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.
Personal Details
Also Known As
Movies (50)
It's Showtime
as Self (archive footage)
1976
The Great Chase
1962
The Legend of Rudolph Valentino
as Self (archive footage)
1961
Yesterday and Today
as (archive footage)
1953
Variety Time
as Texas Tex (archive footage) (uncredited)
1948
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1
as Self (uncredited)
1941
O'Malley of the Mounted
Writer (Writing)
1936
The Hollywood Gad-About
as Self (uncredited)
1934
Stars of Yesterday
as Self
1931
The House That Shadows Built
as (archive footage)
1931
Show People
as Self (uncredited)
1928
Tumbleweeds
as Don Carver
1925
Hello, 'Frisco
as William S. Hart
1924
Singer Jim Mckee
as 'Singer' Jim McKee
1924
Wild Bill Hickok
as Wild Bill Hickok
1923
Hollywood
as William S. Hart
1923
Travelin' On
as J.B., The Stranger
1922
Three Word Brand
as Three Word Brand / Governor Marsden / Ben Trego
1921
The Whistle
as Robert Evans
1921
O'Malley of the Mounted
as Sergeant O'Malley
1921
White Oak
as Oak Miller, a gambling man
1921
The Testing Block
as 'Sierra' Bill
1920
The Cradle of Courage
as 'Square' Kelly
1920
Sand
as Dan Kurrie
1920
The Toll Gate
as Black Deering
1920
John Petticoats
as 'Hardwood' John Haynes
1919
Wagon Tracks
as Buckskin Hamilton
1919
Square Deal Sanderson
as Square Deal Sanderson
1919
The Money Corral
as Lem Beason
1919
The Poppy Girl's Husband
as Hairpin Harry Dutton
1919
Breed of Men
as Careless Carmody
1919
Branding Broadway
as Robert Sands
1918
The Border Wireless
as Steve Ransom
1918
Riddle Gawne
as Jefferson 'Riddle' Gawne
1918
Shark Monroe
as Shark Monroe
1918
Selfish Yates
as 'Selfish' Yates
1918
A Lion of the Hills
1918
The Tiger Man
as Hawk Parsons
1918
'Blue Blazes' Rawden
as Blue Blazes Rawden
1918
Staking His Life
as Bud Randall
1918
Wolves of the Rail
as 'Buck' Andrade
1918
The Narrow Trail
as Ice Harding
1917
The Silent Man
as Budd Marr
1917
The Cold Deck
as Jefferson "On the Level" Leigh
1917
All-Star Production of Patriotic Episodes for the Second Liberty Loan
1917
Wolf Lowry
as Tom 'Wolf' Lowry
1917
The Square Deal Man
as Jack O'Diamonds
1917
The Desert Man
as Jim Alton
1917
The Gun Fighter
as Cliff Hudspeth
1917
Truthful Tulliver
as Truthful Tulliver
1917