Acting
William S. Hart
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.
Filmography
Decasia: The State of Decay
Film · 2002
It's Showtime
Film · 1976
The Great Chase
Film · 1962
The Legend of Rudolph Valentino
Film · 1961
Yesterday and Today
Film · 1953
Variety Time
Film · 1948
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1
Film · 1941
The Hollywood Gad-About
Film · 1934
Stars of Yesterday
Film · 1931
The House That Shadows Built
Film · 1931
Show People
Film · 1928
Tumbleweeds
Film · 1925
Hello, 'Frisco
Film · 1924
Singer Jim Mckee
Film · 1924
Hollywood
Film · 1923
Wild Bill Hickok
Film · 1923
Travelin' On
Film · 1922
The Whistle
Film · 1921
Three Word Brand
Film · 1921
White Oak
Film · 1921
O'Malley of the Mounted
Film · 1921
Sand
Film · 1920
The Toll Gate
Film · 1920
The Cradle of Courage
Film · 1920
The Testing Block
Film · 1920
Wagon Tracks
Film · 1919
Breed of Men
Film · 1919
Square Deal Sanderson
Film · 1919
John Petticoats
Film · 1919
The Poppy Girl's Husband
Film · 1919
The Money Corral
Film · 1919
The Border Wireless
Film · 1918
A Lion of the Hills
Film · 1918
Staking His Life
Film · 1918
Shark Monroe
Film · 1918
'Blue Blazes' Rawden
Film · 1918
Branding Broadway
Film · 1918
Wolves of the Rail
Film · 1918
The Tiger Man
Film · 1918
Selfish Yates
Film · 1918
Riddle Gawne
Film · 1918
The Narrow Trail
Film · 1917
The Cold Deck
Film · 1917
The Silent Man
Film · 1917
The Gun Fighter
Film · 1917
All-Star Production of Patriotic Episodes for the Second Liberty Loan
Film · 1917
The Square Deal Man
Film · 1917
The Desert Man
Film · 1917
Wolf Lowry
Film · 1917
Truthful Tulliver
Film · 1917
The Devil's Double
Film · 1916
Hell's Hinges
Film · 1916
The Return of Draw Egan
Film · 1916
Between Men
Film · 1916
The Dawn Maker
Film · 1916
The Captive God
Film · 1916
The Aryan
Film · 1916
The Patriot
Film · 1916
The Apostle of Vengeance
Film · 1916
The Primal Lure
Film · 1916
Pinto Ben
Film · 1915
The Roughneck
Film · 1915
The Scourge of the Desert
Film · 1915
Mr. 'Silent' Haskins
Film · 1915
The Grudge
Film · 1915
The Conversion of Frosty Blake
Film · 1915
Cash Parrish's Pal
Film · 1915
Grit
Film · 1915
Keno Bates, Liar
Film · 1915
The Ruse
Film · 1915
The Taking of Luke McVane
Film · 1915
On the Night Stage
Film · 1915
Knight of the Trail
Film · 1915
The Darkening Trail
Film · 1915
The Disciple
Film · 1915
Bad Buck of Santa Ynez
Film · 1915
Tools of Providence
Film · 1915
The Sheriff's Streak of Yellow
Film · 1915
The Man from Nowhere
Film · 1915
His Hour of Manhood
Film · 1914
Jim Cameron's Wife
Film · 1914
Two-Gun Hicks
Film · 1914
The Bargain
Film · 1914
In the Sage Brush Country
Film · 1914
Ben Hur
Film · 1907