William S. Hart
Known for Acting · 85 credits
- Born
- 1864-12-06
- Died
- 1946-06-23
- Place of birth
- Newburgh, New York, USA
- Also known as
- William Surrey Hart · Two-Gun Bill · W.S. Hart · Wm. S. Hart · Wm. S Hart · Вильям Харт
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.
Known For
Movies (85)
Show People
1928
as Self (uncredited)
Hello, 'Frisco
1924
as William S. Hart
Riddle Gawne
1918
as Jefferson 'Riddle' Gawne
It's Showtime
1976
as Self (archive footage)
Shark Monroe
1918
as Shark Monroe
Hell's Hinges
1916
as Blaze Tracy
Jim Cameron's Wife
1914
as Andy Stiles
The Legend of Rudolph Valentino
1961
as Self (archive footage)
Singer Jim Mckee
1924
as 'Singer' Jim McKee
A Lion of the Hills
1918
The Patriot
1916
as Bob Wiley
His Hour of Manhood
1914
as Pete Larson
'Blue Blazes' Rawden
1918
as Blue Blazes Rawden
The Taking of Luke McVane
1915
as Luke McVane
The Ruse
1915
as 'Bat' Peters
The Hollywood Gad-About
1934
as Self (uncredited)
Ben Hur
1907
as Messala
The Narrow Trail
1917
as Ice Harding
The Silent Man
1917
as Budd Marr
Tumbleweeds
1925
as Don Carver
The Return of Draw Egan
1916
as 'Draw' Egan aka William Blake
Breed of Men
1919
as Careless Carmody
The Aryan
1916
as Steve Denton
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1
1941
as Self (uncredited)
Variety Time
1948
as Texas Tex (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Great Chase
1962
The House That Shadows Built
1931
as (archive footage)
The Devil's Double
1916
as 'Bowie' Blake
The Darkening Trail
1915
as Yukon Ed
Three Word Brand
1921
as Three Word Brand / Governor Marsden / Ben Trego
The Whistle
1921
as Robert Evans
The Bargain
1914
as Jim Stokes
Hollywood
1923
as William S. Hart
Wild Bill Hickok
1923
as Wild Bill Hickok
The Testing Block
1920
as 'Sierra' Bill
The Cold Deck
1917
as Jefferson "On the Level" Leigh
Knight of the Trail
1915
as Jim Treen
Square Deal Sanderson
1919
as Square Deal Sanderson
Branding Broadway
1918
as Robert Sands
The Poppy Girl's Husband
1919
as Hairpin Harry Dutton
The Money Corral
1919
as Lem Beason
The Gun Fighter
1917
as Cliff Hudspeth
On the Night Stage
1915
as Texas
Yesterday and Today
1953
as (archive footage)
Bad Buck of Santa Ynez
1915
as Bad Buck Peters
The Cradle of Courage
1920
as 'Square' Kelly
All-Star Production of Patriotic Episodes for the Second Liberty Loan
1917
Keno Bates, Liar
1915
as Keno Bates
Wagon Tracks
1919
as Buckskin Hamilton
Staking His Life
1918
as Bud Randall
The Apostle of Vengeance
1916
as David Hudson
In the Sage Brush Country
1914
as Jim Brandon
Travelin' On
1922
as J.B., The Stranger
The Disciple
1915
as Jim Houston
Wolves of the Rail
1918
as 'Buck' Andrade
White Oak
1921
as Oak Miller, a gambling man
Selfish Yates
1918
as 'Selfish' Yates
The Conversion of Frosty Blake
1915
as Frosty Blake
The Captive God
1916
as Chiapa
The Tiger Man
1918
as Hawk Parsons
Sand
1920
as Dan Kurrie
The Toll Gate
1920
as Black Deering
The Desert Man
1917
as Jim Alton
Cash Parrish's Pal
1915
as Cash Parrish
The Roughneck
1915
as Dave Page
Grit
1915
The Man from Nowhere
1915
as "Buck" Farley
The Grudge
1915
as Rio Ed
The Dawn Maker
1916
as Joe Elk
Decasia: The State of Decay
2002
as Self - Cowboy (archive footage)
Mr. 'Silent' Haskins
1915
as Lon Haskins
The Square Deal Man
1917
as Jack O'Diamonds
Tools of Providence
1915
as Steve Blake
The Primal Lure
1916
as Angus McConnell
Stars of Yesterday
1931
as Self
John Petticoats
1919
as 'Hardwood' John Haynes
Between Men
1916
as Bob White
Two-Gun Hicks
1914
as Two-Gun Hicks
O'Malley of the Mounted
1921
as Sergeant O'Malley
The Border Wireless
1918
as Steve Ransom
Pinto Ben
1915
as Boss Rider
Wolf Lowry
1917
as Tom 'Wolf' Lowry
The Sheriff's Streak of Yellow
1915
as Sheriff Hale
The Scourge of the Desert
1915
as Bill Evers
Truthful Tulliver
1917
as Truthful Tulliver
About 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… With 85 credits spanning from 1907 to 2002, William S. Hart has appeared in 85 films and 0 TV shows.
Fans searching for William S. Hart movies, William S. Hart filmography, or the latest projects starring William S. Hart can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular William S. Hart Movies
- Show People (1928) — as Self (uncredited)
- Hello, 'Frisco (1924) — as William S. Hart
- Riddle Gawne (1918) — as Jefferson 'Riddle' Gawne
- It's Showtime (1976) — as Self (archive footage)
- Shark Monroe (1918) — as Shark Monroe
Where to Watch William S. Hart Films
Most William S. Hart movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring William S. Hart, check our movies catalogue and browse page.