Person
William S. Hart
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.…
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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
Movies and shows, newest first
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2002
Decasia: The State of Decay
Movie Self - Cowboy (archive footage)
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1976
It's Showtime
Movie Self (archive footage)
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1962
The Great Chase
Movie
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1961
The Legend of Rudolph Valentino
Movie Self (archive footage)
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1953
Yesterday and Today
Movie (archive footage)
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1948
Variety Time
Movie Texas Tex (archive footage) (uncredited)
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1941
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1
Movie Self (uncredited)
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1936
O'Malley of the Mounted
Movie Writer
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1934
The Hollywood Gad-About
Movie Self (uncredited)
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1931
Stars of Yesterday
Movie Self
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1931
The House That Shadows Built
Movie (archive footage)
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1928
Show People
Movie Self (uncredited)
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1925
Tumbleweeds
Movie Don Carver
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1924
Hello, 'Frisco
Movie William S. Hart
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1924
Singer Jim Mckee
Movie 'Singer' Jim McKee
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1923
Wild Bill Hickok
Movie Wild Bill Hickok
More credits
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1923
Hollywood
Movie William S. Hart
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1922
Travelin' On
Movie J.B., The Stranger
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1921
Three Word Brand
Movie Three Word Brand / Governor Marsden / Ben Trego
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1921
The Whistle
Movie Robert Evans
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1921
O'Malley of the Mounted
Movie Sergeant O'Malley
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1921
White Oak
Movie Oak Miller, a gambling man
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1920
The Testing Block
Movie 'Sierra' Bill
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1920
The Cradle of Courage
Movie 'Square' Kelly
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1920
Sand
Movie Dan Kurrie
-
1920
The Toll Gate
Movie Black Deering
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1919
John Petticoats
Movie 'Hardwood' John Haynes
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1919
Wagon Tracks
Movie Buckskin Hamilton
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1919
Square Deal Sanderson
Movie Square Deal Sanderson
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1919
The Money Corral
Movie Lem Beason
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1919
The Poppy Girl's Husband
Movie Hairpin Harry Dutton
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1919
Breed of Men
Movie Careless Carmody
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1918
Branding Broadway
Movie Robert Sands
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1918
The Border Wireless
Movie Steve Ransom
-
1918
Riddle Gawne
Movie Jefferson 'Riddle' Gawne
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1918
Shark Monroe
Movie Shark Monroe
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1918
Selfish Yates
Movie 'Selfish' Yates
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1918
A Lion of the Hills
Movie
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1918
The Tiger Man
Movie Hawk Parsons
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1918
'Blue Blazes' Rawden
Movie Blue Blazes Rawden
