John Hart
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Dec 13, 1917
- Died
- Sep 20, 2009 (aged 91)
- Place of birth
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Credits
- 103
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.
Known for
The Ten Commandments
1956Movie
Cretan Ambassador (uncredited)
Marnie
1964Movie
Dr. Gilliat (uncredited)
The Addams Family
1964TV
Scotty
Happy Days
1974TV
The Cincinnati Kid
1965Movie
Poker Player (uncredited)
I Love Lucy
1951TV
Lifeguard, Tom Henderson
Filmography
Hope & Fury: MLK, the Movement and the Media
2018Movie
Self (archive footage)
The Nineties
2017TV
Self (archive footage)
The Bible According to Hollywood
1994Movie
Self
The Legend of the Lone Ranger
1981Movie
Lucas Striker
The Greatest American Hero
1981TV
Lone Ranger
The Gift of Love
1978Movie
Justice of the Peace
Kate Bliss and the Ticker Tape Kid
1978Movie
Jake Terry
Sam
1978TV
The Astral Factor
1978Movie
Harbormaster
CHiPs
1977TV
Boat Owner
Blood Voyage
1976Movie
Jules
Gemini Affair
1975Movie
Bob
Only with Married Men
1974Movie
Minister
The Great Ice Rip-Off
1974Movie
Klein Salesman
The Centerfold Girls
1974Movie
Sheriff
Welcome To Arrow Beach
1974Movie
Doctor
Get Christie Love!
1974TV
Sgt. Mallory
Happy Days
1974TV
Blackenstein
1973Movie
Dr. Stein
The Roommates
1973Movie
Sheriff Sam
Bonnie's Kids
1973Movie
Sheriff with Sunglasses
The Phynx
1970Movie
Lone Ranger
Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?
1968Movie
Policeman (uncredited)
Riot on Sunset Strip
1967Movie
Pritchard
Hold On!
1966Movie
Detective #2
The Cincinnati Kid
1965Movie
Poker Player (uncredited)
Day of the Nightmare
1965Movie
Dr. Philip Crane
The Sandpiper
1965Movie
Trooper (uncredited)
36 Hours
1964Movie
Lt. Cmdr. Perkins (uncredited)
The Addams Family
1964TV
Scotty
Marnie
1964Movie
Dr. Gilliat (uncredited)
Viva Las Vegas
1964Movie
Casino Patron (uncredited)
The Long Rifle and the Tomahawk
1964Movie
Nat 'Hawkeye' Cutler
Mondo Inferno
1964Movie
Commentator
The Lieutenant
1963TV
Capt. Adam Quincy
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
1963Movie
State Trooper (uncredited)
Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol
1962Movie
Billings / Stage Manager / Milkman (voice)
Ben Casey
1961TV
Atlantis: The Lost Continent
1961Movie
Nobleman (uncredited)
Go Naked in the World
1961Movie
Club Doorman (uncredited)
Gunslinger
1961TV
Corporal
Maigret
1960TV
Character in Corridor (uncredited)
The Case of the Dangerous Robin
1960TV
Pilot
Pete and Gladys
1960TV
National Velvet
1960TV
The Subterraneans
1960Movie
Cop (uncredited)
Noose for a Gunman
1960Movie
Dave Barker - Avery Gunman (uncredited)
Vice Raid
1959Movie
Blond Gunman at Office Door
The Diary of a High School Bride
1959Movie
Policeman
Rawhide
1959TV
Narbo, Spence, Nate Johnson, Sheriff, Rep, Harley Lear, Slim, Posseman
Bat Masterson
1958TV
Wilson, Jacobs
Wolf Dog
1958Movie
Andy Bates (uncredited)
Leave It to Beaver
1957TV
Troop #21 Scoutmaster Norton
Perry Mason
1957TV
Dion, Jamison Selff
Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans
1957TV
Hawkeye
Tales of Wells Fargo
1957TV
Weaver
Along the Mohawk Trail
1957Movie
Nat 'Hawkeye' Cutler
The Ten Commandments
1956Movie
Cretan Ambassador (uncredited)
The Crooked Web
1955Movie
Last of the Desperados
1955Movie
?
Highway Patrol
1955TV
Sergeant at Headquarters
Sergeant Preston of the Yukon
1955TV
Gunsmoke
1955TV
Crowd member (uncredited)
Adventures of Captain Africa
1955Movie
Captain Africa
Dial Red O
1955Movie
Uniformed Deputy (uncredited)
The Man Who Loved Redheads
1955Movie
Sergei
The Great Adventures of Captain Kidd
1953Movie
Mate Jenkins
Prince of Pirates
1953Movie
Captain of the Guards (uncredited)
The Pathfinder
1952Movie
British Sergeant
Caribbean
1952Movie
Stuart
Kansas Territory
1952Movie
Matt Furness
Gang Busters
1952TV
Jungle Jim in the Forbidden Land
1952Movie
Commissioner's Secretary
The Living Bible
1952Movie
Matthew
Stage to Blue River
1951Movie
Frederick Kingsley
The Longhorn
1951Movie
Moresby
Warpath
1951Movie
Sgt. Plennert
I Love Lucy
1951TV
Lifeguard, Tom Henderson
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951TV
Stagecoach Driver
1951Movie
Slim Cole
Fury of the Congo
1951Movie
Guard
Revenue Agent
1950Movie
U.S. Border Patroman
Champagne for Caesar
1950Movie
Executive No. 4
Cowboy and the Prizefighter
1949Movie
Mark Palmer
The Fighting Redhead
1949Movie
Faro Savage
The Lone Ranger
1949TV
The Lone Ranger, Duke
Joe Palooka in the Counterpunch
1949Movie
Pedro
Special Agent
1949Movie
Ranch Foreman Frank Kent (as John Hilton)
El Paso
1949Movie
Joe Palooka in Winner Take All
1948Movie
Army Sergeant George Malone
Brick Bradford
1947Movie
Dent
Jack Armstrong
1947Movie
Jack Armstrong
Vacation Days
1947Movie
Big Jim
Son of the Guardsman
1946Movie
Martin, Bullard soldier (uncredited)
North West Mounted Police
1940Movie
Constable Norman
$1,000 a Touchdown
1939Movie
Buck (uncredited)
Persons in Hiding
1939Movie
Male Stenographer
Disbarred
1939Movie
First Reporter
Illegal Traffic
1938Movie
Davis
King of Alcatraz
1938Movie
1st Radio Operator
Prison Farm
1938Movie
'Texas' Jack
Hunted Men
1938Movie
Young Man at Party
Daughter of Shanghai
1937Movie
Sailor (uncredited)