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(6 December 1864 in Newburgh, New
York – 23 June 1946 in Newhall, California)
 William
Surrey Hart was a successful Shakespearian actor on Broadway who had
worked with Margaret Mather and other stars, William S. Hart went on
to become one of the first great stars of the motion picture
western. Hart appeared in original 1899 stage production of Ben Hur.
He entered films in 1914 where, after playing supporting roles in
two short films, he achieved stardom 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 and props, as well
as Hart's extraordinary acting ability, honed on Shakespearian
theatre stages in the US and England.
In 1917, he accepted a lucrative offer from Adolph Zukor to join
Famous Players-Laskey. In 1925, he starred in King Baggot's film
Tumbleweeds which was his last and probably most famous for United
Artists. Hart's popularity waned when the public began to be
attracted to “larger than life” Western stars such as Tom Mix. He
retired to his ranch home, “La Loma de los Vientos” in Newhall,
California, which was designed by architect Arthur R. Kelly.
Hart was fascinated by the Old West. He acquired Billy the Kid's
“six shooters”, and was a friend of legendary lawmen Wyatt Earp and
Bat Masterson.
For his contribution to the motion picture industry, William S. Hart
has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6363 Hollywood Blvd. In
1975, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at
the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma.
As part of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County,
California, Hart's former home and 260 acre (1.1 km²) ranch in
Newhall is now "William S. Hart Park". The William S. Hart Union
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. |
