William S. Hart
Known For: Acting
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: December 6, 1864
Day of Death: June 23, 1946 (82 years old)
Place of Birth: 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.
1976
1961
1953
1948
1941
1936
1934
1931
1928
1925
1924
1923
1922
1921
1920
1919
Actor Buckskin Hamilton
Wagon Tracks
Actor Careless Carmody
Breed of Men
Actor Square Deal Sanderson
Square Deal Sanderson
Actor 'Hardwood' John Haynes
John Petticoats
Actor Hairpin Harry Dutton
The Poppy Girl's Husband
Actor Lem Beason
The Money Corral
Director
Square Deal Sanderson
Producer
The Poppy Girl's Husband
Director
The Money Corral
Producer
The Money Corral
Writer
The Money Corral
Producer
Wagon Tracks
Director
The Poppy Girl's Husband
1918
Actor Steve Ransom
The Border Wireless
Actor
A Lion of the Hills
Actor Bud Randall
Staking His Life
Actor Shark Monroe
Shark Monroe
Actor Blue Blazes Rawden
'Blue Blazes' Rawden
Actor Robert Sands
Branding Broadway
Actor 'Buck' Andrade
Wolves of the Rail
Actor Hawk Parsons
The Tiger Man
Actor 'Selfish' Yates
Selfish Yates
Actor Jefferson 'Riddle' Gawne
Riddle Gawne
Director
Shark Monroe
Director
'Blue Blazes' Rawden
Director
The Border Wireless
Director
Branding Broadway
Producer
Shark Monroe
Producer
Branding Broadway
Director
Wolves of the Rail
Director
The Tiger Man
Director
Selfish Yates
Director
Riddle Gawne
1917
Actor Ice Harding
The Narrow Trail
Actor Jefferson "On the Level" Leigh
The Cold Deck
Actor Budd Marr
The Silent Man
Actor Cliff Hudspeth
The Gun Fighter
Actor
All-Star Production of Patriotic Episodes for the Second Liberty Loan
Actor Jack O'Diamonds
The Square Deal Man
Actor Jim Alton
The Desert Man
Actor Tom 'Wolf' Lowry
Wolf Lowry
Actor Truthful Tulliver
Truthful Tulliver
Director
The Narrow Trail
Director
The Cold Deck
Director
The Silent Man
Director
The Gun Fighter
Director
The Square Deal Man
Director
The Desert Man
Director
Truthful Tulliver
Story
The Narrow Trail
Director
Wolf Lowry
1916
Actor 'Bowie' Blake
The Devil's Double
Actor Blaze Tracy
Hell's Hinges
Actor 'Draw' Egan aka William Blake
The Return of Draw Egan
Actor Bob White
Between Men
Actor Joe Elk
The Dawn Maker
Actor Chiapa
The Captive God
Actor Steve Denton
The Aryan
Actor Bob Wiley
The Patriot
Actor David Hudson
The Apostle of Vengeance
Actor Angus McConnell
The Primal Lure
Director
The Return of Draw Egan
Director
The Aryan
Director
Between Men
Director
The Dawn Maker
Director
The Apostle of Vengeance
Director
The Devil's Double
Director
The Patriot
Director
The Primal Lure
1915
Actor Boss Rider
Pinto Ben
Actor Dave Page
The Roughneck
Actor Bill Evers
The Scourge of the Desert
Actor Lon Haskins
Mr. 'Silent' Haskins
Actor Rio Ed
The Grudge
Actor Frosty Blake
The Conversion of Frosty Blake
Actor Cash Parrish
Cash Parrish's Pal
Actor
Grit
Actor Keno Bates
Keno Bates, Liar
Actor 'Bat' Peters
The Ruse
Actor Luke McVane
The Taking of Luke McVane
Actor Texas
On the Night Stage
Actor Jim Treen
Knight of the Trail
Actor Yukon Ed
The Darkening Trail
Actor Jim Houston
The Disciple
Actor Bad Buck Peters
Bad Buck of Santa Ynez
Actor Steve Blake
Tools of Providence
Actor Sheriff Hale
The Sheriff's Streak of Yellow
Actor "Buck" Farley
The Man from Nowhere
Director
The Ruse
Director
Keno Bates, Liar
Director
The Taking of Luke McVane
Director
Knight of the Trail
Director
The Darkening Trail
Writer
Pinto Ben
Director
The Roughneck
Director
Pinto Ben
Director
The Scourge of the Desert
Director
The Grudge
Director
The Conversion of Frosty Blake
Director
Mr. 'Silent' Haskins
Director
Cash Parrish's Pal
Director
Grit
Director
The Disciple
Director
Bad Buck of Santa Ynez
Director
Tools of Providence
Director
The Sheriff's Streak of Yellow
Director
The Man from Nowhere