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