William S. Hart
Acting
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
Acting85
movieDecasia: The State of Decay
2002
Self - Cowboy (archive footage)
movieIt's Showtime
1976
Self (archive footage)
movieThe Legend of Rudolph Valentino
1961
Self (archive footage)
movieYesterday and Today
1953
(archive footage)
movieVariety Time
1948
Texas Tex (archive footage) (uncredited)
movieHedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1
1941
Self (uncredited)
movieThe Hollywood Gad-About
1934
Self (uncredited)
movieThe House That Shadows Built
1931
(archive footage)
movieShow People
1928
Self (uncredited)
movieTumbleweeds
1925
Don Carver
Hello, 'Frisco
1924
William S. Hart
movieSinger Jim Mckee
1924
'Singer' Jim McKee
movieWild Bill Hickok
1923
Wild Bill Hickok
movieHollywood
1923
William S. Hart
movieTravelin' On
1922
J.B., The Stranger
movieThree Word Brand
1921
Three Word Brand / Governor Marsden / Ben Trego
movieThe Whistle
1921
Robert Evans
movieO'Malley of the Mounted
1921
Sergeant O'Malley
movieWhite Oak
1921
Oak Miller, a gambling man
movieThe Testing Block
1920
'Sierra' Bill
movieThe Cradle of Courage
1920
'Square' Kelly
movieSand
1920
Dan Kurrie
movieThe Toll Gate
1920
Black Deering
movieJohn Petticoats
1919
'Hardwood' John Haynes
movieWagon Tracks
1919
Buckskin Hamilton
movieSquare Deal Sanderson
1919
Square Deal Sanderson
movieThe Money Corral
1919
Lem Beason
movieThe Poppy Girl's Husband
1919
Hairpin Harry Dutton
movieBreed of Men
1919
Careless Carmody
movieBranding Broadway
1918
Robert Sands
movieThe Border Wireless
1918
Steve Ransom
movieRiddle Gawne
1918
Jefferson 'Riddle' Gawne
movieShark Monroe
1918
Shark Monroe
movieSelfish Yates
1918
'Selfish' Yates
movieThe Tiger Man
1918
Hawk Parsons
movie'Blue Blazes' Rawden
1918
Blue Blazes Rawden
Staking His Life
1918
Bud Randall
movieWolves of the Rail
1918
'Buck' Andrade
movieThe Narrow Trail
1917
Ice Harding
movieThe Silent Man
1917
Budd Marr
movieThe Cold Deck
1917
Jefferson "On the Level" Leigh
movieWolf Lowry
1917
Tom 'Wolf' Lowry
movieThe Square Deal Man
1917
Jack O'Diamonds
movieThe Desert Man
1917
Jim Alton
movieThe Gun Fighter
1917
Cliff Hudspeth
movieTruthful Tulliver
1917
Truthful Tulliver
movieThe Devil's Double
1916
'Bowie' Blake
movieThe Return of Draw Egan
1916
'Draw' Egan aka William Blake
movieThe Dawn Maker
1916
Joe Elk
movieThe Captive God
1916
Chiapa
movieThe Apostle of Vengeance
1916
David Hudson
movieThe Primal Lure
1916
Angus McConnell
movieThe Aryan
1916
Steve Denton
movieThe Patriot
1916
Bob Wiley
movieHell's Hinges
1916
Blaze Tracy
movieBetween Men
1916
Bob White
movieThe Disciple
1915
Jim Houston
movieKeno Bates, Liar
1915
Keno Bates
Pinto Ben
1915
Boss Rider
movieKnight of the Trail
1915
Jim Treen
movieThe Ruse
1915
'Bat' Peters
movieCash Parrish's Pal
1915
Cash Parrish
movieTools of Providence
1915
Steve Blake
movieThe Conversion of Frosty Blake
1915
Frosty Blake
movieThe Darkening Trail
1915
Yukon Ed
movieBad Buck of Santa Ynez
1915
Bad Buck Peters
movieThe Man from Nowhere
1915
"Buck" Farley
movieThe Taking of Luke McVane
1915
Luke McVane
movieThe Roughneck
1915
Dave Page
movieThe Sheriff's Streak of Yellow
1915
Sheriff Hale
movieThe Grudge
1915
Rio Ed
movieMr. 'Silent' Haskins
1915
Lon Haskins
movieTwo-Gun Hicks
1914
Two-Gun Hicks
movieThe Bargain
1914
Jim Stokes
movieIn the Sage Brush Country
1914
Jim Brandon
movieBen Hur
1907
Messala
Directing49
movieTumbleweeds
1925
Director
movieThe Cradle of Courage
1920
Director
movieSquare Deal Sanderson
1919
Director
movieThe Money Corral
1919
Director
movieBranding Broadway
1918
Director
movieThe Border Wireless
1918
Director
movieRiddle Gawne
1918
Director
movieShark Monroe
1918
Director
movieSelfish Yates
1918
Director
movieThe Tiger Man
1918
Director
movie'Blue Blazes' Rawden
1918
Director
movieWolves of the Rail
1918
Director
movieThe Narrow Trail
1917
Director
movieThe Silent Man
1917
Director
movieThe Cold Deck
1917
Director
movieWolf Lowry
1917
Director
movieThe Square Deal Man
1917
Director
movieThe Desert Man
1917
Director
movieThe Gun Fighter
1917
Director
movieTruthful Tulliver
1917
Director
movieThe Devil's Double
1916
Director
movieThe Return of Draw Egan
1916
Director
movieThe Dawn Maker
1916
Director
movieThe Primal Lure
1916
Director
movieThe Aryan
1916
Director
movieThe Patriot
1916
Director
movieBetween Men
1916
Director
movieThe Disciple
1915
Director
movieKeno Bates, Liar
1915
Director
Pinto Ben
1915
Director
movieKnight of the Trail
1915
Director
movieThe Ruse
1915
Director
movieCash Parrish's Pal
1915
Director
movieTools of Providence
1915
Director
movieThe Darkening Trail
1915
Director
movieBad Buck of Santa Ynez
1915
Director
movieThe Man from Nowhere
1915
Director
movieThe Roughneck
1915
Director
movieThe Grudge
1915
Director
movieMr. 'Silent' Haskins
1915
Director
Grit
1915
Director
movieTwo-Gun Hicks
1914
Director
Writing11
movieWhite Oak
1921
Story
movieThe Testing Block
1920
Story, Screenplay
movieThe Toll Gate
1920
Writer, Story
Production8
movieWild Bill Hickok
1923
Producer
movieThree Word Brand
1921
Producer
movieSand
1920
Producer
movieWagon Tracks
1919
Producer
movieThe Money Corral
1919
Producer
movieBranding Broadway
1918
Producer
movieShark Monroe
1918
Producer