William S. Hart
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- December 6, 1864
- Died
- June 23, 1946 (aged 81)
- Birthplace
- 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
Photos
Filmography
Decasia: The State of Decay
Movie · as Self - Cowboy (archive footage)
It's Showtime
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
The Great Chase
Movie
The Legend of Rudolph Valentino
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Los ojos del siglo (Volumen I)
Movie · as Él mismo (material de archivo)
Yesterday and Today
Movie · as (archive footage)
Variety Time
Movie · as Texas Tex (archive footage) (uncredited)
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1
Movie · as Self (uncredited)
The Hollywood Gad-About
Movie · as Self (uncredited)
Stars of Yesterday
Movie · as Self
The House That Shadows Built
Movie · as (archive footage)
Show People
Movie · as Self (uncredited)
Tumbleweeds
Movie · as Don Carver
Hello, 'Frisco
Movie · as William S. Hart
Singer Jim Mckee
Movie · as 'Singer' Jim McKee
Hollywood
Movie · as William S. Hart
Wild Bill Hickok
Movie · as Wild Bill Hickok
Travelin' On
Movie · as J.B., The Stranger
The Whistle
Movie · as Robert Evans
Three Word Brand
Movie · as Three Word Brand / Governor Marsden / Ben Trego
White Oak
Movie · as Oak Miller, a gambling man
O'Malley of the Mounted
Movie · as Sergeant O'Malley
Sand
Movie · as Dan Kurrie
The Toll Gate
Movie · as Black Deering
The Cradle of Courage
Movie · as 'Square' Kelly
The Testing Block
Movie · as 'Sierra' Bill
Wagon Tracks
Movie · as Buckskin Hamilton
Breed of Men
Movie · as Careless Carmody
Square Deal Sanderson
Movie · as Square Deal Sanderson
John Petticoats
Movie · as 'Hardwood' John Haynes
The Poppy Girl's Husband
Movie · as Hairpin Harry Dutton
The Money Corral
Movie · as Lem Beason
The Border Wireless
Movie · as Steve Ransom
A Lion of the Hills
Movie
Staking His Life
Movie · as Bud Randall
Shark Monroe
Movie · as Shark Monroe
'Blue Blazes' Rawden
Movie · as Blue Blazes Rawden
Branding Broadway
Movie · as Robert Sands
Wolves of the Rail
Movie · as 'Buck' Andrade
The Tiger Man
Movie · as Hawk Parsons
Selfish Yates
Movie · as 'Selfish' Yates
Riddle Gawne
Movie · as Jefferson 'Riddle' Gawne
The Narrow Trail
Movie · as Ice Harding
The Cold Deck
Movie · as Jefferson "On the Level" Leigh
The Silent Man
Movie · as Budd Marr
The Gun Fighter
Movie · as Cliff Hudspeth
All-Star Production of Patriotic Episodes for the Second Liberty Loan
Movie
The Square Deal Man
Movie · as Jack O'Diamonds
The Desert Man
Movie · as Jim Alton
Wolf Lowry
Movie · as Tom 'Wolf' Lowry
Truthful Tulliver
Movie · as Truthful Tulliver
The Devil's Double
Movie · as 'Bowie' Blake
Hell's Hinges
Movie · as Blaze Tracy
The Return of Draw Egan
Movie · as 'Draw' Egan aka William Blake
Between Men
Movie · as Bob White
The Dawn Maker
Movie · as Joe Elk
The Captive God
Movie · as Chiapa
The Aryan
Movie · as Steve Denton
The Patriot
Movie · as Bob Wiley
The Apostle of Vengeance
Movie · as David Hudson
The Primal Lure
Movie · as Angus McConnell
Pinto Ben
Movie · as Boss Rider
The Roughneck
Movie · as Dave Page
The Scourge of the Desert
Movie · as Bill Evers
Mr. 'Silent' Haskins
Movie · as Lon Haskins
The Grudge
Movie · as Rio Ed
The Conversion of Frosty Blake
Movie · as Frosty Blake
Cash Parrish's Pal
Movie · as Cash Parrish
Grit
Movie · as Rio Ed
Keno Bates, Liar
Movie · as Keno Bates
The Ruse
Movie · as 'Bat' Peters
The Taking of Luke McVane
Movie · as Luke McVane
On the Night Stage
Movie · as Texas
Knight of the Trail
Movie · as Jim Treen
The Darkening Trail
Movie · as Yukon Ed
The Disciple
Movie · as Jim Houston
Bad Buck of Santa Ynez
Movie · as Bad Buck Peters
Tools of Providence
Movie · as Steve Blake
The Sheriff's Streak of Yellow
Movie · as Sheriff Hale
The Man from Nowhere
Movie · as "Buck" Farley
His Hour of Manhood
Movie · as Pete Larson
Jim Cameron's Wife
Movie · as Andy Stiles
Two-Gun Hicks
Movie · as Two-Gun Hicks
The Bargain
Movie · as Jim Stokes
In the Sage Brush Country
Movie · as Jim Brandon
Ben Hur
Movie · as Messala