Guy Edward Hearn (September 6, 1888 – April 15, 1963) was an American actor who, in a forty-year film career, starting in 1915, played hundreds of roles, starting with juvenile leads, then, briefly, as leading man, all during the silent era.
With the arrival of sound, he became a character actor, appearing in scores of productions for virtually every studio, in which he was mostly unbilled, while those credits in which he was listed, reflected at least nine stage names, most frequently Edward Hearn, but also Guy E. Hearn, Ed Hearn, Eddie Hearn, Eddie Hearne, and Edward Hearne.
Leading man in silent films Born in Dayton, Columbia County, Washington,"Actor from Hollywood Is Visitor in Dayton", The Spokesman-Review, June 13, 1953. He became an actor in his twenties, with a first known film credit listed in the 1915 short The Fool's Heart.
His initial feature was Her Bitter Cup in 1916, the year during which he was seen in sixteen shorts and features. 1917 was equally prolific for him, providing seventeen appearances. As short films gave way to features, the number of his annual productions decreased (four in 1918, four in 1919 and five in 1920),Large photograph of Edward Hearn in the 1920 edition of Who's Who on Screen via archive.org; accessed November 18, 2017. but he continued to work steadily, with film credits in every year of his career. He was third-billed in Faith, the 1920 production starring Peggy Hyland with J. Parks Jones, and had a supporting role that year in the serial, Daredevil Jack, a vehicle for boxing champion Jack Dempsey.Photograph of Edward Hearn c.1920 from W. Lee Cozad's book Those Magnificent Mountain Movies: The Golden Years 1911–1939, which also includes the incorrect statement that Hearn, rather than Jack Dempsey himself, played the boxing champ in Daredevil Jack
Engaged by Universal Pictures' early silent film subsidiary, Bluebird Photoplays, as leading man to Ruth Clifford in 1918's The Lure of Luxury, Hearn was subsequently put under contract with the low-budget studio Film Booking Offices of America (also known as FBO Pictures Corporation)"At the Theaters; Airdome" (St. Petersburg Times, February 6, 1926) and alternated between roles as leading man (to Ruth Renick in Tahiti-filmed The Fire Bride (1922), Jane Novak in Colleen of the Pines (1922), Gladys Walton The Town Scandal (1923), Laura La Plante Excitement (1924), and Josie Sedgwick in The Outlaw's Daughter (1925), and second leads, billed after Patsy Ruth Miller, Ralph Graves and Edna Murphy in Daughters of Today (1924).
In 1925, Hearn was fourth-billed as Clara Bow's brother in The Lawful Cheater, a crime drama fashioned as a vehicle for the flapper star, while he also had a rare first-billed role as the central character, Philip Nolan, in Fox Film Corporation's adaptation of Edward Everett Hale's classic short story, "The Man Without a Country". He was also top-billed in a minor 1924 western, The Devil's Partner, which not released until 1926, the year he was the human leading actor in a May vehicle for the dog star Peter the Great, a German Shepherd who, after appearing in one more film, was fatally shot in June.
In 1926, he was Helen Holmes' leading man in Perils of the Rail, while playing an unbilled cameo as a Union Army officer in another railroad-centered film, Buster Keaton's The General. In 1927, he was second-billed to Cornelius Keefe in Hook and Ladder No. 9, third-billed in the Larry Semon vehicle Spuds, the John Bowers–Anne Cornwall starrer The Heart of the Yukon and the Buffalo Bill, Jr. western series entry Pals in Peril, had lower-billed roles in four other films and played an unbilled bit in Cecil B. DeMille's The King of Kings.
Character actor during sound era In 1928, as Hearn reached his fortieth birthday, his changing fortunes were reflected through the six productions in which he appeared. He was still briefly cast as a leading man, but only to German Shepherds. "The New Pathé Dog Star, Cyclone" in the Spencer Gordon Bennet-directed Pathé Exchange serial The Yellow Cameo, was first, with the film's poster highlighting only the names of leading lady Allene Ray and Cyclone,Large color poster for The Yellow Cameo with Allene Ray and The New Pathé Dog Star CYCLONE while FBO's feature film "Dog Justice", another vehicle for a German Shepherd (this dog's name was Ranger), came second. The other four titles, however, placed him between fifth and eighth in their cast lists.
In the last of his 1928 titles, also his first sound film, December-released Ned McCobb's Daughter, he was billed below Irene Rich, Theodore Roberts, Robert Armstrong and George Barraud, and directly above future star Carol (Carole) Lombard. As sound films began to make greater inroads at the start of 1929, Hearn's five films that year indicated a further downward spiral. He was second-billed (to Sam Nelson, who co-starred with Ranger in five other 1927–29 films) in another silent Ranger vehicle, The One Man Dog and third-billed (above Thelma Todd) in the William Collier, Jr. - Jacqueline Logan pairing for Columbia Pictures' part-talkie The Bachelor Girl.
In the remaining three titles, however, his billing was much lower. Frank Capra's first sound film, The Donovan Affair listed him eleventh and another talkie mystery, Universal's The Drake Case, a posthumous release for its star, Gladys Brockwell, listed him eighth. Both of these dialogue-laden productions, exist only in silent versions, following the loss of their sound discs. The last of Hearn's 1929 releases, the western Hell's Heroes, left him with a small unbilled role.
In 1930 Hearn had small supporting roles in three features and an unbilled part in a Charley Chase - Thelma Todd Hal Roach two-reeler, but it was 1931 that set the pattern for the remainder of his career. Forty-three years old in September of that year, he appeared in sixteen features and one short, with nine of those roles being unbilled. For each year, until 1945, he had an uninterrupted run of credits, most of them unbilled. Returning to film work in 1950, he again accumulated numerous credits until the end of 1953. His final two credits, both unbilled, were in 1955's This Island Earth and Tall Man Riding. His television work was limited to a 1952 episode of Cowboy G-Men and a 1953 episode of The Lone Ranger, both of which were early TV series aimed at a juvenile audience.
Personal life Eight years after his 1955 retirement, Guy Edward Hearn died in Los Angeles County at the age of 74. He was married to French Canadian Tryda Saindon from the mid-1910s until at least June 1930, as indicated in that year's decennial census. They were the parents of one child, Edward, born in Los Angeles during summer of 1916.IMDB website
Filmography
Her Bitter Cup (1916) as Walter Burke Her Defiance (1916) as Frank Warren The Whirlpool of Destiny (1916) as Davidson The Double Room Mystery (1917) as Silver Joe Her Soul's Inspiration (1917) as Silent Bob Treason (1917) as Danick Rysson The Man from Tia Juana as Larry Kerwin (*uncredited) The Lost Express (1917) as Francis Murphy Lawless Love (1918) as Freddie Montgomery The Mask (1918) as Sam Joplin The Lure of Luxury (1918) as John Coventry The Light of Western Stars (1918) as Al Hammond Whom the Gods Would Destroy (1919) Jacques of the Silver North (1919) as Warren Sherman Over the Garden Wall (1919) as Stanley Davis Daredevil Jack (1920) as Cyril Dennison Faith (1920) as Dr. George Kyle Into the Light (1920) as The Boy Down Home (1920) as Chet Todd The Coast of Opportunity (1920) as Tommy De Boer The Avenging Arrow (1921) as Ralph Troy All Dolled Up (1921) as James Montgomery Johnson Keeping Up with Lizzie (1921) as Dan Pettigrew The Face of the World (1921) as Harold Mark The Honor of Rameriz (1921, Short) as The Thief The Spirit of the Lake (1921, Short) The Fire Bride (1922) as Steve Maitland A Question of Honor (1922) as Bill Shannon The Truthful Liar (1922) as David Haggard The Glory of Clementina (1922) as Tommy Burgrave Her Night of Nights (1922) as Jerry Trimble Colleen of the Pines (1922) as Barry O'Neil The Flirt (1922) as Richard Lindley Mind Over Motor (1923) as Starter The Love Letter (1923) as Bill Carter The Town Scandal (1923) as Toby Caswell The Miracle Baby (1923) as Hal Norton Daytime Wives (1923) as Ben Branscom Daughters of Today (1924) as Peter Farnham When a Man's a Man (1924) as Stanley Manning Excitement (1924) as Arthur Drew The Dangerous Blonde (1924) as Royall Randall The Turmoil (1924) as Roscoe Sheridan Winner Take All (1924) as Jack Hamilton As No Man Has Loved (1925) as Lt. Philip Nolan The Lawful Cheater (1925) as Roy Burns Perils of the Rail (1925) as Jack Hathaway The Outlaw's Daughter (1925) as Jim King One of the Bravest (1925) as Dan Kelly Daring Days (1925) as Catamount The Devil's Partner (1926) as Glen Wilson Daniel Boone Thru the Wilderness (1926) as The Stranger The Still Alarm (1926) as Tom Brand The Sign of the Claw (1926) as Robert Conway With Davy Crockett at the Fall of the Alamo (1926) as Fred Warren The General (1926) as Union Officer (uncredited) Winners of the Wilderness (1927) as Gen. George Washington Spuds (1927) as Captain Arthur The King of Kings (1927) (uncredited) The Heart of the Yukon (1927) as Jack Waite Pals in Peril (1927) as Blackie Burns The Hero on Horseback (1927) as Harvey Grey The Harvester (1927) as Dr. Harmon Hook and Ladder No. 9 (1927) as Dan Duffy Hot Heels (1927) as Gambler The Desert Pirate (1927) as Norton The Yellow Cameo (1928) as Terry Lawton Dog Justice (1928) as Jimmie O'Neil The Fightin' Redhead (1928) as Jim Dalton The Big Hop (1928) as Pilot Ned McCobb's Daughter (1928) as Butterworth The One Man Dog (1929) as Pierre The Donovan Affair (1929) as Nelson The Bachelor Girl (1929) as Campbell The Drake Case (1929) as Edmonds / Butler Hell's Heroes (1929) as Frank Edwards (uncredited) Hide-Out (1930) as Coach Latham The Spoilers (1930) as Lieutenant Reno (1930) as Tom Hodge One Night at Susie's (1930) as Policeman (uncredited) The Painted Desert (1931) as Tex Dirigible (1931) as Admiral's Aide (uncredited) The Avenger (1931) as Captain Paul Lake Clearing the Range (1931) as Jim Fremont Ladies' Man (1931) as Maitre D' (uncredited) The Texas Ranger (1931) as Texas Ranger Capt. Edwards (uncredited) Up for Murder (1931) as Policeman (uncredited) The Vanishing Legion (1931) as Jed Williams A Son of the Plains (1931) as Buck Brokaw Smart Money (1931) as Reporter (uncredited) Ex-Bad Boy (1931) as Assistant Manager (uncredited) Broadminded (1931) as Man at Fire Escape Window (uncredited) Bad Girl (1931) as Male Nurse (uncredited) The Galloping Ghost (1931, Serial) as Clay College Coach Harlow Local Boy Makes Good (1931) as Relay Caller (uncredited) The Cheyenne Cyclone (1931) as J.C. 'Flash' Corbin Emma (1932) as Haskins' Assistant (uncredited) The Rainbow Trail (1932) as Jim Lassiter (uncredited) The Sunset Trail (1932) as Bank Teller (uncredited) The Local Bad Man (1932) as Ben Murdock The Shadow of the Eagle (1932, Serial) as Col. Nathan Gregory The Texas Tornado (1932) as Fanner Durkin State's Attorney (1932) as Court Reporter (uncredited) The Last of the Mohicans (1932, Serial) as Col. Munro Unashamed (1932) as Mr. Ogden's Secretary (uncredited) Ann Carver's Profession (1933) as Dinner Party Guest (uncredited) Fighting with Kit Carson (1933) as Henchman Morgan Her First Mate (1933) as Ferry Captain (uncredited) Penthouse (1933) as Detective (uncredited) Golden Harvest (1933) as Pierce (uncredited) I'm No Angel (1933) as Court Clerk (uncredited) Eskimo (1933) as Captain's Mate (uncredited) Roman Scandals (1933) as Roman Citizen (uncredited) Son of a Sailor (1933) as Admiral (uncredited) The Mystery Squadron (1933, Serial) as Sheriff [Chs. 2–3, 12] Fugitive Lovers (1934) as Detective (uncredited)