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, All Movie Guide- 1915
Not a continuing serial, The Girl Detective was instead a series of vaguely connected two-reel melodramas (the exact number is unknown) centered around a society girl (Ruth Roland) who obtains a special position within the police due to her unique talents for detective work. A future serial queen in her own right, the brunette Miss Roland had had enough of the grind after the seventh installment and was replaced by Cleo Ridgeley, who had played a supporting role up to that point. The Girl Detective was produced in California by the Kalem company and also featured Thomas Lingham and his wife Anna, Frank Jonasson, future B-Western villain Paul Hurst, director James W. Horne himself and Knute Olaf Rahmn, a Swedish born portrait photographer who also doubled as cameraman. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1916
The popular star-director team of Helen Holmes and J. P. Gowan (they were also husband and wife) once more delivered the entertainment goods in Judith of the Cumberlands. Holmes plays the title character, the daughter of a feuding mountain family. The decades-long battle comes to an end after one of the families nearly bumps off its own offspring. Along the way, Helen indulges in the cliff-hanging thrills, and hairbreadth escapes that were her specialties. Judith of the Cumberlands was based on the novel by Alice McGowan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1916
Although this picture was adapted from a novel by Vaughn Kester, it was shot primarily because of controversy over a potential railroad strike that was currently in the news -- this was guaranteed to make it a draw. Dan Oakley (Leo Maloney) becomes a railroad manager and his attempt to slash expenses by layoffs and lengthening hours incurs the workers' wrath. With the help of Griffith Ryder (Thomas G. Lingham), labor leader and newspaper editor, they call a strike. The water main which supplies the railroad yards is cut, and a hot engine starts a fire. With water unavailable, the fire spreads to town, but through his superhuman efforts, Oakley gets it under control. His heroic moves win favor with the workers, and the strike is history. Ryder, meanwhile, has been killed, and this leaves the way open for Oakley to be with the girl they both loved, Constance Emory (Helen Holmes). Although she had little to do with the film's plot, Holmes received star billing. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1918
Young prospector Hod Mason (Herbert Rawlinson) decides to call it quits when land promoter Marco (Neal Hart) offers to purchase his claim for a ridiculously low sum. Upon learning that he's been cheated by Marco, Mason chases after the crook, catching up with him in a small Midwestern town. Wasting no time, Marco has already convinced several gullible locals to invest in a phony mine. Among his victims is the mother of Holly Brandon (Sally Starr), with whom Mason has fallen in love. Ever conniving, Marco manages to arrange a forced marriage with Holly -- a perfect set-up for the sort of last-minute "race to the rescue" that was par for the course in the films of Herbert Rawlinson). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1918
Rimrock Jones (Wallace Reid) is the toughest and most likeable prospector in a thriving Arizona copper camp. Having already been cheated out of several valuable copper strikes, Rimrock nonetheless forges ahead optimistically, hoping to strike it rich just once more. Unfortunately, he can't find anyone to finance his latest expedition -- except for a pretty public stenographer (Ann Little) who uses her life savings to grubstake our hero. When Rimrock finally hits pay dirt, he tries to repay the girl for her generosity, only to find that she wants to be a full partner in his copper mine. While he mulls this over, Rimrock's rivals try to bamboozle him out of his mine with the help of a sexy "vamp" (Edna Mae Cooper). At the villainess' behest, he heads to New York and tries to play the stock market, with disastrous results. In his absence, Rimrock's enemies attempt to lay claim to his mine, but once again he is saved by the resourceful girl stenographer. And when he returns to Arizona without a penny in his pocket, it is the heroine who restores his fortune and faith in mankind, a "grand gesture" that results in a happy marriage. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1919
Produced by Universal and released in 15 installments, this Western serial made a star of former rodeo rider Jack Hoxie. Contrary to some reports, however, the chapterplay was not Hoxie's first lead. He had worked in films for years, often obscure two-reel Westerns with director/actor James Young Deer. As Hoxie himself put it, "I played the lead, the heavy, the sheriff, or any part, but they were not Jack Hoxie pictures." Lightning Bryce, in which he co-starred with the vibrant Ann Little, was just that, a Jack Hoxie serial and one of the best Westerns of the early silent era. Hoxie and Little go in search of an ancient treasure, the location of which is inscribed on a knife. There is a villain, of course (Paul Hurst, who also directed), and a mystery lady (Jill Woodward), who always seems to be around to save Lightning and Ann from whatever danger they've gotten themselves into. Hoxie was badly injured when a trained wolf he was supposed to be wrestling became a bit too enthusiastic. The serial was produced by Poverty Row regular Benjamin F. Wilson, who changed Hoxie's first name from Hart(ford) to Jack. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1920
A bizarre mix of "yellow peril" sensationalism and ordinary Wild West shenanigans, this silent melodrama was directed by actor Paul Hurst. Pat O'Brien -- who may or may not have been the Pat O'Brien of hard-boiled Warner Bros. talkies -- starred as Jim Kern, a cowpoke enlisting in the war to end all wars. Returning from the front, Kern finds that an "Oriental," Frank Akuri (Seymour Zeliff), has not only forced his sweetheart, Mary (Hedda Nova), off her ranch but is planning to colonize the United States on behalf of Japan. Jim, naturally, takes umbrage to this unwholesome scheme and when Akuri kidnaps Mary for wholly prurient reasons, the cowboy and a war buddy (Pat Corbett) put everything they have learned fighting the Evil Hun to good use. Mary is rescued in the nick of time and the American West is liberated from tyranny once and for all. Shadows of the West was apparently produced in eight reels in 1920 but thought unreleasable due to its inflammatory characterization of Japan. Motion Picture Producing Co. of America reduced the film to five reels, eliminating the worst of the "yellow peril" propaganda in favor of the more wholesome Western aspects. As such, it was finally distributed by National Exchanges in 1921. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1921
Based on a 1921 short story, Baa, Baa Black Sheep, by the prolific Wilbur C. Tuttle, this independently produced silent Western starred Neal Hart, a distant cousin of William S. Hart, as Rex Carson, a young rancher who turns highwayman in an attempt to protect the sheep farmers from the ubiquitous cattlemen's association. The plot was one of the most enduring clichés in Westerns of the 1920s. Black Sheep was produced by Louis Chaudet and Paul Hurst (who also directed) and released on the states rights market by Pinnacle Pictures. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1922
Lily Becker (Hope Hampton) is the musically talented daughter whose mother forces her into a marriage to the son of a wealthy man. Mistreated by the callous husband, she flees to New York to make it in the music business. She gives birth to a child and attempts suicide when she nearly starves to death for lack of work. A sympathetic young songwriter who has been down the same road takes her in and offers her the benefit of his musical experience. Lily becomes a successful opera singer the very night her husband perishes in a train wreck. She also must overcome the tragic death of her beloved baby. Lily overcomes her misfortunes to become a successful singer. After her husband dies, she is free to pursue romance with the young maestro in this routine melodrama. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- 1922
Second-echelon cowboy star Neal Hart and lovely Yvette Mitchell fall prey to an outwardly respectable but deeply corrupt businessman (William Quinn) in this low-budget silent western from Pinnacle. The supposedly solid citizen is known across the Mexican border as bandit leader "Kingfisher," and when Hart and girlfriend crosses his way, he accuses the former of horse theft and the latter of shop-lifting. The bandit leader is in love with the girl and promises to drop the charges if she denounces Hart. The latter does not take all this lying down, however, and rides to Mexico in search of the truth. An enigmatic actor, veteran bad-man William Quinn appeared on screen from around 1914 through the mid 1930s. He was frequently cast opposite Neal Hart, but is perhaps best remembered as the villain "Rawhide Pete" in Daughter of the West (1918), an oater starring moppet Baby Marie Osborne. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Neal Hart, Yvette Mitchell, (more)
- 1922
Silent western star Jack Hoxie's second film for producer Anthony Xydias' Sunset Productions, Crow's Nest featured the burly ex-cowboy as Esteban who, raised by an Indian woman (Mary Bruce, is unaware that he is the heir to a ranch. There's a usurper (Tom Lingham) who tries to keep Esteban's real heritage a secret, but the truth will come out, and the young man begins the fight to reclaim what is rightfully his. This is yet another western skirting the taboo of miscegenation by making the hero a white boy raised by Indians after a massacre that killed his parents. Leading lady Evelyn Nelson made 11 films with Hoxie. Tragically, she committed suicide by gas in her Hollywood home, June 16, 1923. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Hoxie, Rudd Weatherwax, (more)
- 1922
Actor-director Paul Hurst also wrote this average low-budget Western starring Neal Hart. Hart attempts to save a mother (Sara Bindley) and her daughter (Hazel Maye) from a gang of rustlers led by nasty William Quinn. Kidnapped, Hart and the women are rescued in the nick of time by the ubiquitous Texas Rangers. Stunt-man Yakima Canutt plays one of the gang and diminutive comic Ben Corbett is Hart's sidekick, a "half-breed" who saves the day by rounding up the Rangers. Leading lady Hazel Maye was also known under the name Hazel Deane. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Neal Hart
- 1922
Directed and written by veteran character actor Paul Hurst, this low-budget silent Western starred Neal Hart as John Marvin, a drifter who comes to the aid of a beleaguered female sheep farmer, Kate Bowers (Hazel Maye). Kate's late father had promised his cattle ranching neighbors not to let his sheep graze on their land, a promise Kate herself cannot live up to. The girl is pursued by lecherous Palque Powell (William Quinn), who takes umbrage to Marvin's arrival and attempts to get rid of his rival by blowing him to kingdom come. Marvin, however, escapes serious injury and is able to save Kate from the angry cattle ranchers. Table Top Ranch was produced by William Steiner. Maye also acted under the name Hazel Deane. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Neal Hart, William Quinn, (more)
- 1923
Made on location in Nevada by a minor company calling itself Sylvanite Productions, this obscure silent western starred Jack Perrin as a cowboy who accidentally hears about a plot to frame lovely Hedda Nova's father in a robbery scheme. The real culprit is the owner of the stage, seeking revenge after Miss Nova rejected his romantic advances. Actress Hedda Nova hailed from the Ukraine and was the star of the 1918 Vitagraph serial The Woman in the Web. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hedda Nova
- 1924
Falsely accused of murdering a prospector and on the lam from the law, rancher Jess Dean (Yakima Canutt) not only tracks down the real culprit (shifty-eyed Wilbur McGaugh) but earns the love and respect of his enemy's daughter (Aly Murrell). Directed by prolific western performer Paul Hurst, this independently produced silent western was one of the earliest starring vehicles for legendary stunt-coordinator Yakima Canutt. Cannutt's career as a leading man didn't survive the changeover to sound, but his stunt work made a lasting impression on the film industry and earned him a special Academy Award in 1966 "for creating the profession of stunt man as it exists today." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yakima Canutt, Judge Hamilton, (more)
- 1924
Bunyan (Wesley Barry, who was too old for former child roles, but too young to be a credible adult) works as a garage mechanic and his sweetheart, Molly Coshgan (Molly Malone), also works there. When Johnny Prentiss, the lightweight champion (Johnny Relasco), comes into the garage and starts flirting with Molly, Bunyan wants to fight him. This gives Prentiss' manager, Jim Canby (Frank Campeau) an idea -- he offers to pay Bunyan to stage comic fights to amuse the audience. Bunyan agrees since he is saving up to buy a partnership in the garage. When Prentiss comes back to town for another fight, Canby offers Bunyan 200 dollars for every round that he can stay in the ring with the champ. Bunyan is thrilled because a thousand dollars is what he needs for the partnership. He only manages to stay for four rounds, but he's still a hero to Molly, who goes to see him. She's stopped, however, by Prentiss, who makes a grab for her. Bunyan immediately springs into action and knocks his opponent cold. Canby lets him have the full thousand, and Bunyan is able to buy the partnership and wed Molly. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wesley Barry
- 1925
One of the greatest western stars of all time, Ken Maynard began his long starring career for poverty-row producer J. Charles Davis. In this typical low-budget oater, Ken plays a ranch foreman suspected of being the Black Hawk, leader of a gang of outlaws. He isn't, of course, and manages to catch the real gang leader (Tom London. Davis had hired six former Ziegfeld girls for this series and it was always interesting to see how they would be fitted into the western decor. This time, the girls played stranded tourists and got in the way of the action from time to time to show a bit of leg. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1925
Freckle-faced Wesley Barry was one of the most popular juvenile stars of the 1920s. In The Fighting Cub, Barry plays Thomas Patrick O'Toole, a copy boy who aspires to be an ace reporter. He takes the first step in this direction when he secures an interview with a beloved philanthropist (George Fawcett). Taking a liking to the old coot, O'Toole is in for a jolt when he learns that the philanthropist is actually the leader of a criminal gang. The script has its cake and eats it too by contriving a change of heart for the gang leader, obliging O'Toole to keep his discovery a secret. Fighting Cub was written by Adele Buffington, better known for her scores of western-movie screenplays; the film's leading lady was Mildred Harris, better known as the first Mrs. Charlie Chaplin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1926
Mary Carr, Hollywood's favorite "martyr mother," does her usual in The Midnight Message. Carr plays the widowed, impoverished mom of Western Union messenger boy John Fox Jr. Dispatched to deliver a night telegram to millionaire Otis Harlan, Fox is overpowered by a gang of burglars. Soon, however, he turns the tables on the crooks, earning a huge reward for his efforts. Fox spends the money on a new sewing machine for her mother, a gift she accepts with unbounded gratitude -- though frankly, the money could have been better spent on a new wardrobe. Midnight Message was directed by Paul Hurst, better known for such acting roles as the Yankee Deserter in Gone with the Wind (1939). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mary Carr, Wanda Hawley, (more)
- 1926
A very young Ken Maynard stars in this his first series of westerns produced by poverty row's J. Charles Davis. To publicize his little oaters, Davis hired six former Ziegfeld chorus girls and billed them The Six Hollywood Beauties. The writers (here the dependable Frank Howard Clark) were then given the unenviable task of placing the girls in a western setting. Here they appear, a bit uneasily, as diners in a cantina scene. The story is the usual one in which the hero must solve the murder of his benefactor within six months in order to inherit a valuable ranch. Maynard being Maynard does just that, and in much less than six months. The task is made a lot easier by the presence of Tom London, a character actor almost always on the wrong side of the law. London plays a masked killer known as the "The Black Rider," and the mystery isn't very mysterious. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alma Rayford, Fred Burns, (more)
- 1927
Producing and directing his own films, Leo Maloney almost always used the talents of Ford I. Beebe to compose his scripts. Beebe knew every cliche in the book and used several of them in this minor western, which Maloney released through the Pathé organization. On the way to claim his inheritance, Maloney is held up by a villain who proceeds to take over his identity. Maloney himself, meanwhile, is jailed for the villain's crimes but is able to escape and capture the impostor. Beebe later used everything he learned from Maloney to embark on a long and fruitful career helming "B"-Westerns and such serials as Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938) and The Green Hornet (1940). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leo Maloney, Eugenia Gilbert, (more)
- 1927
Red Raiders is the best-known of Ken Maynard's silent westerns, and not without reason. While the title tells all plotwise, the film transcends its "Cowboys vs. Indians" trappings with its sympathetic portrayal of Maynard's Native American opponents. Yes, the Indians do go on the warpath against the whites, but only after the headstrong young chief (played by Chief Yowlachie) is extensively advised not to resort to violence by his level-headed tribal elders. In fact, it is the death of this hostile chief that brings about a "lasting" peace between the Indians and the settlers in the final footage. Of historical interest is the fact that the film was largely shot on the site of Custer's Last Stand, with one of the few living veterans of that confrontation, an Indian named White Man Runs Him, appearing as "himself." During filming of the battle scenes in Red Raiders, one of the Native American extras was killed with live ammunition; reprisals from the local Indians were avoided when it was discovered that the dead man was murdered by his own son-in-law, a domestic dispute that had nothing to do with the film. Red Raiders was for many years the only "B" western to be included in the repertory of the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Maynard
- 1927
Valley of the Giants is about the struggle between the evil Pennington (Charles Sellon), owner of a local railroad and Bruce Cardigan (Milton Sills), whose family owns a lumber mill. Pennington wants control of the Cardigan possessions, so he cuts off service to the mill. The Cardigans also need to obtain a franchise from the city council, which, too, is under the control of Pennington. This melodrama isn't always as heavy as it sounds. There are moments of humor, such as those offered by Arthur Stone who poses as a Chicago millionaire to help the Cardigans get their franchise. Sills' real-life wife, Doris Kenyon, plays the film's love interest, Shirley Pennington. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Milton Sills, Doris Kenyon, (more)
- 1927
Buttons was another mild entry in the ever-fading career of juvenile star Jackie Coogan. This is the story of a London slum boy who manages to land a job as a page on a luxury ocean liner. Performing above and beyond the call of duty, "Buttons" prevents leading lady Gertrude Olmstead from entering into a disastrous marriage with fortune-hunting Roy D'Arcy. Inevitably, the ship hits an iceberg, but while the passengers and the rest of the crew head for the lifeboats, "Buttons" loyally returns -- to go down with the ship with his best friend, the captain; fortunately, both are saved just before they sink beneath the waves. After completing Buttons, 13-year-old Jackie Coogan temporarily retired from films to enter military school; he would not be seen on screen again until 1930's Tom Sawyer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gertrude Olmstead, Jackie Coogan, (more)
