TWO-GUN BILL The Story of Williatn S. Hart by KATHERINE H. CHILD

illiam S. Hart not only got "While playing in Cle. veland [in 1913], I attended that chance to make West­ a picture show. I saw a Western picture. W ern motion pictures, he It was awful! I talked with the manager of made the best of it. In spite of their early popularity, Western films were, as Hart the theater and he told me it was one of the best had seen, exercises in mediocrity. When Hart came to California in 1914, he Westerns he had ever had. Npne of the impossibilities brought with him a fresh approach to or libels on the West meant anything to him-it was Western film making. He added authen­ tic costumes and locales to a heretofore drawing the crowds .... I was so sure that I had made popular, highly idealized image of the West to create a truly original style for a big discovery that I was frightened that some one his films. Much as the work of Frederic would read my mind and find it out. Remington and Charles Russell has come to be emblematic of the West in the Here were reproductions of the Old West being art world, so does the work of William seriously presented to the public-in almost a bur­ S. Hart symbolize the West on film. Though he was not the first Western lesque manner-and they were successful. It made me actor/ film maker nor the last, he was surely one of the most important, tremble to think of it. I was an actor and I knew the achieving both commercial success and West .... The opportunity that I had been waiting for artistic recognition for his films. William Surrey Hart was born in New­ _ years to come was knocking at my door. ... Rise or fall, burgh, New York, sometime between sink or swim, I had to bend every endeavor to get a 1862 and 1865. There is some contro­ versy about the exact year of Hart's birth. chance to make Western motion pictures." During his later career he gave his year of birth as anywhere between 18 70 and William S. Hart (My Life East and West, 1929) 1876, but his death record and his civil service record both indicate that he was born in 1864. Hart was the eldest of eight My Life East and West, Hart seems to Mrs. Hart left Bill with her husband in children born to Nicholas and Roseanne look back on this period of his life as a Minnesota and returned East for medical (McCauley) Hart. Two brothers died great adventure. Many times the family's care with the girls and the baby. Nicholas shortly after birth and another, Nicholas, only neighbors were Indians. Nicholas worked long hours and Bill was often left Jr., died as a small child. The other four worked with Indians whose children with little or no supervision. He enjoyed children were girls, Frances, Nettie, were often Bill's playmates; he learned very little success in school-he much Lotta, and Hart's lifelong companion, to speak the Sioux language from these pref erred to spend his time riding horses Mary Ellen. children, although he was by no means or fishing. He worked briefly with local Hart's parents were both of European fluent. He also gained a respect for In­ farmers, but always returned home descent. Nicholas was raised in England dians and their culture that he never lost. discouraged. and emigrated to the United States as a But times were hard, and his father's Nicholas had heard about the swift young man, and Rose was born in Ireland employment was always uncertain. streams of the Dakotas from Indian and raised in Newburgh, where she When Bill was a small child, Nicholas friends, so he and Bill traveled to Kansas and Nicholas met. A miller by trade, began slowly losing his eyesight, making and the Dakota Territory in 1875 search Nicholas traveled from town to town in it increasingly difficult for him to find of the perfect millsite. Nicholas's Indian the midwest setting up millsites for work. A risky operation saved his sight, contacts enabled them to travel deep others. He was always in search of the but he was separated from the family into Sioux Country unmolested; while perfect site for his own mill where he for an extended period. In turn, Rose father and son spent a great deal of time could not only build his fortune, but succumbed to a series of ailments that with the Indians, their search for a mill­ could at last make a home for his fam­ necessitated her return to New York on site was unsuccessful and they returned ily. The uncertain nature of his work, several occasions. Life in remote settle­ home to Orinoco, Minnesota. along with his quick tempe~ made the ments was not easy on her, and several Christmas of 1875 was happy for the family's existence a precarious one. difficult childbirths with no one but an Harts. Rose had recovered, and the fam­ Memories of childhood poverty were Indian midwife to attend to her had ily was once again united. They were never to leave Hart. taken their toll. not, however, to settle in one place for Nevertheless, in his autobiography, Shortly after Nicholas, Jr., was born, long. Nicholas's former partner, a Sioux,

20 / TERRA, Vol. 26, No. 2 · N ov./Dec. 1987 Western actor William S. Hart in his charac­ teristic two-gun pose. A cast of this statue by C. C. Cristadoro w as given to the Natu­ ·ral History Museum by Hart in 1936 and is now on display in the Lando Hall of Califor- . Iiia and Southwest History.

Acting was not Hart's only interest. As a young man he spent a great deal of his time at the Manhattan Athletic Club, making friends and winning his share of races. This photograph of the young Hart dates from 1879.

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TERRA, Vol 26, N o. 2 · N ov. / Dec. 1987121 Above: In The Silent Man (1917), Hart plays Right: Marr is tried for the kidnapping of "Silent" Budd Marr, who has abducted Betty Bryce (far left). A last-minute inter­ wrote to Nicholas asking him to join him Betty Bryce (Vala Vale) to save her from a vention has proved Marr's innocence, but in a venture on the Zumbro River in life of shame as a dance hall girl. In this his enemies attempt to incite the crowd to Minnesota. Before the mill was com­ scene, Marr has allowed her little brother to hang him. A friendly officer has just saved capture him in the hopes that the reward the day by slipping a gun to Marr. pleted, Rose again became ill. This time money can be used to help the friends who Bill went East with the rest of the family, have suffered because of the aid they have Below: In Three Word Brand (1921), Hart while Nicholas headed for the North­ given to him. portrays three different characters. In this west to look for work. The family would scene from the beginning of the movie, Ben never again call the frontier their home. Trego (Hart) is about to sacrifice his own The Harts moved to New York City life to ensure the safety of his twin sons. after Nicholas suffered a crippling acci­ Hart also plays both of the sons as grown dent while he was working on a farm in men later in the film. upstate New York. This, the death of Nicholas, Jr., and Mrs. Hart's continued illnesses precluded the realization of Nicholas's dream of a Western home­ stead. Bill helped support the family by working as a messenger for two major hotels. He spent his spare time at the Manhattan Athletic Club, competing in walking races with some of the best ath­ letes of the time, and attending perfor­ mances at New York's many theaters. Family hardships, however, once again prevented him from pursuing these in­ terests too intently. The city was not much kinder to the family than the fron­ tier had been. By this time young Hart had become fairly successful as a racer and his connections with other athletes got him a job as an errand boy for a tailor. His father found work as an engineer, relieving some of the burden for sup­ porting the family that had been placed on Bill. Now Hart's desire to become an actor began to surface. Nicholas encouraged him, even suggesting that the best way for him to proceed was to travel to Europe, to l'see the results of ages of proficiency in all arts." Hart worked his way to England on a steamer in 1880i once in England he entered and won a number of races and visited the theater.

22/ TERRA, Vol. 26, No. 2 · Nov. / Dec. 19 87 Unfortunately, his primary means of Filn1ography of Willian1 S. Hart support was the money he received for redeeming the cups he won in the races. 1914 Wolf Lowry He was homesick and hungry, and he His Hour of Manhood The Cold Deck returned home disappointed. He made Jim Cameron's Wife All Star Production of Patriotic one more trip to England and signed up The Bargain Episodes for the Second Liberty for acting lessons, but never took advan­ The Passing of Two-Gun Hicks Loan tage of them. He was even more home­ In the Sage Brush Country The Narrow Trail sick than on his first trip, and returned 1915 The Silent Man home almost immediately. On the Night Stage 1918 Back home he signed up for acting les­ The Scourge of the Desert Wolves of the Rail sons with F. F. Markey, one of the finest Mr "Silent" Haskins Blue Blazes Rawden actors and teachers of the day. In less The Sheriff's Streak of Yellow The Tiger.Man than a year he secured his first acting The Grudge Selfish Yates job as a member of prominent actor/ The Roughneck Shark Monroe manager Daniel Bandmann's troupe per­ The Taking of Luke McVane Riddle Gawne forming in Romeo and [uliet. After his The Man from Nowhere A Bullet for Berlin work with Bandmann, Hart spent the "Bad Buck" of Santa Ynez The Border Wireless 1893 season touring with world-famous The Darkening Trail Branding Broadway stage actress Madame Rhea. The Conversion of Frosty Blake 1919 Nicholas Hart died in June 1895, leav­ Tools of Providence Breed of Men ing Bill with sole responsibility for his Cash Parrish's Pal The Poppy Girl's Husband mother and sisters. Bill struggled to sup­ The Ruse The Money Corral port the family on his earnings as an Pinto Ben Square Deal Sanderson actor, but often supplemented his in­ Keno Bates, Liar Wagon Tracks come with other employment. In 1895 A Knight of the Trails John Petticoats he won leading roles on tour with Helena The Disciple Sand Modjeska. On this tour, he determined Between Men 1920 anew that he was going to be a star. He 1916 The Toll Gate formed his own company to do The Man Hell's Hinges The Cradle of Courage in the Iron Mask, but in spite of good The Aryan The Testing Block reviews, the financial risk was too great, The Primal Lure O'Malley of the Mounted and Hart returned to steady, salaried The Apostle of Vengeance 1921 work as a supporting actor. The Captive God The Whistle He signed on with Julia Arthur, even­ The Dawn Maker White Oak tually creating the role of Messala in Ben The Return of Draw Egan Travelin' On Hur. Later that year, while he was tour­ The Patriot Three Word Brand ing with the company of The Christian, The Devil's Double 1923 his youngest sister Lotta came down 1917 Wild Bill Hickock with typhoid fever. Hart returned home Truthful Tulliver 1924 and remained with her until her death a The Gun Fighter Singer Jim McKee few days later. He returned to the com­ The Square Deal Man 1925 pany and finished out the season. After The Desert Man Tumbleweeds

T ER RA, Vol. 26, No. '.2 • N ov./ Dec. 1987 123 VISITING THE HART RANCH This year the Natural History Museum is Hart and his crew setting up for the land proud to announce the joint operation of the rush scene in Tumbleweeds (1925) his last William S. Hart Park Museum with the and one of his best films. Setups like this en­ abled Hart to get some truly unique shots for County Parks and Recreation Department. Free a scene that was imitated in many later films. half-hour tours of Hart's home are offered Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m, and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from June 15 through October 1; from October 1 to June 15 tours are offered from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday through Friday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday Many of Hart's Westerns were shot on and around the 265-a cr-e ranch, which Hart named La Loma de los Vientos, the hill of the winds . The house itself contains Hart's collection oj art­ works by such Western artists as Frederic Rem­ ington and Charles Russell, his extensive collections of weapons and Native American textiles , and his personal memorabilia. The Hart Ranch is located in Newhall, at 24151 Newhall Avenue (8051 259-0855 ) and can be reached from the Antelope Valley Freeway (Highway 14); take the San Fernando Road exit and follow the signs.

TUMBLEWEEDS On Saturday and Sunday, January 9 and 10, 1988, the Natural History Museum will be showing Tumbleweeds, William S. Hart's finest and final film . Hart directed and starred in his stint with Arthur, good parts became from his determination to make West­ this silent opus, which tells the story of the harder and harder to find, and he sup­ erns, but Hart was insistent, and Ince Cherokee Strip land rush. This 19 3 9 reissue of the plemented his income by working as a finally offered Hart a job as an actor so yard detective for the railroads. that he could become accustomed to 19 2 5 film features a prologue by Hart and added Finally, in 1905, he was cast in the role working in front of a camera. Hart was music an~ sound effects. The film is free and will that served to ignite his career: "Cash" not happy with the two movies com­ be shown in the museum's Jean Delacour Audi­ Hawkins in The Squaw Man. He took pleted under this agreement, and when torium at 2 p.m. advantage of the play's Western theme Ince asked him to do a third feature, and his own knowledge of the West to Hart protested. Ince was not keeping make the character his own. The play his promise; Hart insisted on making was a big hit and ran until 1907. Hart was his own films. able to buy a house for his sister and Ince finally allowed Hart to collabo­ The Bargain had turned out to be a mother in Westport, Connecticut. In rate with C. Gardner Sullivan on the tremendous success. Ince sensed that 1907 he took over the title role in The screenplay for The Bargain, which was Hart was destined for stardom and held Virginian, solidifying his image as a directed by Reginald Barker. As soon as up the release of On the Night Stage in Western star. Rose died in 1909, but by The Bargain (1914) was completed Hart, order to capitalize on that stardom. Hart this time Bill was too involved in his Sullivan, and Barker began work on a was not aware of this, nor was he aware career to return home to be with her in second film, On the Night Stage (1915). of his possible earning power; he was just her final days. He felt guilty about it for Hart was pleased with his first two West­ happy to be making real Western films. the rest of his life. erns, but a contract as an actor was not Although he did not begin to realize that After his success in The Squaw Man forthcoming from Ince. He did offer Hart he was being exploited until later, it is and The Virginian, more Western roles a contract as a director, but Hart declined clear that Ince took advantage of their followed. While touring with the com­ and returned to New York to look for friendship from the very beginning. pany of The Trail of the Lonesome Pine work on the stage. In many ways, however, Hart was for­ in 1914, Hart decided to take a chance Hart was at one of the low points in his tunate to work with Ince. His studio coming to California to make films. At career. Not only did he feel that his trip "Inceville" had wonderful facilities for that time motion pictures were still West had been a failure, he was unable to making Westerns, and Ince did allow something of a novelty, and while the find stage work upon his return to the Hart to make Western pictures in his industry was still in its infancy, Western East. He had nearly given up when his own way. Hart followed his first two films were already flooding the market, luck changed. Ince telegrammed him an films with one success after another, be­ and their popularity was dwindling. offer of $125 per week as a star, directing coming one of the top actors of his time Nevertheless, Hart called the New his own pictures. Hart, his sister Mary as well as one of Hollywood's most suc­ York Motion Picture Company and was Ellen, and their beloved dog Mack cessful directors. put in touch with producer Thomas Ince, packed up and were off to California, In 1915 Ince joined with Mack Sennett, who was a friend of his and had once been tourist class. William S. Hart was finally Harry Aitken, and D. W. Griffith to form his roommate. Ince tried to dissuade him on his way. Triangle Film Corporation and Hart

24/TERRA, Vol 26, No. 2 · Nov./Dec. 1987 Settlers nervously await the signal to begin the rush for land on Oklahoma's Cherokee Strip. The land rush sequence in Tumble­ weeds is considered to be one of the best of its kind.

~ent with him. Triangle imported new about settling down and raising a family. that it was too long and sought to cut the stars at bigger salaries; for example, Hart is rumored to have fallen in love film. Hart blocked this action, and Douglas Fairbanks received $2,000 per with most of his leading ladies; it is United Artists countered by deliberately week. Negotiations with the company known that he proposed to many of mishandling the distribution of the film, only doubled Hart's salary and added a them. Winifred Westover, his co-star in ruining any chance for a successful run. $50 bonus; one year later Hart's salary fohn Petticoats, accepted him, and they Hart filed a lawsuit against United Art­ was raised to $1,000 per week. It began to were married on December 7, 1921. Un­ ists and won, but the damage had already be obvious even to Hart that Ince was fortunately, after a short and unhappy been done. Hart never made another taking advantage of their friendship. interlude they separated in May 1922. film, although he did participate in a few In 1917 Ince, Sennett, Griffith, Fair­ Their son, William, Jr., was born Septem­ small film-making ventures. banks, Hart, and others left Triangle to ber 6, 1922, but public hopes that the In 1926 he commissioned Los Angeles join Adolph Zukor at Famous Players­ child would bring the couple back to­ architect Arthur Kelly to design and Lasky (later Paramount). Zukor offered gether were in vain. Hart provided a build a Spanish colonial-style home on a Hart $150,000 per picture, guaranteed, generous financial settlement for Wini­ working ranch in Newhall, California, plus a fifty-fifty split of 35 percent of the fred and his son soon after the couple that he had leased since 1918. His sister profits with Ince. Hart was finally receiv­ separated. They were divorced in 1927. Mary Ellen lived there with him until ing what he deserved for his films, even At the same time, Hart's films were her death in 1944. Hart himself died in though he was forced to share the profits beginning to show some signs of decline: 1946. He left the bulk of his estate to the with Ince, who was involved in the films they were becoming increasingly pre­ County of Los Angeles with the stipula­ in name only. Hart and Ince argued con­ dictable, repetitive, and overly senti­ tion that his home and the grounds of the stantly once shooting on the first pic­ mental. Hart refused to speed up his ranch were to be used as a public park ture began. The resentment that had films by adding action sequences as and museum. The home stands today been building for years finally broke other stars such as Tom Mix were doing. not only as a tribute to William S. Hart, the friendship, culminating in Hart's Paramount was concerned that exhibi­ but also as a true museum. Hart's per­ successful lawsuit against Ince in 1920. tors were losing interest in Hart's films sonal effects and movie paraphernalia In 1919 Hart was approached by Mary and requested that Hart give them con­ are shown along with his marvelous Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fair­ trol over the production of his films. He collection of Western art and artifacts. banks, and D. W. Griffith to join them refused, and rather than submit to the An educational and thoroughly enter­ in forming United Artists. Hart, now direction of others, Hart left Paramount, taining visit to the William S. Hart feeling a loyalty to Zukor, choose to ac­ intending to make his own films. Ranch is what Hart had in mind when he cept a second contract with Paramount But his departure from Paramount ef­ gave the property to the County in order for nine pictures at $200,000 each fectively ended his film career. In 1925 to give back to the people some of what guaranteed. He was also looking for fi­ his final film Tumbleweeds was released they had given to him. nancial security, and he did not wish to through United Artists. Although it is take on the burden of running a new now considered to be one of his best Katherine Child is Collections Manager company. He was also beginning to think films, United Artists thought at the time of the William S. Hart Park Museum.

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