- Born
- Died
- Place
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.
As director
Tumbleweeds
The Cradle of Courage
Square Deal Sanderson
The Money Corral
The Poppy Girl's Husband
Shark Monroe
'Blue Blazes' Rawden
The Border Wireless
Branding Broadway
Wolves of the Rail
The Tiger Man
Selfish Yates
Riddle Gawne
The Narrow Trail
The Cold Deck
The Silent Man
The Gun Fighter
The Square Deal Man
The Desert Man
Truthful Tulliver
Wolf Lowry
The Return of Draw Egan
The Aryan
Between Men
The Dawn Maker
The Apostle of Vengeance
The Devil's Double
The Patriot
The Primal Lure
Keno Bates, Liar
As actor
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
Hollywood
Wild Bill Hickok
Travelin' On
The Whistle
Three Word Brand
White Oak
O'Malley of the Mounted
Sand
The Toll Gate
The Cradle of Courage
The Testing Block
Wagon Tracks
Square Deal Sanderson
John Petticoats
Breed of Men
The Poppy Girl's Husband