William S. Hart
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.
Acting (76 movies)
Hollywood
1923
Yesterday and Today
1953
The Roughneck
1915
Mr. 'Silent' Haskins
1915
Two-Gun Hicks
1914
The Grudge
1915
The Conversion of Frosty Blake
1915
Cash Parrish's Pal
1915
The Devil's Double
1916
The Border Wireless
1918
A Lion of the Hills
1918
The Legend of Rudolph Valentino
1961
Stars of Yesterday
1931
Hell's Hinges
1916
Tumbleweeds
1925
The Narrow Trail
1917
The Return of Draw Egan
1916
Sand
1920
The Whistle
1921
The Toll Gate
1920
Wagon Tracks
1919
The Bargain
1914
The Cold Deck
1917
Keno Bates, Liar
1915
The Ruse
1915
The Cradle of Courage
1920
Travelin' On
1922
The Taking of Luke McVane
1915
The Silent Man
1917
Shark Monroe
1918
Between Men
1916
On the Night Stage
1915
Knight of the Trail
1915
The Dawn Maker
1916
The Darkening Trail
1915
Three Word Brand
1921
'Blue Blazes' Rawden
1918
White Oak
1921
The Gun Fighter
1917
Wild Bill Hickok
1923
The Captive God
1916
The Disciple
1915
All-Star Production of Patriotic Episodes for the Second Liberty Loan
1917
Bad Buck of Santa Ynez
1915
Tools of Providence
1915
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1
1941
Variety Time
1948
The Square Deal Man
1917
The Sheriff's Streak of Yellow
1915
The Aryan
1916
Show People
1928
Branding Broadway
1918
The Desert Man
1917
The Testing Block
1920
The Hollywood Gad-About
1934
Wolves of the Rail
1918
The Tiger Man
1918
O'Malley of the Mounted
1921
Breed of Men
1919
Singer Jim Mckee
1924
Selfish Yates
1918
Wolf Lowry
1917
Square Deal Sanderson
1919
John Petticoats
1919
Riddle Gawne
1918
Truthful Tulliver
1917
The House That Shadows Built
1931
The Man from Nowhere
1915
It's Showtime
1976
In the Sage Brush Country
1914
The Poppy Girl's Husband
1919
The Patriot
1916
The Money Corral
1919
The Apostle of Vengeance
1916
The Primal Lure
1916
The Great Chase
1962
Directing (49 movies)
The Narrow Trail
1917
The Return of Draw Egan
1916
The Aryan
1916
The Cold Deck
1917
The Ruse
1915
Keno Bates, Liar
1915
The Cradle of Courage
1920
The Taking of Luke McVane
1915
The Silent Man
1917
Between Men
1916
Knight of the Trail
1915
The Dawn Maker
1916
Shark Monroe
1918
The Darkening Trail
1915
'Blue Blazes' Rawden
1918
The Gun Fighter
1917
The Apostle of Vengeance
1916
The Roughneck
1915
Pinto Ben
1915
The Devil's Double
1916
The Border Wireless
1918
Two-Gun Hicks
1914
The Scourge of the Desert
1915
The Grudge
1915
The Conversion of Frosty Blake
1915
Mr. 'Silent' Haskins
1915
Cash Parrish's Pal
1915
Grit
1915
The Disciple
1915
Bad Buck of Santa Ynez
1915
Tools of Providence
1915
The Square Deal Man
1917
The Sheriff's Streak of Yellow
1915
Branding Broadway
1918
The Desert Man
1917
Tumbleweeds
1925
Wolves of the Rail
1918
The Tiger Man
1918
Truthful Tulliver
1917
Selfish Yates
1918
Riddle Gawne
1918
Square Deal Sanderson
1919
Wolf Lowry
1917
In the Sage Brush Country
1914
The Man from Nowhere
1915
The Patriot
1916
The Money Corral
1919
The Poppy Girl's Husband
1919
The Primal Lure
1916
| Title | Year | Job |
|---|---|---|
| Pinto Ben | 1915 | Writer |
| Shark Monroe | 1918 | Producer |
| Branding Broadway | 1918 | Producer |
| The Poppy Girl's Husband | 1919 | Producer |
| The Money Corral | 1919 | Producer |
| The Money Corral | 1919 | Writer |
| Wagon Tracks | 1919 | Producer |
| The Toll Gate | 1920 | Writer |
| Sand | 1920 | Producer |
| The Testing Block | 1920 | Screenplay |
| Three Word Brand | 1921 | Producer |
| Wild Bill Hickok | 1923 | Writer |
| Wild Bill Hickok | 1923 | Producer |
| O'Malley of the Mounted | 1936 | Writer |