JOHN HART

December 13, 1917

John Lewis Hart (sometimes credited as John Hilton) was born in Los Angeles. He grew up in San Marino and graduated from South Pasadena High School. His mother was a drama critic for the Pasadena Star-News and he later trained at the Pasadena Playhouse where he was discovered by a Paramount talent agent.
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 the television series The Lone Ranger for one season (1952–53). 

Hart began his screen career in 1937 with an uncredited bit part in Daughter of Shanghai.  Hart served in the military during World War II, momentarily pausing his burgeoning acting career. 

“I had big parts in lousy movies and lousy parts in big movies. I never made a lot of money, but it sure was fun.” ~ John Hart

He made his television debut in a 1952 episode of “Gang Busters” playing an airline pilot. 

A year later, he did the first of his three appearances on “I Love Lucy” in “Lucy Changes Her Mind” (ILL S2;E21) aired on March 30, 1953, although filmed on September 26, 1952, while simultaneously playing Matthew in “The Living Bible” and the title role in “The Lone Ranger.”  Producer Jess Oppenheimer didn’t want to pay too much for the actor who would play Tom Henderson, a character who only says two words at the very end of the show. He wrote in the script that he wanted “the most handsome hunk of man anyone ever saw for $15.56.”  Hart was cast. 

In 1955, Hart returned to play a hunky lifeguard who tries to save Lucy from drowning in the hotel pool – even though Ricky is supposed to be the one to come to her rescue for publicity reasons. “The Hedda Hopper Story” (ILL S4;E21) first aired on March 14, 1955, but was filmed on February 3, 1955. 

Hart’s lifeguard can’t figure out why Lucy is fighting him off in the pool instead of cooperating with him! 

Ricky jumps in a moment too late, and it two against one in the pool tussle! 

Although it was highly unusual, Hart was also hired for the very next episode, “Don Juan in Shelved” (ILL S4;E22) playing a studio executive meeting poolside (the same pool where he tried to save Lucy a week earlier) with MGM’s Dore Schary (Phil Ober). 

Because he plays two different characters in back-to-back episodes, he was made to look noticeably different, wearing glasses, a suit and tie, and even a touch of gray in his hair! The character leaves before Lucy enters and the two have no scenes together.  

He was back at Desilu Studios for an episode of “The Ann Sothern Show” which aired on February 29, 1960. Lucille Ball guest-starred on the series as Lucy Ricardo in 1959.

Also in 1960, Hart was one of the partygoers in the film musical Bells Are Ringing who sing “Drop That Name”, a song by Comden and Green that rhymes “Lauren Bacall” with “Lucille Ball”!  

His final screen role was playing the Lone Ranger on an episode of “Happy Days” that aired in February 1982.  

Hart met his wife, Canadian actress Beryl Braithwaite, on the set of the 1957 series “Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans”. They wed ten days later. The union lasted 52 years. Hart had two children, a son Nathaniel (aka Buddy) and a daughter Robyn. 

John Hart died on September 20, 2009 in Mexico from dementia at age 91. 

“I’ve been the ‘other’ Lone Ranger for 50 years. There are worse things people could call me.” ~ John Hart