Burnett, who moved from westerns to gangster stories and back again with the greatest of ease. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gregory Peck, Anne Baxter, (more)
- 1948
In this western, a troubled, battle-weary youth must somehow put his life together after he is discharged from Roosevelt's Rough Riders. His father wants him to take over the family ranch, but the son is still too haunted by war's horrors to care. Instead he begins wandering aimlessly until he gets involved with a battered wife. He takes care of her abuser and eventually falls in love with her. It is her love that finally helps him heal. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1948
Also known as California Outpost, Old Los Angeles stars Bill Elliot in one of his expanded-budget Republic "specials." The film is set during the early statehood days of California, with Elliot keeping the peace and warding off plunderers and marauders. As always, Elliot is a "peaceable man"--until he beats the tar out of those who rile him. The problem with Elliot's more expensive Republic vehicles is that action invariably took a back seat to plot, romance, costumes and decor. Within a year of Old Los Angeles, Elliot started a more austere, less prettified and far superior western series. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Carroll, Catherine McLeod, (more)
- 1948
The tragic death from a heart attack of veteran supporting player LeRoy Mason marred the filming of this, Monte Hale's first music western of 1948. Returning to the town of Gunnison to investigate the murder of his uncle, Hale is mistaken for a notorious outlaw (Daniel M. Sheridan) and hired as the town's new sheriff by crooked mayor Douglas Evans. Assigned to run the local gold miners off their claims, Hale and sidekick Paul Hurst instead work to trap the real culprits, nasty Tristram Coffin and his gang of cutthroats. Coffin, who also appears disguised as a dimwitted Indian, was in many ways LeRoy Mason's replacement as Republic Pictures' resident Mustachioed Boss Villain. Filmed in the studio's low-budget color system, Trucolor, California Firebrand once again teamed Hale with the singing group Foy Willing & the Riders of the Purple Sage, this time featuring girl singer Alice Tyrrell. According to an unsubstantiated claim, Forrest Tucker dubbed the voice of supporting actor Daniel M. Sheridan. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- Starring:
- Monte Hale, Adrian Booth, (more)
Also known as A Miracle Can Happen, On Our Merry Way is a multipart comedy linked by inquiring reporter Burgess Meredith. It is Meredith's job to interview several people, asking them what effect children have had on their lives. First he checks with two itinerant musicians (James Stewart and Henry Fonda), who earn extra under-the-counter money by fixing a music contest so the mayor's son will win. Next he meets Hollywood extras Dorothy Lamour and Victor Moore, who are hired to work with a precocious child star. Finally, the old "Ransom of Red Chief" twist is given to the tale of hoboes Fred MacMurray and William Demarest, who find themselves at the mercy of a preteen prankster, whose wealthy uncle (Hugh Herbert) won't take the kid back unless the hoboes pay him. Meredith returns to the newspaper office with a black eye, which earns him the sympathy and affection of coworker Paulette Goddard. Though the direction is credited to Leslie Fenton, portions of On Our Merry Way were actually directed (sans credit) by George Stevens and King Vidor. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Burgess Meredith, Paulette Goddard, (more)
One of John Wayne's most mystical films, Angel and the Badman is also the first production that Wayne personally produced. The star plays a wounded outlaw who is sheltered by a Quaker family. Attracted to the family's angelic daughter Gail Russell, the hard-bitten Wayne undergoes a slow and subtle character transformation; still, he is obsessed with killing the man (Bruce Cabot) who murdered his foster father. The storyline traces not only the regeneration of Wayne, but of the single-minded sheriff (Harry Carey) who'd previously been determined to bring Wayne to justice. Not a big hit in 1947, Angel and the Badman has since become the most frequently telecast of John Wayne's Republic films, thanks to its lapse into Public Domain status in 1974. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Joan Barton, John Wayne, (more)
- 1947
Filmed in "glorious" Trucolor, a low-budget substitute for Technicolor, Under Colorado Skies remains a standard B-Western, neither better nor worse than the majority of late-1940s sagebrush fare from genre specialist Republic Pictures. Monte Hale stars as a medical student moonlighting as a bank teller. Arriving on the scene in the middle of a robbery, Hale discovers that one of the bandits (John Alvin) is the brother of his girlfriend (Adrian Booth). To shield the wayward youth from prosecution, our hero accepts blame for both the robbery and the death of the bank's owner (Raymond Bond), but manages to escape on the way to jail. Hooking up with entertainers Foy Willing & the Riders of the Purple Sage, he then goes undercover as a performer in a saloon owned by Paul Hurst. Learning the whereabouts of the bandits, Monte fakes his own death and is later able to flush out their leader, the nefarious William Haade. As always, Hale does well in both the fistfights and as a balladeer, accompanied here by Foy Willing and the Riders in such selections as "San Antonio Rose", by Bob Wills, "Holiday for the Blues", by Willing and Sid Robin, and "Wait for the Wagon", by George P. Knauff and Sid Robin. In one of her eight westerns with Hale, Adrian Booth is, as always, a fetching sight and the veteran Paul Hurst makes a welcome addition to the Hale oeuvre. Hurst would go on to appear in all but one of Hale's subsequent vehicles, providing his own brand of homey comic relief. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- Starring:
- Monte Hale, Adrian Booth, (more)
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