William S. Hart

Also Known As: William Surrey Hart, Two-Gun Bill, W.S. Hart, Wm. S. Hart, Wm. 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.

Department: Acting

Place of Birth: Newburgh, New York, USA

Birthday: December 06, 1864

Deathday: June 23, 1946

Adult: No

Gender: Male

Popularity:

1.00%

Known For:

Hollywood
Yesterday and Today
His Hour of Manhood
Jim Cameron's Wife
Pinto Ben
The Roughneck
The Scourge of the Desert
Mr. 'Silent' Haskins
Two-Gun Hicks
The Grudge
The Conversion of Frosty Blake
Cash Parrish's Pal
The Devil's Double
Grit
The Border Wireless
A Lion of the Hills
Staking His Life
The Legend of Rudolph Valentino
Stars of Yesterday
Hell's Hinges
Tumbleweeds
The Narrow Trail
The Return of Draw Egan
Sand
The Whistle
The Toll Gate
Wagon Tracks
The Bargain
The Cold Deck
Keno Bates, Liar
The Ruse
The Cradle of Courage
Travelin' On
The Taking of Luke McVane
The Silent Man
Shark Monroe
Between Men
On the Night Stage
Knight of the Trail
The Dawn Maker
The Darkening Trail
Three Word Brand
'Blue Blazes' Rawden
White Oak
The Gun Fighter
Wild Bill Hickok
The Captive God
The Disciple
All-Star Production of Patriotic Episodes for the Second Liberty Loan
Bad Buck of Santa Ynez
Tools of Providence
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1
Variety Time
The Square Deal Man
The Sheriff's Streak of Yellow
The Aryan
Show People
Branding Broadway
The Desert Man
The Testing Block
The Hollywood Gad-About
Hello, 'Frisco
Wolves of the Rail
The Tiger Man
O'Malley of the Mounted
Breed of Men
Singer Jim Mckee
Selfish Yates
Wolf Lowry
Square Deal Sanderson
John Petticoats
Riddle Gawne
Truthful Tulliver
The House That Shadows Built
The Man from Nowhere
It's Showtime
In the Sage Brush Country
The Poppy Girl's Husband
The Patriot
The Money Corral
The Apostle of Vengeance
The Primal Lure
The Great Chase