Gary and William S. Hart

Early in Gary's film career, he was often compared to William S. Hart as can be seen in the article pictured below (the entire article can be found here: 1930s Articles).

 

 Let's find out more about Mr. Hart.

He began his film career in 1914 when he was 50 years old. Up to that point he'd had a long and successful stage career in New York. Here's an excerpt from Hart's biography on the Hart Ranch and Museum website:

His name was William Surrey Hart, and he was born in 1864 in Newburgh, New York. His father, Nicholas, was a machinist who dreamed of opening a flour mill in the wilds of the Western frontier, so young Hart traveled all around the Old West - which at that time included places like Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Dakotas - and he thrived on the adventures of life on the frontier. Hart later recalled that he encountered and mingled with the West's most notable characters during these years, including cowboys, cattle ranchers, Civil War veterans, outlaws, gold prospectors, and saloon keepers. In addition to fishing and performing odd jobs on neighboring farms, young Hart also spent much of his time with Sioux children. From them he learned how to hunt with a bow and arrow, how to track, and how to ride horses, as well as the Sioux language and Indian sign language. These interactions would develop into a respect and admiration for both the Western frontier and Native American cultures that young Hart carried with him the rest of his life.

Wanting to make more realistic Western films than what were currently being produced, Hart moved to Hollywood and became one of the biggest Western stars of the silent era. He was known as the "two-gun man" because his characters often wore two pistols. He also typically played characters referred to as "good-bad men", meaning he began the film as a bad guy, or a man with a shady past, but would turn around and become a legitimate good guy and hero by the end. Gary also sometimes played characters like that in films such as The Texan, Man of the West, and The Hanging Tree.

After becoming a fan of Gary's and reading about the comparison to Hart, I watched some of Hart's films and he has become one of my favorite silent era actors. I can see why Gary and Hart were sometimes compared to one another. They were both tall (Gary was 6'3" and Hart was 6'2"), they were both strong-jawed handsome men, and they both had a love of the West that comes through in their films.Both men were also good at conveying a lot of emotional depth with just a look or gesture.

Gary dressed as Hart in 1958:

Hart worked in Hollywood from 1914 to 1925 making around 70 films. He retired at the age of 61. He lived out the rest of his days at his ranch in Newhall, California and when he died in 1946 he left the 10,000 acre property to be run as a free museum and park. The link to the museum's site is here: Hart Ranch and Museum

My favorite of Hart's films is Hell's Hinges (1916). It has all the elements that make a great Hart western: the struggle between good and evil, Hart's character's conversion from a bad man to the hero thanks to his love for a good woman, and a bittersweet but still happy ending. The cinematography is also excellent and the huge fire engulfing the town at the end is very impressive. You can watch the film here: 

Here's a short video I made with some clips from Along Came Jones (1945) and Hell's Hinges (1916) to show (a very brief) comparison of the two actors. 

If you're a Western fan, I would recommend checking out the films of William S. Hart. They are fun and give you a look at the early years of the genre.

Buy Hart's Films Here