Arthur Hoyt (March 19, 1874 â€" January 4, 1953) was an American film
character actor who appeared in more than 275 films in his 34-year
film career, about a third of them silent films. He was a brother of
Harry O. Hoyt.Born in Georgetown, Colorado in 1874, Hoyt made his
Broadway debut in 1905 in the play The Prince Consort, which was not a
success. He also appeared in Ferenc Molnár's The Devil in 1908, and
made his final stand on the Great White Way in The Great Name in
1911.Hoyt made one silent movie in 1914, a comedy short called The
Scrub Lady, but his film acting career did not begin in earnest until
1916 when he appeared in another short, The Heart of a Show Girl. From
that time until 1944, not a year passed without a film being released
that Hoyt had acted in â€" and frequently a number of them, up to a
dozen or so. Hoyt had large roles in such silent films as The Four
Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921), Souls for Sale (1923), and The Lost
World (1925). He also directed two silent features, Station Content
starring Gloria Swanson and High Stakes, and was the casting director
for another, Her American Husband, all in 1918.Hoyt's final silent
film, his 80th, was The Rush Hour (1928), which starred Marie Provost.
Unlike her, Hoyt survived the transition to talkies, although he
generally played much smaller roles in sound films â€" the 5'6" Hoyt
was often cast as a beleaguered husband, an exploited nine-to-fiver or
a nervous politician â€" and he frequently did not receive screen
credit for his performances. His first sound film was 1928's My Man, a
musical starring Fanny Brice, and the pace of his work did not slack
off in the sound era. He may be best remembered as the motor-court
manager who hassles Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert in Frank Capra's
It Happened One Night (1934).
character actor who appeared in more than 275 films in his 34-year
film career, about a third of them silent films. He was a brother of
Harry O. Hoyt.Born in Georgetown, Colorado in 1874, Hoyt made his
Broadway debut in 1905 in the play The Prince Consort, which was not a
success. He also appeared in Ferenc Molnár's The Devil in 1908, and
made his final stand on the Great White Way in The Great Name in
1911.Hoyt made one silent movie in 1914, a comedy short called The
Scrub Lady, but his film acting career did not begin in earnest until
1916 when he appeared in another short, The Heart of a Show Girl. From
that time until 1944, not a year passed without a film being released
that Hoyt had acted in â€" and frequently a number of them, up to a
dozen or so. Hoyt had large roles in such silent films as The Four
Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921), Souls for Sale (1923), and The Lost
World (1925). He also directed two silent features, Station Content
starring Gloria Swanson and High Stakes, and was the casting director
for another, Her American Husband, all in 1918.Hoyt's final silent
film, his 80th, was The Rush Hour (1928), which starred Marie Provost.
Unlike her, Hoyt survived the transition to talkies, although he
generally played much smaller roles in sound films â€" the 5'6" Hoyt
was often cast as a beleaguered husband, an exploited nine-to-fiver or
a nervous politician â€" and he frequently did not receive screen
credit for his performances. His first sound film was 1928's My Man, a
musical starring Fanny Brice, and the pace of his work did not slack
off in the sound era. He may be best remembered as the motor-court
manager who hassles Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert in Frank Capra's
It Happened One Night (1934).
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.