1917-12-13 ( 107 years old ) in Los Angeles, California, USA
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.
Movies
Hope & Fury: MLK, the Movement and the Media
2018-03-24
The Bible According to Hollywood
1994-01-01
The Legend of the Lone Ranger
1981-08-06
The Gift of Love
1978-12-08
Kate Bliss and the Ticker Tape Kid
1978-05-26
The Astral Factor
1978-02-01
Blood Voyage
1976-01-01
Gemini Affair
1975-09-01
Only with Married Men
1974-12-04
The Great Ice Rip-Off
1974-11-06
The Centerfold Girls
1974-08-08
Welcome to Arrow Beach
1974-05-01
Blackenstein
1973-08-03
The Roommates
1973-03-01
Bonnie's Kids
1973-02-08
The Phynx
1970-03-06
Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?
1968-06-19
Riot on Sunset Strip
1967-03-01
Hold On!
1966-06-22
The Cincinnati Kid
1965-10-15
Day of the Nightmare
1965-10-01
The Sandpiper
1965-06-23
36 Hours
1964-11-26
Marnie
1964-07-17
Viva Las Vegas
1964-02-08
The Long Rifle and the Tomahawk
1964-01-01
Mondo Inferno
1964-01-01
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
1963-03-27
Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol
1962-12-18
Atlantis: The Lost Continent
1961-05-03
Go Naked in the World
1961-03-10
The Subterraneans
1960-06-23
Noose for a Gunman
1960-05-01
Vice Raid
1959-12-01
The Diary of a High School Bride
1959-07-01
Wolf Dog
1958-07-01
Along the Mohawk Trail
1957-01-01
The Ten Commandments
1956-10-05
The Crooked Web
1955-11-30
Last of the Desperados
1955-10-31
Adventures of Captain Africa
1955-06-09
Dial Red O
1955-03-13
The Man Who Loved Redheads
1955-02-06
The Great Adventures of Captain Kidd
1953-09-17
Prince of Pirates
1953-03-07
The Pathfinder
1952-12-09
Caribbean
1952-09-01
Kansas Territory
1952-05-04
The Living Bible
1952-01-01
Stage to Blue River
1951-12-30
The Longhorn
1951-11-25
Warpath
1951-11-22
Stagecoach Driver
1951-07-15
Revenue Agent
1950-12-12
Champagne for Caesar
1950-05-11
Cowboy and the Prizefighter
1949-12-14
The Fighting Redhead
1949-10-05
Joe Palooka in the Counterpunch
1949-08-14
Special Agent
1949-07-22
El Paso
1949-03-22
Joe Palooka in Winner Take All
1948-09-19
Brick Bradford
1947-12-18
Jack Armstrong
1947-02-06
Vacation Days
1947-01-25
Son of the Guardsman
1946-10-23
North West Mounted Police
1940-10-22
$1,000 a Touchdown
1939-10-04
Persons in Hiding
1939-02-10
Disbarred
1939-01-06
Illegal Traffic
1938-11-02
King of Alcatraz
1938-09-30
Prison Farm
1938-06-17
Hunted Men
1938-05-27
Daughter of Shanghai
1937-12-17
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