Richard Comstock Hart (April 14, 1915 – January 2, 1951) was an American actor, who appeared in film and TV productions, but was most active on stage.

[3] Hart first worked as a journalist and at the Gorham Silver Company before becoming seriously interested in acting through a summer theater in Tiverton, Rhode Island.

The Shuberts took it to Broadway (1945),[8] keeping little of the original company except Carol Stone (who played Barbara Allen) and Hart, who went on to win a Theatre World Award for his debut.

[10] In between the original film and the reshoots Hart appeared in Green Dolphin Street (1947), where he was loved by two sisters, played by Lana Turner and Donna Reed.

He went over to Eagle-Lion Films to appear in Reign of Terror (1949), a Walter Wanger production set during the French Revolution directed by Anthony Mann.

Back on Broadway he appeared in a flop, Leaf and Bough (1949) (co-starring Charlton Heston), then in April 1949 took over for Sam Wanamaker in Goodbye, My Fancy (1948-1949) which ran for 446 performances in all.

[12] Hart had a hit as the original Uncle Desmonde in The Happy Time (1950-1951) opposite Claude Dauphin and Eva Gabor which ran 614 performances.

Hart's desire to work in New York City led to a divorce from his wife, who chose to stay in Providence with Christopher in 1942.