
John Hart
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1917-12-13
Day of Death
2009-09-20 (91 years old)
Place of Birth
Los Angeles, California, USA
John Hart
Biography
John Lewis Hart, also credited as John Hilton was an American film and television actor. In his early career, Hart appeared mostly in Westerns. Although Hart played mostly minor roles in some fairly well known films, he was probably best known for having replaced Clayton Moore in 1952 in the television series, The Lone Ranger for one season from 1952 until 1953.
Hart began his screen career in 1937 with a bit part in Daughter of Shanghai. He continued in a variety of B pictures such as Prison Farm and King of Alcatraz before appearing in two of Cecil B. DeMille's films The Buccaneer and North West Mounted Police. In 1941, Hart's acting career was interrupted when he was drafted into the United States Army. He rose to the rank of first sergeant in the Coast Artillery and eventually served in the Philippines. Following his military service, Hart worked frequently for Sam Katzman; he was given the lead role in the Jack Armstrong film serial. Hart did stunt work and acted in numerous Westerns
Hart was eventually offered the opportunity to replace Clayton Moore on The Lone Ranger television series. Based on the assumption that the masked character, rather than the actor, was the true star of The Lone Ranger, the program's producers fired Moore (presumably over salary differences) and replaced him with Hart, who was of a similar build and had a comparable background in Westerns. However, the public never truly accepted Hart as the Lone Ranger, and by 1954 the producers returned Moore to the role. According to Clayton Moore's autobiography I Was That Masked Man, Moore never knew why he was replaced by Hart, and also stated that he had not sought a pay increase. Hart acted in minor roles in two episodes of The Lone Ranger before being asked to replace Clayton Moore for the entire third season. The episodes were "Rifles and Renegades" (#34) and "Sheriff at Gunstock" (#46).
Hart continued to act in films for more than two decades, appearing in films of several genres, almost always in supporting roles. Hart appeared twice in on the TV series I Love Lucy as Lucy's old boyfriend and again in the Hollywood episodes as a lifeguard at the hotel pool. In 1955, Hart starred in The Adventures of Captain Africa, which was originally intended to be a new movie about famous comic book hero The Phantom. However, licensing issues forced Columbia Pictures re-film the entire serial and re-christen the hero "Captain Africa." Hart also had numerous supporting roles in the Highway Patrol TV series. In 1965 Hart made two brief appearances on the TV series Perry Mason, including the role of title character and murder victim Jamison Selff in "The Case of the Wrathful Wraith." In the 1970 film The Phynx, Hart played the Lone Ranger alongside Jay Silverheels as Tonto, spoofing their characters. Hart's last theatrical film appearance was in 1981's The Legend of the Lone Ranger in which he appeared as a newspaper editor. He appeared in the television series Happy Days as the Lone Ranger in the episode "Hi Yo, Fonzie Away". In this episode Fonzie, played by Henry Winkler, meets his childhood hero, the Lone Ranger, for his birthday. Hart's other major late appearance was in an episode of The Greatest American Hero, My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys, where Hart gives the title character an inspiring speech about heroism.
Acting
(2018)
Hope & Fury: MLK, the Movement and the Media
as Self (archive footage)
(1994)
(1981)
The Legend of the Lone Ranger
as Lucas Striker
(1978)
The Astral Factor
as Harbormaster
(1978)
Kate Bliss and the Ticker Tape Kid
as Jake Terry
(1978)
The Gift of Love
as Justice of the Peace
(1976)
Blood Voyage
as Jules
(1975)
Gemini Affair
as Bob
(1974)
The Centerfold Girls
as Sheriff
(1974)
Welcome to Arrow Beach
as Doctor
(1974)
The Great Ice Rip-Off
as Klein Salesman
(1974)
Only with Married Men
as Minister
(1973)
Blackenstein
as Dr. Stein
(1973)
Bonnie's Kids
as Sheriff with Sunglasses
(1973)
The Roommates
as Sheriff Sam
(1970)
The Phynx
as The Lone Ranger
(1968)
Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?
as Policeman (uncredited)
(1967)
Riot on Sunset Strip
as Pritchard
(1966)
Hold On!
as Detective #2
(1965)
The Cincinnati Kid
as Poker Player (uncredited)
(1965)
The Sandpiper
as Trooper (uncredited)
(1965)
Day of the Nightmare
as Dr. Philip Crane
(1964)
Marnie
as Dr. Gilliat (uncredited)
(1964)
Viva Las Vegas
as Casino Patron (uncredited)
(1964)
36 Hours
as Lt. Cmdr. Perkins (uncredited)
(1964)
Mondo Inferno
as Commentator
(1964)
The Long Rifle and the Tomahawk
as Nat 'Hawkeye' Cutler
(1963)
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
as State Trooper (uncredited)
(1962)
Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol
as Billings / Stage Manager / Milkman (voice)
(1961)
Atlantis: The Lost Continent
as Nobleman (uncredited)
(1961)
Go Naked in the World
as Club Doorman (uncredited)
(1960)
The Subterraneans
as Cop (uncredited)
(1960)
Noose for a Gunman
as Dave Barker - Avery Gunman (uncredited)
(1959)
Vice Raid
as Blond Gunman at Office Door
(1959)
The Diary of a High School Bride
as Policeman
(1958)
Wolf Dog
as Andy Bates (uncredited)
(1957)
Along the Mohawk Trail
as Nat 'Hawkeye' Cutler
(1956)
The Ten Commandments
as Cretan Ambassador (uncredited)
(1955)
The Man Who Loved Redheads
as Sergei
(1955)
Dial Red O
as Uniformed Deputy (uncredited)
(1955)
(1955)
(1955)
Adventures of Captain Africa
as Captain Africa
(1953)
Prince of Pirates
as Captain of the Guards (uncredited)
(1953)
The Great Adventures of Captain Kidd
as Mate Jenkins
(1952)
Caribbean
as Stuart
(1952)
The Living Bible
as Matthew
(1952)
The Pathfinder
as British Sergeant
(1952)
Kansas Territory
as U.S. Marshal Matt Furness
(1951)
Warpath
as Sgt. Plennert
(1951)
The Longhorn
as Moresby
(1951)
Stagecoach Driver
as Slim Cole
(1951)
Stage to Blue River
as Frederick Kingsley
(1950)
Champagne for Caesar
as Executive No. 4
(1950)
Revenue Agent
as U.S. Border Patroman
(1949)
(1949)
Special Agent
as Ranch Foreman Frank Kent (as John Hilton)
(1949)
Cowboy and the Prizefighter
as Mark Palmer
(1949)
The Fighting Redhead
as Faro Savage
(1949)
Joe Palooka in the Counterpunch
as Pedro
(1948)
Joe Palooka in Winner Take All
as Army Sergeant George Malone
(1947)
Jack Armstrong
as Jack Armstrong
(1947)
Vacation Days
as Big Jim
(1947)
Brick Bradford
as Dent
(1946)
Son of the Guardsman
as Martin, Bullard soldier (uncredited)
(1940)
North West Mounted Police
as Constable Norman
(1939)
Disbarred
as First Reporter
(1939)
$1,000 a Touchdown
as Buck (uncredited)
(1939)
Persons in Hiding
as Male Stenographer
(1938)
Hunted Men
as Young Man at Party
(1938)
Illegal Traffic
as Davis
(1938)
Prison Farm
as 'Texas' Jack
(1938)
King of Alcatraz
as 1st Radio Operator
(1937)
Daughter of Shanghai
as Sailor (uncredited)