William S. Hart
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.
Hollywood
(William S. Hart)
Yesterday and Today
((archive footage))
His Hour of Manhood
(Pete Larson)
Jim Cameron's Wife
(Andy Stiles)
The Roughneck
(Dave Page)
Pinto Ben
(Boss Rider)
Two-Gun Hicks
(Two-Gun Hicks)
The Scourge of the Desert
(Bill Evers)
Mr. 'Silent' Haskins
(Lon Haskins)
The Grudge
(Rio Ed)
The Conversion of Frosty Blake
(Frosty Blake)
Cash Parrish's Pal
(Cash Parrish)
Grit
The Devil's Double
('Bowie' Blake)
A Lion of the Hills
The Border Wireless
(Steve Ransom)
Staking His Life
(Bud Randall)
Stars of Yesterday
(Self)
The Legend of Rudolph Valentino
(Self (archive footage))
Hell's Hinges
(Blaze Tracy)
Tumbleweeds
(Don Carver)
The Narrow Trail
(Ice Harding)
The Return of Draw Egan
('Draw' Egan aka William Blake)
Sand
(Dan Kurrie)
The Whistle
(Robert Evans)
The Toll Gate
(Black Deering)
Wagon Tracks
(Buckskin Hamilton)
The Bargain
(Jim Stokes)
The Cold Deck
(Jefferson "On the Level" Leigh)
Keno Bates, Liar
(Keno Bates)
The Ruse
('Bat' Peters)
The Cradle of Courage
('Square' Kelly)
Travelin' On
(J.B., The Stranger)
The Taking of Luke McVane
(Luke McVane)
The Silent Man
(Budd Marr)
Shark Monroe
(Shark Monroe)
Between Men
(Bob White)
Knight of the Trail
(Jim Treen)
On the Night Stage
(Texas)
The Dawn Maker
(Joe Elk)
The Darkening Trail
(Yukon Ed)
Three Word Brand
(Three Word Brand / Governor Marsden / Ben Trego)
'Blue Blazes' Rawden
(Blue Blazes Rawden)
White Oak
(Oak Miller, a gambling man)
The Gun Fighter
(Cliff Hudspeth)
Wild Bill Hickok
(Wild Bill Hickok)
The Captive God
(Chiapa)
The Disciple
(Jim Houston)
All-Star Production of Patriotic Episodes for the Second Liberty Loan
Bad Buck of Santa Ynez
(Bad Buck Peters)
Tools of Providence
(Steve Blake)
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1
(Himself)
Variety Time
(Texas Tex (archive footage) (uncredited))
The Square Deal Man
(Jack O'Diamonds)
The Sheriff's Streak of Yellow
(Sheriff Hale)
The Aryan
(Steve Denton)
Show People
(Self (uncredited))
Branding Broadway
(Robert Sands)
The Desert Man
(Jim Alton)
The Testing Block
('Sierra' Bill)
The Hollywood Gad-About
(Self (uncredited))
Hello, 'Frisco
(William S. Hart)
Wolves of the Rail
('Buck' Andrade)
The Tiger Man
(Hawk Parsons)
Selfish Yates
('Selfish' Yates)
Breed of Men
(Careless Carmody)
Riddle Gawne
(Jefferson 'Riddle' Gawne)
O'Malley of the Mounted
(Sergeant O'Malley)
Truthful Tulliver
(Truthful Tulliver)
John Petticoats
('Hardwood' John Haynes)
Singer Jim Mckee
('Singer' Jim McKee)
Wolf Lowry
(Tom 'Wolf' Lowry)
Square Deal Sanderson
(Square Deal Sanderson)
The House That Shadows Built
((archive footage))
The Man from Nowhere
("Buck" Farley)
It's Showtime
(Self (archive footage))
In the Sage Brush Country
(Jim Brandon)
The Patriot
(Bob Wiley)
The Poppy Girl's Husband
(Hairpin Harry Dutton)
The Money Corral
(Lem Beason)
The Apostle of Vengeance
(David Hudson)
The Primal Lure
(Angus McConnell)
The Narrow Trail
(Director)
The Return of Draw Egan
(Director)
The Aryan
(Director)
The Cold Deck
(Director)
Keno Bates, Liar
(Director)
The Ruse
(Director)
The Cradle of Courage
(Director)
The Taking of Luke McVane
(Director)
Travelin' On
(Story)
The Silent Man
(Director)
Between Men
(Director)
Knight of the Trail
(Director)
The Dawn Maker
(Director)
Shark Monroe
(Director)
Sand
(Producer)
Three Word Brand
(Producer)
The Darkening Trail
(Director)
'Blue Blazes' Rawden
(Director)
The Gun Fighter
(Director)
Wild Bill Hickok
(Writer)
Wild Bill Hickok
(Producer)
The Apostle of Vengeance
(Director)
The Roughneck
(Director)
Pinto Ben
(Director)
Pinto Ben
(Writer)
The Devil's Double
(Director)
The Toll Gate
(Story)
The Toll Gate
(Writer)
The Border Wireless
(Director)
Two-Gun Hicks
(Director)
The Scourge of the Desert
(Director)
Mr. 'Silent' Haskins
(Director)
The Grudge
(Director)
The Conversion of Frosty Blake
(Director)
Cash Parrish's Pal
(Director)
Grit
(Director)
The Disciple
(Director)
O'Malley of the Mounted
(Writer)
Bad Buck of Santa Ynez
(Director)
Tools of Providence
(Director)
The Square Deal Man
(Director)
The Sheriff's Streak of Yellow
(Director)
The Testing Block
(Screenplay)
The Testing Block
(Story)
Branding Broadway
(Director)
The Desert Man
(Director)
Shark Monroe
(Producer)
Branding Broadway
(Producer)
Tumbleweeds
(Director)
Wolves of the Rail
(Director)
White Oak
(Story)
The Tiger Man
(Director)
Selfish Yates
(Director)
Riddle Gawne
(Director)
O'Malley of the Mounted
(Story)
Truthful Tulliver
(Director)
Singer Jim Mckee
(Story)
Wolf Lowry
(Director)
Square Deal Sanderson
(Director)
The Narrow Trail
(Story)
In the Sage Brush Country
(Director)
The Man from Nowhere
(Director)
The Patriot
(Director)
The Poppy Girl's Husband
(Producer)
The Money Corral
(Director)
The Money Corral
(Writer)
The Money Corral
(Producer)
Wagon Tracks
(Producer)
The Poppy Girl's Husband
(Director)
The Primal Lure
(Director)