Skip to content
MovieCove
William S. Hart

William S. Hart

Actor, director and producer · Died June 23, 1946, aged 81 · 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. 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.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 6, 1864
Died
June 23, 1946 (aged 81)
From
Newburgh, New York, USA
Works as
Actor, director and producer
Titles
6 on MovieCove · 79 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 34% in 30 days

What are William S. Hart's films like?

Across their 6 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
67%
Bonds
23%
Survival
6%
Power
4%
Justice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 6 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 1 · Serious 2 · Dark 3

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 3 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 5 · Intense 1

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 2 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 5 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 6 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

6 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 6 of 6 analyzed roles.

Hero
6 of 6

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
4
Hopeful
3
Melancholic
2
Thrilling
1
Warm
1
Other
3

How their films linger

Rousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch William S. Hart's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 3 of their 6 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for William S. Hart's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

79 credits, 6 with a MovieCove page; 7 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Great Chase (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Actor

  • Yesterday and Today (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as (archive footage)

  • Variety Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Texas Tex (archive footage) (uncredited)

  • O'Malley of the Mounted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Writer

  • The House That Shadows Built (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as (archive footage)

  • Tumbleweeds(1925)

    Director · Producer · as Don Carver

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Hello, 'Frisco (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as William S. Hart

  • Singer Jim Mckee (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Story · as 'Singer' Jim McKee

  • Wild Bill Hickok (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Producer · Writer · as Wild Bill Hickok

  • Hollywood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as William S. Hart

  • Travelin' On (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Story · as J.B., The Stranger

  • Three Word Brand(1921)

    Producer · as Three Word Brand / Governor Marsden / Ben Trego

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Whistle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    as Robert Evans

  • O'Malley of the Mounted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Story · as Sergeant O'Malley

  • White Oak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Story · as Oak Miller, a gambling man

  • The Testing Block (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Screenplay · Story · as 'Sierra' Bill

  • The Cradle of Courage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Director · as 'Square' Kelly

  • Sand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Producer · as Dan Kurrie

  • The Toll Gate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Story · Writer · as Black Deering

  • John Petticoats (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    as 'Hardwood' John Haynes

  • Wagon Tracks(1919)

    Producer · as Buckskin Hamilton

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Square Deal Sanderson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director · as Square Deal Sanderson

  • The Money Corral (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Lem Beason

  • The Poppy Girl's Husband (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director · Producer · as Hairpin Harry Dutton

  • Breed of Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    as Careless Carmody

  • Branding Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director · Producer · as Robert Sands

  • The Border Wireless (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director · as Steve Ransom

  • Riddle Gawne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director · as Jefferson 'Riddle' Gawne

  • Shark Monroe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director · Producer · as Shark Monroe

  • Selfish Yates (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director · as 'Selfish' Yates

  • A Lion of the Hills (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Actor

  • The Tiger Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director · as Hawk Parsons

  • 'Blue Blazes' Rawden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director · as Blue Blazes Rawden

  • Staking His Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    as Bud Randall

  • Wolves of the Rail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director · as 'Buck' Andrade

  • The Narrow Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director · Story · as Ice Harding

  • The Silent Man(1917)

    Director · Producer · as Budd Marr

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Cold Deck (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director · as Jefferson "On the Level" Leigh

  • All-Star Production of Patriotic Episodes for the Second Liberty Loan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Actor

  • Wolf Lowry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director · as Tom 'Wolf' Lowry

  • The Square Deal Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director · as Jack O'Diamonds

  • The Desert Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director · as Jim Alton

  • The Gun Fighter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director · as Cliff Hudspeth

  • Truthful Tulliver (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director · as Truthful Tulliver

  • The Devil's Double (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Director · as 'Bowie' Blake

  • The Return of Draw Egan(1916)

    Director · as 'Draw' Egan aka William Blake

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Dawn Maker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Director · as Joe Elk

  • The Captive God (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Chiapa

  • The Apostle of Vengeance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Director · as David Hudson

  • The Primal Lure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Director · as Angus McConnell

  • The Aryan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Director · as Steve Denton

  • The Patriot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Director · as Bob Wiley

  • Hell's Hinges(1916)

    Director · as Blaze Tracy

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Between Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Director · as Bob White

  • The Disciple (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · as Jim Houston

  • Keno Bates, Liar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · as Keno Bates

  • Pinto Ben (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · Writer · as Boss Rider

  • Knight of the Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · as Jim Treen

  • The Ruse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · as 'Bat' Peters

  • Cash Parrish's Pal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · as Cash Parrish

  • Tools of Providence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · as Steve Blake

  • The Conversion of Frosty Blake (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · as Frosty Blake

  • The Darkening Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · as Yukon Ed

  • Bad Buck of Santa Ynez (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · as Bad Buck Peters

  • The Man from Nowhere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · as "Buck" Farley

  • The Taking of Luke McVane (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · as Luke McVane

  • On the Night Stage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as Texas

  • The Roughneck (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · as Dave Page

  • The Sheriff's Streak of Yellow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · as Sheriff Hale

  • The Grudge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · as Rio Ed

  • Mr. 'Silent' Haskins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · as Lon Haskins

  • The Scourge of the Desert (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · as Bill Evers

  • Grit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · as Rio Ed

  • Two-Gun Hicks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Director · as Two-Gun Hicks

  • The Bargain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    as Jim Stokes

  • Jim Cameron's Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    as Andy Stiles

  • His Hour of Manhood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    as Pete Larson

  • In the Sage Brush Country (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Director · as Jim Brandon

  • Ben Hur (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1907)

    as Messala

Career shape

Star power in the 67th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 79 titles from 1907 to 1962.

Highest rated

Hell's Hinges (1916)

Midcredits 64th

Most popular right now

The Return of Draw Egan (1916)

Film career

  • 1907Screen debut· Ben Hur
  • 1916First top-billed film· Hell's Hinges

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting78 of 79: 19 only acting, 59 with another role · typical Midcredits score60thDirecting49 of 79: 0 only directing, 49 with another roleWriting11 of 79: 1 only writing, 10 with another roleProducing8 of 79: 0 only producing, 8 with another role

79 titles, 59 with more than one role — acting and directing overlap on 49 of them.

By decade

1900s1 · acting1910s59 · 59 acting · 48 crew1920s14 · 14 acting · 11 crew1930s2 · 1 acting · 1 crew1940s1 · acting1950s1 · acting1960s1 · acting

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do William S. Hart's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 60th percentile, the median of all 6; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 61st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Approval · how many liked their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Reach · how many have seen their films

14thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Midcredits score across 6 titles, by percentile

  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th2

Shape of the crowd

4 of their 6 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Broadly Agreed2

Most divisive · actor, director

Hell's Hinges (1916)

51st percentile spread · 14% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, director

Hell's Hinges (1916)

Midcredits 64th · 57% liked

Reviewers score the acting 77/100 in their films, across 6 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 53. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does William S. Hart work with?

People who share at least 2 of William S. Hart's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Joseph H. August shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers

Producers