The Authentic Cowboy - William S. Hart

After the success of the first western “The great train Robbery” the popularity of the genre would only grow and with it we would see many actors who make their fame playing heroes or villains. One of the earliest was William S Hart who between 1914 and 1925 was the epitome of the western hero.

Before starting a career on the stage, we grow up around the Sioux Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. It was there that the young Hart became familiar with Sioux language and culture and developed his love of the west. It was this knowledge that he took to his western films striving to make them as authentic as possible.

Hart started in the film Industry in 1914 and was soon making westerns. His first film of that genre was “On the Night Stage” made in 1915. Almost overnight he became the favourite cowboy of the silver screen, pushing Bronco Billy Anderson (who stared in the “Great Train Robbery) off the number one spot.

ON THE NIGHT STAGE- (1915) William S. Hart, Robert Edeson, Rhea Mitchell - YouTube

His authentic westerns ruled the film industry for nearly 10 years. The stories were almost all based around the plot line of a good badman who redeems himself, maybe with the help of a good woman! But by the mid-1920s Hart was being push off his no.1 spot by the likes of Tom Mix a cowboy of a very different type.

Harts last film, “Tumbleweeds” (1925) made for United Artists was a flop at first was rereleased in the late 1930’s and became a minor classic.

TUMBLEWEEDS (1925) William S Hart - Barbara Bedford - Lucien Littlefield - YouTube