John Hart
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- December 13, 1917
- Died
- September 20, 2009 (aged 91)
- Birthplace
- Los Angeles, California, USA
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.
Known For
Filmography
Hope & Fury: MLK, the Movement and the Media
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
The Nineties
TV · as Self (archive footage) · 1 ep
The Bible According to Hollywood
Movie · as Self
The Legend of the Lone Ranger
Movie · as Lucas Striker
The Greatest American Hero
TV · as Lone Ranger · 1 ep
The Gift of Love
Movie · as Justice of the Peace
Kate Bliss and the Ticker Tape Kid
Movie · as Jake Terry
The Astral Factor
Movie · as Harbormaster
Sam
TV · 1 ep
CHiPs
TV · as Boat Owner · 1 ep
Blood Voyage
Movie · as Jules
Gemini Affair
Movie · as Bob
Only with Married Men
Movie · as Minister
The Centerfold Girls
Movie · as Sheriff
Welcome To Arrow Beach
Movie · as Doctor
The Great Ice Rip-Off
Movie · as Klein Salesman
Happy Days
TV · 1 ep
Get Christie Love!
TV · as Sgt. Mallory · 1 ep
Bonnie's Kids
Movie · as Sheriff with Sunglasses
Blackenstein
Movie · as Dr. Stein
The Roommates
Movie · as Sheriff Sam
The Phynx
Movie · as Lone Ranger
Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?
Movie · as Policeman (uncredited)
Riot on Sunset Strip
Movie · as Pritchard
Hold On!
Movie · as Detective #2
The Cincinnati Kid
Movie · as Poker Player (uncredited)
Day of the Nightmare
Movie · as Dr. Philip Crane
The Sandpiper
Movie · as Trooper (uncredited)
Viva Las Vegas
Movie · as Casino Patron (uncredited)
Marnie
Movie · as Dr. Gilliat (uncredited)
36 Hours
Movie · as Lt. Cmdr. Perkins (uncredited)
The Long Rifle and the Tomahawk
Movie · as Nat 'Hawkeye' Cutler
Mondo Inferno
Movie · as Commentator
The Addams Family
TV · as Scotty · 1 ep
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
Movie · as State Trooper (uncredited)
The Lieutenant
TV · as Capt. Adam Quincy · 1 ep
Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol
Movie · as Billings / Stage Manager / Milkman (voice)
Atlantis: The Lost Continent
Movie · as Nobleman (uncredited)
Go Naked in the World
Movie · as Club Doorman (uncredited)
Ben Casey
TV · 1 ep
Gunslinger
TV · as Corporal · 1 ep
Noose for a Gunman
Movie · as Dave Barker - Avery Gunman (uncredited)
The Subterraneans
Movie · as Cop (uncredited)
Pete and Gladys
TV · 1 ep
National Velvet
TV · 1 ep
The Case of the Dangerous Robin
TV · as Pilot · 1 ep
Maigret
TV · as Character in Corridor (uncredited) · 1 ep
Vice Raid
Movie · as Blond Gunman at Office Door
The Diary of a High School Bride
Movie · as Policeman
Rawhide
TV · as Narbo, Spence, Nate Johnson, Sheriff, Rep, Harley Lear, Slim, Posseman · 8 eps
Wolf Dog
Movie · as Andy Bates (uncredited)
Bat Masterson
TV · as Wilson, Jacobs · 2 eps
Along the Mohawk Trail
Movie · as Nat 'Hawkeye' Cutler
The Pathfinder and the Mohican
Movie · as Nat 'Hawkeye' Cutler
The Redmen and the Renegades
Movie · as Nat 'Hawkeye' Cutler
Tales of Wells Fargo
TV · as Weaver · 1 ep
Perry Mason
TV · as Dion, Jamison Selff · 1 ep
Leave It to Beaver
TV · as Troop #21 Scoutmaster Norton · 3 eps
Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans
TV · as Hawkeye · 39 eps
The Ten Commandments
Movie · as Cretan Ambassador (uncredited)
The Crooked Web
Movie
Dial Red O
Movie · as Uniformed Deputy (uncredited)
The Man Who Loved Redheads
Movie · as Sergei
Adventures of Captain Africa
Movie · as Captain Africa
Last of the Desperados
Movie · as ?
Highway Patrol
TV · as Sergeant at Headquarters · 1 ep
Sergeant Preston of the Yukon
TV · 1 ep
Gunsmoke
TV · as Crowd member (uncredited) · 1 ep
Prince of Pirates
Movie · as Captain of the Guards (uncredited)
The Great Adventures of Captain Kidd
Movie · as Mate Jenkins
Kansas Territory
Movie · as Matt Furness
The Pathfinder
Movie · as British Sergeant
Caribbean
Movie · as Stuart
Jungle Jim in the Forbidden Land
Movie · as Commissioner's Secretary
Gang Busters
TV · 1 ep
Warpath
Movie · as Sgt. Plennert
The Longhorn
Movie · as Moresby
Stage to Blue River
Movie · as Frederick Kingsley
Stagecoach Driver
Movie · as Slim Cole
Fury of the Congo
Movie · as Guard
I Love Lucy
TV · as Lifeguard, Tom Henderson · 1 ep
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
TV · 2 eps
Revenue Agent
Movie · as U.S. Border Patroman
Champagne for Caesar
Movie · as Executive No. 4
The Fighting Redhead
Movie · as Faro Savage
Special Agent
Movie · as Ranch Foreman Frank Kent (as John Hilton)
El Paso
Movie
Cowboy and the Prizefighter
Movie · as Mark Palmer
Joe Palooka in the Counterpunch
Movie · as Pedro
The Lone Ranger
TV · as The Lone Ranger, Duke · 52 eps
Joe Palooka in Winner Take All
Movie · as Army Sergeant George Malone
Vacation Days
Movie · as Big Jim
Brick Bradford
Movie · as Dent
Jack Armstrong
Movie · as Jack Armstrong
Son of the Guardsman
Movie · as Martin, Bullard soldier (uncredited)
North West Mounted Police
Movie · as Constable Norman
Persons in Hiding
Movie · as Male Stenographer
Disbarred
Movie · as First Reporter
$1,000 a Touchdown
Movie · as Buck (uncredited)
Prison Farm
Movie · as 'Texas' Jack
King of Alcatraz
Movie · as 1st Radio Operator
Illegal Traffic
Movie · as Davis
Hunted Men
Movie · as Young Man at Party
Daughter of Shanghai
Movie · as Sailor (uncredited)