William Surrey Hart (December 6, 1864 – June 23, 1946) was an American

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He is remembered as a foremost

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

star of the silent era who "imbued all of his characters with honor and integrity." During the late 1910s and early 1920s, he was one of the most consistently popular movie stars, frequently ranking high among male actors in popularity contests held by movie

fan magazine A fan magazine is a commercially written and published magazine intended for the amusement of fans of the popular culture subject matter which it covers. It is distinguished from a scholarly, literary or trade magazine on the one hand, by the tar ...

Early life

Hart was born in

Newburgh, New York Newburgh is a city in the U.S. state of New York, within Orange County. With a population of 28,856 as of the 2020 census, it is a principal city of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown metropolitan area. Located north of New York City, a ...

, to Nicholas Hart ( 1834–1895) and Rosanna Hart ( 1839–1909). William had two brothers, who died very young, and four sisters. His father was born in England, and his mother was born in Ireland. He was a distant cousin of the western star

Neal Hart Neal Hart (April 7, 1879 – April 2, 1949) was an American actor and director of the silent era. Biography Hart was born in Staten Island, New York. Before he began working in films, he was a city marshal, cowboy, and stage driver. He wo ...

. He began his acting career on stage in his 20s, with his 1888 debut performance as a member of a company headed by Daniel E. Bandmann. The following year he joined

Lawrence Barrett Lawrence Barrett (April 4, 1838 – March 20, 1891) was an American stage actor. Biography A native of Paterson, New Jersey, Barrett was born in 1838 to Mary Agnes (née Read) Barrett and tailor Thomas Barrett, Irish immigrants who had settle ...

's company in New York and later spent several seasons with Mlle. Hortense Rhéa's traveling company. He toured and traveled extensively while trying to make a name for himself as an actor, and for a time directed shows at the

Asheville Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...

Opera House in North Carolina, around the year 1900. He had some success as a

Shakespearean William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

actor on Broadway, working with

Margaret Mather Margaret Mather (1859–1898) was a Canadian actress. Biography She was born in poverty in Tilbury, Ontario, as Margaret Finlayson, daughter of John Finlayson, a farmer and mechanic, and Ann Mather. She was one of the most famous Shakespearean ac ...

and other stars; he appeared in the original 1899 stage production of '' Ben-Hur.'' His family had moved to Asheville but, after his youngest sister Lotta died of typhoid fever in 1901, they all left together for

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

until William went back on tour.

Film career

Hart went on to become one of the first great stars of the motion picture

. Fascinated by the Old West, he acquired

Billy the Kid Billy the Kid (born Henry McCarty; September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), also known by the pseudonym William H. Bonney, was an outlaw and gunfighter of the American Old West, who killed eight men before he was shot and killed at t ...

's "six shooters" and was a friend of legendary lawmen

Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman and gambler in the American West, including Dodge City, Deadwood, and Tombstone. Earp took part in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, during which law ...

and

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was born to ...

. He entered films in 1914, and after playing supporting roles in two short films, he achieved stardom the same year as the lead in the feature '' The Bargain''. Hart was particularly interested in making realistic Western films. His films are noted for their authentic

costumes Costume is the distinctive style of dress or cosmetic of an individual or group that reflects class, gender, profession, ethnicity, nationality, activity or epoch. In short costume is a cultural visual of the people. The term also was tradition ...

and

props A prop, formally known as (theatrical) property, is an object used on stage or screen by actors during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinc ...

, as well as Hart's acting ability, honed on Shakespearean theater stages in the United States and England. Beginning in 1915, Hart starred in his own series of two-reel Western short subjects for producer Thomas Ince, which were so popular that they were supplanted by a series of feature films. Many of Hart's early films continued to play in theaters, under new titles, for another decade. In 1915 and 1916 exhibitors voted him the biggest money making star in the United States. In 1917 Hart accepted a lucrative offer from

Adolph Zukor Adolph Zukor (; hu, Zukor Adolf; January 7, 1873 – June 10, 1976) was a Hungarian-American film producer best known as one of the three founders of Paramount Pictures.Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'' (June 16, 1976), p. 76. He produ ...

to join

Famous Players-Lasky Famous Players-Lasky Corporation was an American motion picture and distribution company formed on June 28, 1916, from the merger of Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Company—originally formed by Zukor as Famous Players in Famous Plays—and ...

, which merged into

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

. In the films Hart began to ride a brown and white

pinto Pinto is a Portuguese language, Portuguese, Spanish language, Spanish, Sephardi Jews, Jewish (Sephardic), and Italian language, Italian surname. It is a high-frequency surname in all List of countries and territories where Portuguese is an officia ...

he called ''Fritz''. Fritz was the forerunner of later famous movie horses known by their own name, e.g., horses like Tom Mix's ''Tony'', Roy Rogers's ''

Trigger Trigger may refer to: Notable animals and people ;Mononym * Trigger (horse), owned by cowboy star Roy Rogers ;Nickname * Trigger Alpert (1916–2013), American jazz bassist * "Trigger Mike" Coppola (1900–1966), American gangster ;Surname * Bru ...

'' and Clayton Moore's ''

Silver Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...

''. In 1917, to signify "his patriotism and loyalty to Uncle Sam" it was announced to "change the name of his favorite horse from Fritz to one more truly American." He also volunteered from 1917 to 1918 with the

Four Minute Men The Four Minute Men were a group of volunteers authorized by United States President Woodrow Wilson to give four-minute speeches on topics given to them by the Committee on Public Information (CPI). In 1917–1918, over 750,000 speeches were give ...

program to give short pro-war speeches across the country. Hart was now making feature films exclusively, and films like ''Square Deal Sanderson'' and ''The Toll Gate'' were popular with fans. In 1919 Hart's ''

John Petticoats ''John Petticoats'' is a 1919 American silent action film directed by Lambert Hillyer and written by C. Gardner Sullivan. The film stars William S. Hart, Walt Whitman, George Webb, Winifred Westover, Ethel Shannon, and Andrew Arbuckle. The fi ...

'' costar was a young actress named

Winifred Westover Winifred Westover, birth name Winifred Heide, (November 9, 1899 – March 19, 1978) was an actress of the 1910s and 1920s. Her career included films made in Hollywood, Sweden and New York.Bill Hart Is Married Here, ''The Los Angeles Times'' ...

. The film was made in New Orleans, and was a departure from Hart's usual roles, as he played a lumberman who was informed he'd inherited a shop selling ladies clothing. Motion Picture, June 1917

In 1921, Hollywood comic actor

Roscoe Arbuckle Roscoe Conkling "Fatty" Arbuckle (; March 24, 1887 – June 29, 1933) was an American silent film actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. He started at the Selig Polyscope Company and eventually moved to Keystone Studios, where he worked ...

was charged with rape and manslaughter in the death of aspiring actress

Virginia Rappe Virginia Caroline Rappe (; July 7, 1891 – September 9, 1921) was an American model and silent film actress. Working mostly in bit parts, Rappe died after attending a party with actor Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, who was accused of manslaughter a ...

. Amid the controversy, many of Arbuckle's fellow actors declined public comment on the case. However, Hart, who had never worked with Arbuckle or even met him, made a number of damaging public statements in which he presumed the actor's guilt. Arbuckle, who was eventually acquitted but saw his career ruined, later wrote a premise for a film parodying Hart as a thief, bully and wife beater, and it was bought by

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...

. The following year, Keaton co-wrote, directed and starred in the 1922 comedy film ''

The Frozen North ''The Frozen North'' is a 1922 American short comedy film directed by and starring Buster Keaton. The film is a parody of early western films, especially those of William S. Hart. The film was written by Keaton and Edward F. Cline (credited ...

''. As a result, Hart refused to speak to Keaton for many years. By the early 1920s, Hart's brand of gritty, rugged Westerns with drab costumes and moralistic themes gradually fell out of fashion. The public became attracted by a new kind of movie cowboy, epitomized by

Tom Mix Thomas Edwin Mix (born Thomas Hezikiah Mix; January 6, 1880 – October 12, 1940) was an American film actor and the star of many early Western films between 1909 and 1935. He appeared in 291 films, all but nine of which were silent films. He w ...

, who wore flashier costumes and was involved in more action scenes. Paramount dropped Hart, who then made one last bid for his kind of Western. He produced ''

Tumbleweeds A tumbleweed is a kind of plant habit or structure. Tumbleweed, tumble-weed or tumble weed may also refer to: Films * ''Tumbleweeds'' (1925 film), William S. Hart film * ''Tumbling Tumbleweeds'' (1935 film), Gene Autry film * ''Tumbleweed'' (1 ...

'' (1925) with his own money, arranging to release it independently through

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studi ...

. The film turned out well, with an epic land-rush sequence, but did only fair business at the box office. Hart was angered by United Artists' failure to promote his film properly and sued the studio. The legal proceedings dragged on for years, and the courts finally ruled in Hart's favor, in 1940. After ''Tumbleweeds'', Hart retired to his

Newhall, California Newhall is the southernmost and oldest community in the city of Santa Clarita, California. Prior to the 1987 consolidation of Canyon Country, Saugus, Newhall, and Valencia into the city of Santa Clarita, it was an unincorporated area. It was ...

, ranch home, "La Loma de los Vientos", which was designed by architect Arthur R. Kelly. In 1939 he appeared in his only sound film, a spoken prologue for a reissue of ''Tumbleweeds''. In this segment, filmed at his ranch, the 74-year-old Hart reflected on the Old West and fondly recalled his silent movie heyday. The speech turned out to be his farewell to the screen. Most prints and video versions of ''Tumbleweeds'' circulating today include the speech.

Personal life

Hart was always close to his sister Mary, and when he moved to California she came with him. In his autobiography ''My Life East and West'', he called Mary “my constant advisor,” and stated that she took care of his fan mail. Mary is listed as cowriter for two of his published books, ''Pinto Ben and Other Stories'' (1919), and ''And All Points West'' (1940). John Petticoats (1919) - 1

When

, Hart's ''

'' costar, was working in New York City Hart came to see her, and escorted her to dinner and shows. She was about to sign a five-year film contract with Lewis J. Selznick when Hart sent her a telegram, telling her not to sign anything until she'd received a letter he was mailing to her. The letter contained a marriage proposal. She telegraphed her acceptance.Davis, Ronald L., ''William S. Hart'', pages 166-171, University of Oklahoma Press, 2003 On December 7, 1921, Hart married Westover in Los Angeles. She was 22-years-old, and Hart was 57. The only guests were the bride's mother, Hart's sister Mary, and his attorney. On the day of her wedding Westover signed an agreement to retire from acting.Hart’s Divorced Wife Returns to the Screen
/ref> Westover moved into the house shared by Hart and his sister, Mary. Six months into the marriage Hart told his pregnant wife to leave his home, and she went to live with her mother in Santa Monica. During the divorce hearing Westover testified that Hart's sister was the reason for the separation, and that her husband had insisted on keeping open the door that separated their bedroom from his sister's room. The couple's son, William S. Hart, Jr., was born on September 22, 1922. On February 11, 1927, Westover was granted a divorce in Reno, Nevada. She received $100,000, with the understanding she would not return to acting or have her photograph published. A trust fund of $100,000 was established for William S. Hart, Jr., to be used for his support and education. Hart's son lived with his mother, and spent little time with his father, but when Hart's sister Mary died in 1943 it was reported that the "tall, erect cowboy" entered the funeral service "leaning on the arm of his son, William S. Hart, Jr."

Death

Hart died on June 23, 1946 in

at the age of 81. He was buried in

Green-Wood Cemetery Green-Wood Cemetery is a cemetery in the western portion of Brooklyn, New York City. The cemetery is located between South Slope/ Greenwood Heights, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, Kensington, and Sunset Park, and lies several bl ...

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. His Last Will and Testment stated: "I have made no provision in this will for my son for the reason that I have amply provided for him during my lifetime."

Dedications

For his contribution to the motion picture industry, William S. Hart has a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...

at 6363 Hollywood Blvd. In 1975, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, with more than 28,000 American West, Western and Native Americans in the United States, American Indian art works and Artifact (archaeology), ar ...

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...

. As part of the

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is the largest natural and historical museum in the western United States. Its collections include nearly 35 million specimens and artifacts and cover 4.5 billion years of history. This large coll ...

, California, Hart's former home and 260-acre (1.1 km²) ranch in Newhall is now William S. Hart Park. The William S. Hart High School District as well as William S. Hart Senior High School, both located in the Santa Clarita Valley in the northern part of Los Angeles County, were named in his honor. A Santa Clarita baseball field complex is named in his honor. The "Range Rider of the Yellowstone," a statue commissioned by Hart and modeled from life, stands on the Rimrocks in front of the airport at Billings, Montana. Hart donated it to the city in 1927, where it remains a memorial to his memory

On November 10, 1962, Hart was honored posthumously in an episode of ''

The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'', a short-lived western variety program on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

Published books

Bill Hart - The Photo-Play Journal, June 1916

After Hart retired from film making he began writing short stories and book-length manuscripts. His published books are: * ''Pinto Ben and Other Stories'' (written with Mary Hart), 1919, Britton Publishing Company * ''The Golden West Boys, Injun and Whitey'', 1920, Grosset & Dunlap * ''Injun and Whitey Strike Out for Themselves'', 1921, Grosset & Dunlap * ''Injun and Whitey to the Rescue'', 1922, Grosset & Dunlap * ''Told Under a White Oak Tree'' (credited as by "Bill Hart's Pinto Pony"), 1922, Houghton Mifflin Co. * ''A Lighter of Flames'', 1923, Thomas Y. Crowell * ''The Order of Chanta Sutas'', 1925, unknown publisher * ''My Life East and West'', 1929, Houghton Mifflin Co. * ''Hoofbeats'', 1933, Dial Press * ''Law on Horseback and Other Stories'', 1935, self-published * ''And All Points West'' (written with Mary Hart), 1940, Lacotah Press

Selected filmography

* ''His Hour of Manhood'' (1914, Short) - Pete Larson * ''Jim Cameron's Wife'' (1914, Short) - Andy Stiles * '' The Bargain'' (1914) - Jim Stokes * ''Two-Gun Hicks'' (1914, Short) - Two-Gun Hicks * ''In the Sage Brush Country'' (1914, Short) - Jim Brandon * ''The Bad Buck of Santa Ynez'' (1914, extant; Library of Congress) * ''The Gringo'' (1914, *unconfirmed) * ''

The Scourge of the Desert ''The Scourge of the Desert'' (also known as ''Reformed Outlaw '') is a 1915 American silent short Western starring William S. Hart and Rhea Mitchell. It was billed as, "A Thrilling (Broncho) Romance of the Arizona Staked Plains." It was pr ...

'' (1915, Short) - Bill Evers * ''Mr. 'Silent' Haskins'' (1915, Short) - Lon Haskins * ''The Grudge'' (1915, Short) - Rio Ed * ''The Sheriff's Streak of Yellow'' (1915, Short) - Sheriff Hale * ''The Roughneck'' (1915, Short, ?; Library of Congress) - Dave Page * ''

On the Night Stage ''On the Night Stage'' is a 1915 American silent Western film directed by Reginald Barker and starring William S. Hart and Rhea Mitchell. The film is based upon a story by C. Gardner Sullivan with the scenario written by Thomas H. Ince. A c ...

'' (1915) - Texas * ''The Taking of Luke McVane'' (1915, Short) - Luke McVane * ''The Man from Nowhere'' (1915, Short) - Buck Varley - the Man from Nowhere * Bad Buck' of Santa Ynez'' (1915, Short, extant; Library of Congress) - Bad Buck Peters * ''The Darkening Trail'' (1915) - Yukon Ed * ''The Conversion of Frosty Blake'' (1915, Short) - Frosty Blake * ''Tools of Providence'' (1915, Short) - Steve Blake * ''The Ruse'' (1915, Short, extant; Library of Congress) - 'Bat' Peters * ''Cash Parrish's Pal'' (1915, Short) - Cash Parrish * '' Knight of the Trail'' (1915, Short) - Jim Treen * '' Pinto Ben'' (1915, Short) - Pinto Ben - Boss Rider * ''Keno Bates, Liar'' (1915, Short) - Keno Bates * ''The Disciple'' (1915) - Jim Houston * ''Between Men'' (1915, extant; Library of Congress) - Bob White * ''Grit'' (1915, Short) * ''

Hell's Hinges ''Hell's Hinges'' is a 1916 American silent Western film starring William S. Hart and Clara Williams. Directed by Charles Swickard, William S. Hart and Clifford Smith, and produced by Thomas H. Ince, the screenplay was written by C. Gardne ...

'' (1916, extant; Library of Congress) - Blaze Tracy * ''

The Aryan ''The Aryan'' is a 1916 American silent Western film starring William S. Hart, Gertrude Claire, Charles K. French, Louise Glaum, and Bessie Love. Directed by William S. Hart and produced by Thomas H. Ince, the screenplay was written by C. ...

'' (1916, extant; Library of Congress) - Steve Denton * ''

The Primal Lure ''The Primal Lure'' is a mostly lost 1916 silent film western directed by and starring William S. Hart. Footage surfaced in 2023 on YouTube. Cast * William S. Hart as Angus McConnell * Margery Wilson as Lois Le Moyne * Robert McKim as Richard ...

'' (1916) - Angus McConnell * ''

The Apostle of Vengeance ''The Apostle of Vengeance'' is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Clifford Smith and starring William S. Hart, Nona Thomas, and John Gilbert. A Kentucky-born preacher returns home from Vermont in order to settle a feud between two w ...

'' (1916) - David Hudson * ''The Captive God'' (1916) - Chiapa * ''The Patriot'' (1916) - Bob Wiley * '' The Dawn Maker'' (1916) - Joe Elk * '' The Return of Draw Egan'' (1916, extant;DVD) - Draw Egan aka William Blake * ''

The Devil's Double ''The Devil's Double'' is a 2011 English-language Belgian–Dutch film directed by Lee Tamahori, written by Michael Thomas, and starring Dominic Cooper in the dual role of Uday Hussein and Latif Yahia. It was released on 22 January 2011 at the ...

'' (1916) - 'Bowie' Blake * ''

Truthful Tulliver ''Truthful Tulliver'' is a 1917 American silent Western film directed by William S. Hart and starring Hart, Alma Rubens and Nina Byron. Footage was featured in Decasia, an American collage film by director Bill Morrisson. Plot Truthful Tul ...

'' (1917) - Truthful Tulliver * ''

The Gunfighter ''The Gunfighter'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Henry King and starring Gregory Peck, Helen Westcott, Millard Mitchell and Karl Malden. It was written by screenwriters William Bowers and William Sellers, with an uncredited rewr ...

'' (1917) - Cliff Hudspeth * ''

The Desert Man ''The Desert Man'' is a 1917 silent film Western directed by and starring William S. Hart. It was distributed by Triangle Film Corporation. A fragment or incomplete print exists. Cast * William S. Hart - Jim Alton * Margery Wilson - Jennie * ...

'' (1917) - Jim Alton * ''The Square Deal Man'' (1917) - Jack O'Diamonds * ''

Wolf Lowry ''Wolf Lowry'' is a 1917 silent film western directed by and starring William S. Hart. It was produced at Kay-Bee Studios and released by Triangle Film Corporation. A surviving film with prints at the Library of Congress, George Eastman House ...

'' (1917) - Tom 'Wolf' Lowery * '' The Cold Deck'' (1917) - Jefferson 'On-the-Level' Leigh * ''All Star Liberty Loan Drive Special for War Effort'' (1917) * '' The Silent Man'' (1917) - 'Silent' Budd Marr * '' The Narrow Trail'' (1917) - Ice Harding * '' Wolves of the Rail'' (1918) - 'Buck' Andrade * ''

'Blue Blazes' Rawden ''Blue Blazes' Rawden'' is a 1918 American silent drama film directed by William S. Hart and written by J.G. Hawks. The film stars William S. Hart, Maude George, Robert McKim, Gertrude Claire, Robert Gordon, and Jack Hoxie. The film was releas ...

'' (1918) - Blue Blazes Rawden * '' The Tiger Man'' (1918) - Hawk Parsons * '' Selfish Yates'' (1918) - 'Selfish' Yates * ''

Shark Monroe ''Shark Monroe'' is a 1918 American silent adventure film directed by William S. Hart and written by C. Gardner Sullivan. The film stars William S. Hart, Katherine MacDonald, Joseph Singleton, George A. McDaniel, and Bert Sprotte. The film was ...

'' (1918) - Shark Monroe * ''

Riddle Gawne A riddle is a statement, question or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are of two types: ''enigmas'', which are problems generally expressed in metaphorical or allegorical language that requi ...

'' (1918) - Jefferson 'Riddle' Gawne * '' The Border Wireless'' (1918) - Steve Ransom * ''

Branding Broadway ''Branding Broadway'' is a 1918 American silent Western film directed by and starring William S. Hart, written by C. Gardner Sullivan, and produced by Thomas H. Ince and Hart. Plot A tough cowboy, Robert Sands (played by William S. Hart) is b ...

'' (1918) - Robert Sands * ''The Lion of the Hills'' (1918) * ''Staking His Life'' (1918) - Bud Randall * '' Breed of Men'' (1919) - Careless Carmody * '' The Poppy Girl's Husband'' (1919) - Hairpin Harry Dutton * ''

The Money Corral ''The Money Corral'' is a 1919 American silent adventure film directed by Lambert Hillyer and written by William S. Hart and Lambert Hillyer. The film stars William S. Hart, Jane Novak, Herschel Mayall, Winter Hall, Rhea Mitchell, and Patricia P ...

'' (1919) - Lem Beason * ''

Square Deal Sanderson ''Square Deal Sanderson'' is a 1919 American silent Western film directed by William S. Hart and Lambert Hillyer, written by Lambert Hillyer and Charles Alden Seltzer, and starring William S. Hart, Ann Little, Frank Whitson, Lloyd Bacon, Edwin ...

'' (1919) - Square Deal Sanderson * ''

Wagon Tracks ''Wagon Tracks'' is a 1919 American silent Western film written by C. Gardner Sullivan, produced by Thomas H. Ince and William S. Hart, and directed by Lambert Hillyer. Upon its release, the ''Los Angeles Times'' described it as Hollywood's g ...

'' (1919, extant; Library of Congress) - Buckskin Hamilton * ''

'' (1919, extant; Library of Congress) - 'Hardwood' John Haynes * ''

The Toll Gate ''The Toll Gate'' is a 1920 American silent Western film directed by Lambert Hillyer, written by Lambert Hillyer and William S. Hart, and starring William S. Hart, Anna Q. Nilsson, Joseph Singleton, Jack Richardson, and Richard Headrick. It w ...

'' (1920, extant; Library of Congress) - Black Deering * '' Sand!'' (1920, extant, DVD) - Dan Kurrie * ''

The Cradle of Courage ''The Cradle of Courage'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Lambert Hillyer and written by Frederick Bradbury and Lambert Hillyer. The film stars William S. Hart, Ann Little, Tom Santschi, Gertrude Claire, Frank Thorwald, and Ge ...

'' (1920) - 'Square' Kelly * '' The Testing Block'' (1920) - 'Sierra' Bill * '' O'Malley of the Mounted'' (1921) - Sergeant O'Malley * ''

The Whistle A whistle is a single-note woodwind instrument, in the percussion section of the orchestra, and with many other applications in sport and other fields. Whistle may also refer to: Music * Whistle (band), a 1980s hip-hop band Songs * "Whistle" ...

'' (1921, extant; Library of Congress) - Robert Evans * '' Three Word Brand'' (1921) - Three Word Brand / Governor Marsden / Ben Trego * ''

White Oak The genus ''Quercus'' contains about 500 species, some of which are listed here. The genus, as is the case with many large genera, is divided into subgenera and sections. Traditionally, the genus ''Quercus'' was divided into the two subgenera '' ...

'' (1921, extant; Library of Congress) - Oak Miller - A Gambling Man * ''

Travelin' On ''Travelin' On'' is an album by the jazz pianist Oscar Peterson and his trio, released in 1968. It was recorded during the same sessions as '' Mellow Mood''. It was the sixth part of Peterson's '' Exclusively for My Friends'' series. Music The ...

'' (1922, extant; Library of Congress) - J.B., The Stranger * ''Hollywood'' (1923) - Himself * ''

Wild Bill Hickok James Butler Hickok (May 27, 1837August 2, 1876), better known as "Wild Bill" Hickok, was a folk hero of the American Old West known for his life on the frontier as a soldier, scout, lawman, gambler, showman, and actor, and for his involvement ...

'' (1923) - Wild Bill Hickok * ''

Singer Jim McKee ''Singer Jim McKee'' is a 1924 American silent Western film directed by Clifford Smith and written by William S. Hart and J.G. Hawks. Starring William S. Hart, Phyllis Haver, J. Gordon Russell, Bert Sprotte, Patsy Ruth Miller, and Edward Co ...

'' (1924, extant; Library of Congress) - 'Singer' Jim McKee * ''

Hello, 'Frisco ''Hello, 'Frisco'' is a 1924 American silent short comedy film directed by Slim Summerville and starring Summerville, Bobby Dunn, and a host of famous film actors of the era. It was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures. Cast See al ...

'' (1924, Short) - Himself * ''

'' (1925, extant; Library of Congress, others) - Don Carver * ''

Show People ''Show People'' is a 1928 American silent comedy film directed by King Vidor. The film was a starring vehicle for actress Marion Davies and actor William Haines and included notable cameo appearances by many of the film personalities of the da ...

'' (1928, *cameo at studio luncheon) - Himself (uncredited) * ''Tumbleweeds'' (1940/rerelease, *filmed talkie prologue to accompany 1925 silent) The Dawn-Maker.jpg, ''The Dawn-Maker'' (1916) 'The Return of Draw Egan'.jpg, ''The Return of Draw Egan'' (1916) The Square Deal Man.jpg, ''The Square Deal Man'' (1917) The Money Corral.jpg, ''The Money Corral'' (1919) The Whistle - Exhibitors Herald, June 25, 1921.jpg, ''The Whistle'' (1921) William S. Hart in White Oak.jpg, ''White Oak'' (1921)

William S. Hart Ranch and Museum

When Hart died, he bequeathed his home to Los Angeles County so that it could be converted into a park and museum. His former home in

Newhall, Santa Clarita, California Newhall is the southernmost and oldest community in the city of Santa Clarita, California. Prior to the 1987 consolidation of Canyon Country, Saugus, Newhall, and Valencia into the city of Santa Clarita, it was an unincorporated area. It was ...

has become a satellite of the

and remains free and open to the public to this day. The home is a

Spanish Colonial Revival The Spanish Colonial Revival Style ( es, Arquitectura neocolonial española) is an architectural stylistic movement arising in the early 20th century based on the Spanish Colonial architecture of the Spanish colonization of the Americas. In the ...

style mansion and contains many of the movie star's possessions including Native American artifacts and works by artists

Charles Marion Russell Charles Marion Russell (March 19, 1864 – October 24, 1926), also known as C. M. Russell, Charlie Russell, and "Kid" Russell, was an American artist of the American Old West. He created more than 2,000 paintings of cowboys, Native Americans, an ...

James Montgomery Flagg James Montgomery Flagg (June 18, 1877 – May 27, 1960) was an American artist, comics artist and illustrator. He worked in media ranging from fine art painting to cartooning, but is best remembered for his political posters, particularly his 1 ...

, and Joe de Yong. The Museum is an important part of Hart's legacy as he said before he died: "When I was making pictures, the people gave me their nickels, dimes, and quarters. When I am gone, I want them to have my home." The surrounding 265-acre William S. Hart Park includes the mansion, trails, an animal area with farm animals, bison, and a picnic area. Hart Park and Museum is located at 24151 Newhall Avenue, Santa Clarita, CA 91321. Since 2015, the park has been home to the

Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival is an annual event held at the William S. Hart Park in Old Town Newhall, Santa Clarita, California. Each year, over 10,000 global visitors attend lectures and performances on multiple stages by famous poets, author ...

and Annual Hart of the West Powwow. The former was previously held at

Melody Ranch ''Melody Ranch'' is a 1940 Western musical film directed by Joseph Santley and starring Gene Autry, Jimmy Durante, and Ann Miller. Written by Jack Moffitt, F. Hugh Herbert, Bradford Ropes, and Betty Burbridge, the film is about a singing cowb ...

References

External links

* *
In Loving Memory of William S. Hart

William S. Hart Ranch and Museum
* (Photos & text)

The Haunted Hart Ghost Site

William S. Hart Union High School District, Santa Clarita Valley, California

William S. Hart High School, Newhall, California

Photographs of William S. Hart
* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hart, William S. 1864 births 1946 deaths 19th-century American male actors American male stage actors 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male silent film actors American male screenwriters Film producers from California Male Western (genre) film actors Western (genre) film directors American people of English descent American people of Irish descent Burials at Green-Wood Cemetery People from Newburgh, New York People from Aurora, Illinois Male actors from Santa Clarita, California Film directors from California Film directors from New York (state) People from Newhall, Santa Clarita, California Screenwriters from New York (state) Screenwriters from California Screenwriters from Illinois 20th-century American male writers Film directors from Illinois Film producers from New York (state) Film producers from Illinois 20th-century American screenwriters Members of The Lambs Club