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.
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.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0366359
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q447438
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Filmography (Movies)
Hope & Fury: MLK, the Movement and the Media
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:24/03/2018
The Bible According to Hollywood
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/1994
The Legend of the Lone Ranger
Character:Lucas Striker
Release Date:06/08/1981
The Gift of Love
Character:Justice of the Peace
Release Date:08/12/1978
Kate Bliss and the Ticker Tape Kid
Character:Jake Terry
Release Date:26/05/1978
The Astral Factor
Character:Harbormaster
Release Date:01/02/1978
Blood Voyage
Character:Jules
Release Date:01/01/1976
Gemini Affair
Character:Bob
Release Date:01/09/1975
Only with Married Men
Character:Minister
Release Date:04/12/1974
The Great Ice Rip-Off
Character:Klein Salesman
Release Date:06/11/1974
The Centerfold Girls
Character:Sheriff
Release Date:08/08/1974
Welcome to Arrow Beach
Character:Doctor
Release Date:01/05/1974
Blackenstein
Character:Dr. Stein
Release Date:03/08/1973
The Roommates
Character:Sheriff Sam
Release Date:01/03/1973
Bonnie's Kids
Character:Sheriff with Sunglasses
Release Date:08/02/1973
The Phynx
Character:Lone Ranger
Release Date:06/03/1970
Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?
Character:Policeman (uncredited)
Release Date:19/06/1968
Riot on Sunset Strip
Character:Pritchard
Release Date:01/03/1967
Hold On!
Character:Detective #2
Release Date:22/06/1966
The Cincinnati Kid
Character:Poker Player (uncredited)
Release Date:15/10/1965
Day of the Nightmare
Character:Dr. Philip Crane
Release Date:01/10/1965
The Sandpiper
Character:Trooper (uncredited)
Release Date:23/06/1965
36 Hours
Character:Lt. Cmdr. Perkins (uncredited)
Release Date:26/11/1964
Marnie
Character:Dr. Gilliat (uncredited)
Release Date:17/07/1964
Viva Las Vegas
Character:Casino Patron (uncredited)
Release Date:08/02/1964
The Long Rifle and the Tomahawk
Character:Nat 'Hawkeye' Cutler
Release Date:01/01/1964
Mondo Inferno
Character:Commentator
Release Date:01/01/1964
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
Character:State Trooper (uncredited)
Release Date:27/03/1963
Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol
Character:Billings / Stage Manager / Milkman (voice)
Release Date:18/12/1962
Atlantis: The Lost Continent
Character:Nobleman (uncredited)
Release Date:03/05/1961
Go Naked in the World
Character:Club Doorman (uncredited)
Release Date:10/03/1961
The Subterraneans
Character:Cop (uncredited)
Release Date:23/06/1960
Noose for a Gunman
Character:Dave Barker - Avery Gunman (uncredited)
Release Date:01/05/1960
Vice Raid
Character:Blond Gunman at Office Door
Release Date:01/12/1959
The Diary of a High School Bride
Character:Policeman
Release Date:01/07/1959
Wolf Dog
Character:Andy Bates (uncredited)
Release Date:01/07/1958
Along the Mohawk Trail
Character:Nat 'Hawkeye' Cutler
Release Date:01/01/1957
The Ten Commandments
Character:Cretan Ambassador (uncredited)
Release Date:05/10/1956
The Crooked Web
Character:
Release Date:30/11/1955
Last of the Desperados
Character:?
Release Date:31/10/1955
Adventures of Captain Africa
Character:Captain Africa
Release Date:09/06/1955
Dial Red O
Character:Uniformed Deputy (uncredited)
Release Date:13/03/1955
The Man Who Loved Redheads
Character:Sergei
Release Date:06/02/1955
The Great Adventures of Captain Kidd
Character:Mate Jenkins
Release Date:17/09/1953
Prince of Pirates
Character:Captain of the Guards (uncredited)
Release Date:07/03/1953
The Pathfinder
Character:British Sergeant
Release Date:09/12/1952
Caribbean
Character:Stuart
Release Date:01/09/1952
Kansas Territory
Character:Matt Furness
Release Date:04/05/1952
The Living Bible
Character:Matthew
Release Date:01/01/1952
Stage to Blue River
Character:Frederick Kingsley
Release Date:30/12/1951
The Longhorn
Character:Moresby
Release Date:25/11/1951
Warpath
Character:Sgt. Plennert
Release Date:22/11/1951
Stagecoach Driver
Character:Slim Cole
Release Date:15/07/1951
Revenue Agent
Character:U.S. Border Patroman
Release Date:12/12/1950
Champagne for Caesar
Character:Executive No. 4
Release Date:11/05/1950
Cowboy and the Prizefighter
Character:Mark Palmer
Release Date:14/12/1949
The Fighting Redhead
Character:Faro Savage
Release Date:05/10/1949
Joe Palooka in the Counterpunch
Character:Pedro
Release Date:14/08/1949
Special Agent
Character:Ranch Foreman Frank Kent (as John Hilton)
Release Date:22/07/1949
El Paso
Character:
Release Date:22/03/1949
Joe Palooka in Winner Take All
Character:Army Sergeant George Malone
Release Date:19/09/1948
Brick Bradford
Character:Dent
Release Date:18/12/1947
Jack Armstrong
Character:Jack Armstrong
Release Date:06/02/1947
Vacation Days
Character:Big Jim
Release Date:25/01/1947
Son of the Guardsman
Character:Martin, Bullard soldier (uncredited)
Release Date:23/10/1946
North West Mounted Police
Character:Constable Norman
Release Date:22/10/1940
$1,000 a Touchdown
Character:Buck (uncredited)
Release Date:04/10/1939
Persons in Hiding
Character:Male Stenographer
Release Date:10/02/1939
Disbarred
Character:First Reporter
Release Date:06/01/1939
Illegal Traffic
Character:Davis
Release Date:02/11/1938
King of Alcatraz
Character:1st Radio Operator
Release Date:30/09/1938
Prison Farm
Character:'Texas' Jack
Release Date:17/06/1938
Hunted Men
Character:Young Man at Party
Release Date:27/05/1938
Daughter of Shanghai
Character:Sailor (uncredited)
Release Date:17/12/1937
Television Appearances
The Nineties
Character:Self (archive footage)
The Greatest American Hero
Character:Lone Ranger
Sam
Character:
Happy Days
Character:
The Addams Family
Character:Scotty
The Lieutenant
Character:Capt. Adam Quincy
Ben Casey
Character:
Gunslinger
Character:Corporal
Maigret
Character:Character in Corridor (uncredited)
The Case of the Dangerous Robin
Character:Pilot
Pete and Gladys
Character:
National Velvet
Character:
Rawhide
Character:Narbo
Rawhide
Character:Spence
Rawhide
Character:Nate Johnson
Rawhide
Character:Sheriff
Rawhide
Character:Rep
Rawhide
Character:Harley Lear
Rawhide
Character:Slim
Rawhide
Character:Posseman
Bat Masterson
Character:Wilson
Bat Masterson
Character:Jacobs
Leave It to Beaver
Character:Troop #21 Scoutmaster Norton
Perry Mason
Character:Dion
Perry Mason
Character:Jamison Selff
Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans
Character:Hawkeye
Tales of Wells Fargo
Character:Weaver
Highway Patrol
Character:Sergeant at Headquarters
Sergeant Preston of the Yukon
Character:
Gunsmoke
Character:Crowd member (uncredited)
Gang Busters
Character:
I Love Lucy
Character:Lifeguard
I Love Lucy
Character:Tom Henderson
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Character:
The Lone Ranger
Character:The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger
Character:Duke
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