Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthdate
1864-12-06
Day of Death
1946-06-23
Place of Birth
Newburgh, New York, USA
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.
Filmography (85)
Decasia: The State of Decay
2002
It's Showtime
1976
The Great Chase
1962
The Legend of Rudolph Valentino
1961
Yesterday and Today
1953
Variety Time
1948
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1
1941
The Hollywood Gad-About
1934
Stars of Yesterday
1931
The House That Shadows Built
1931
Show People
1928
Tumbleweeds
1925Hello, 'Frisco
1924
Singer Jim Mckee
1924
