William S. Hart
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- December 6, 1864
- Died
- June 23, 1946
- Birthplace
- Newburgh, New York, USA
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 2002
as Self - Cowboy (archive footage)
It's Showtime 1976
as Self (archive footage)
The Great Chase 1962
Actor
The Legend of Rudolph Valentino 1961
as Self (archive footage)
Los ojos del siglo (Volumen I) 1957
as Él mismo (material de archivo)
Yesterday and Today 1953
as (archive footage)
Variety Time 1948
as Texas Tex (archive footage) (uncredited)
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1 1941
as Self (uncredited)
O'Malley of the Mounted 1936
Writer
The Hollywood Gad-About 1934
as Self (uncredited)
Stars of Yesterday 1931
as Self
The House That Shadows Built 1931
as (archive footage)
Show People 1928
as Self (uncredited)
Tumbleweeds 1925
as Don Carver, Director
- Hello, 'Frisco
Hello, 'Frisco 1924
as William S. Hart
Singer Jim Mckee 1924
as 'Singer' Jim McKee, Story
Wild Bill Hickok 1923
as Wild Bill Hickok, Writer, Producer
Hollywood 1923
as William S. Hart
Travelin' On 1922
as J.B., The Stranger, Story
Three Word Brand 1921
as Three Word Brand / Governor Marsden / Ben Trego, Producer
The Whistle 1921
as Robert Evans
O'Malley of the Mounted 1921
as Sergeant O'Malley, Story
White Oak 1921
as Oak Miller, a gambling man, Story
The Testing Block 1920
as 'Sierra' Bill, Story, Screenplay
The Cradle of Courage 1920
as 'Square' Kelly, Director
Sand 1920
as Dan Kurrie, Producer
The Toll Gate 1920
as Black Deering, Writer, Story
John Petticoats 1919
as 'Hardwood' John Haynes
Wagon Tracks 1919
as Buckskin Hamilton, Producer
Square Deal Sanderson 1919
as Square Deal Sanderson, Director
The Money Corral 1919
as Lem Beason, Director, Producer, Writer
The Poppy Girl's Husband 1919
as Hairpin Harry Dutton, Producer, Director
Breed of Men 1919
as Careless Carmody
Branding Broadway 1918
as Robert Sands, Director, Producer
The Border Wireless 1918
as Steve Ransom, Director
Riddle Gawne 1918
as Jefferson 'Riddle' Gawne, Director
Shark Monroe 1918
as Shark Monroe, Director, Producer
Selfish Yates 1918
as 'Selfish' Yates, Director
A Lion of the Hills 1918
Actor
The Tiger Man 1918
as Hawk Parsons, Director
'Blue Blazes' Rawden 1918
as Blue Blazes Rawden, Director
Wolves of the Rail 1918
as 'Buck' Andrade, Director
- Staking His Life
Staking His Life 1918
as Bud Randall
The Narrow Trail 1917
as Ice Harding, Director, Story
The Silent Man 1917
as Budd Marr, Director
The Cold Deck 1917
as Jefferson "On the Level" Leigh, Director
All-Star Production of Patriotic Episodes for the Second Liberty Loan 1917
Actor
Wolf Lowry 1917
as Tom 'Wolf' Lowry, Director
The Square Deal Man 1917
as Jack O'Diamonds, Director
The Desert Man 1917
as Jim Alton, Director
The Gun Fighter 1917
as Cliff Hudspeth, Director
Truthful Tulliver 1917
as Truthful Tulliver, Director
The Devil's Double 1916
as 'Bowie' Blake, Director
The Return of Draw Egan 1916
as 'Draw' Egan aka William Blake, Director
The Dawn Maker 1916
as Joe Elk, Director
The Captive God 1916
as Chiapa
The Apostle of Vengeance 1916
as David Hudson, Director
The Primal Lure 1916
as Angus McConnell, Director
The Aryan 1916
as Steve Denton, Director
The Patriot 1916
as Bob Wiley, Director
Hell's Hinges 1916
as Blaze Tracy
Between Men 1916
as Bob White, Director
The Disciple 1915
as Jim Houston, Director
Keno Bates, Liar 1915
as Keno Bates, Director
- Pinto Ben
Pinto Ben 1915
as Boss Rider, Writer, Director
Knight of the Trail 1915
as Jim Treen, Director
The Ruse 1915
as 'Bat' Peters, Director
Cash Parrish's Pal 1915
as Cash Parrish, Director
Tools of Providence 1915
as Steve Blake, Director
The Conversion of Frosty Blake 1915
as Frosty Blake, Director
The Darkening Trail 1915
as Yukon Ed, Director
Bad Buck of Santa Ynez 1915
as Bad Buck Peters, Director
The Man from Nowhere 1915
as "Buck" Farley, Director
The Taking of Luke McVane 1915
as Luke McVane, Director
On the Night Stage 1915
as Texas
The Roughneck 1915
as Dave Page, Director
The Sheriff's Streak of Yellow 1915
as Sheriff Hale, Director
The Grudge 1915
as Rio Ed, Director
Mr. 'Silent' Haskins 1915
as Lon Haskins, Director
- The Scourge of the Desert
The Scourge of the Desert 1915
as Bill Evers, Director
- Grit
Grit 1915
as Rio Ed, Director
Two-Gun Hicks 1914
as Two-Gun Hicks, Director
The Bargain 1914
as Jim Stokes
- Jim Cameron's Wife
Jim Cameron's Wife 1914
as Andy Stiles
- His Hour of Manhood
His Hour of Manhood 1914
as Pete Larson
In the Sage Brush Country 1914
as Jim Brandon, Director
Ben Hur 1907
as Messala
Credits from TMDB.