William S. Hart
Acting
- Born:
- 1864-12-06
- Died:
- 1946-06-23
- Place of birth:
- Newburgh, New York, USA
Biography
The first Western superstar, the taciturn Hart actually was a successful Shakespearean actor who played Messala in “Ben-Hur” on Broadway in 1899 before riding the range in movies. A longtime fan of the Old West, Hart was friends with Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson. His film career began in 1914. After two supporting roles he gained fame as the lead in the feature-length western “The Bargain” shot on location at the Grand Canyon. Hart strove to make his westerns realistic with detailed attention played to costumes and props. Though Hart could be cast as a villain, he imbued all of his characters with honor and integrity. After making western shorts for producer Thomas Ince, he went to Famous Players-Lasky, which merged with Paramount Pictures in 1917. At Paramount he made such gritty feature westerns as “Square Deal Sanderson” and “The Toll Gate.” His star began to fade in the early 1920s when audiences grew tired of his moralistic Western tales. Not helping his career was his 1923 divorce from his wife, Winifred, who accused him of having two children by another woman. He made one last film, 1925’s “Tumbleweeds, which he financed himself. In 1939, the film was reissued this time with a prologue featuring a 75-year-old Hart shot on location at his ranch in Newhall talking about the West and his days in films. He died in 1946 at age 81. His home and ranch were turned into William S. Hart Park in Newhall.
Known For
Filmography
Decasia: The State of Decay
It's Showtime
The Great Chase
The Legend of Rudolph Valentino
Yesterday and Today
Variety Time
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1
The Hollywood Gad-About
Stars of Yesterday
The House That Shadows Built
Show People
Tumbleweeds
Hello, 'Frisco
Singer Jim Mckee
Wild Bill Hickok
Hollywood
Travelin' On
Three Word Brand
The Whistle
O'Malley of the Mounted
White Oak
The Testing Block
The Cradle of Courage
Sand
The Toll Gate
John Petticoats
Wagon Tracks
Square Deal Sanderson
The Money Corral
The Poppy Girl's Husband
Breed of Men
Branding Broadway
The Border Wireless
Riddle Gawne
Shark Monroe
Selfish Yates
A Lion of the Hills
The Tiger Man
'Blue Blazes' Rawden
Staking His Life
Wolves of the Rail
The Narrow Trail
The Silent Man
The Cold Deck
All-Star Production of Patriotic Episodes for the Second Liberty Loan
Wolf Lowry
The Square Deal Man
The Desert Man
The Gun Fighter
Truthful Tulliver
The Devil's Double
The Return of Draw Egan
The Dawn Maker
The Captive God
The Apostle of Vengeance
The Primal Lure
The Aryan
The Patriot
Hell's Hinges
Between Men
The Disciple
Keno Bates, Liar
Pinto Ben
Knight of the Trail
The Ruse
Cash Parrish's Pal
Tools of Providence
The Conversion of Frosty Blake
The Darkening Trail
Bad Buck of Santa Ynez
The Man from Nowhere
The Taking of Luke McVane
On the Night Stage
The Roughneck
The Sheriff's Streak of Yellow
The Grudge
Mr. 'Silent' Haskins
The Scourge of the Desert
Grit
Two-Gun Hicks
The Bargain
Jim Cameron's Wife
His Hour of Manhood
In the Sage Brush Country
Ben Hur