William Surrey Hart

William Surrey HART (1864, US) was a silent film actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. During the late 1910s and early 1920s, he was one of the most consistently popular movie stars, frequently ranking high among male actors in popularity contests held by movie fan magazines. He personally crafted the role of the western storybook hero. As a successful Shakespearean actor on Broadway who worked with Margaret Mather and other stars, he appeared in the original 1899 stage production of Ben-Hur. After playing supporting roles in two short films, he achieved stardom as the lead in the feature The Bargain (1914). 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 Shakespearean theatre stages in the United States and England.

Filmography

(selection) The Scourge of the Desert (1915), Knight of the Trail (1915), Between Men (1916), Hell’s Hinges (co-dir. 1916), The Return of Draw Egan (1916) The Gunfighter (1917), The Silent Man (1917), Selfish Yates (co-dir. 1918), Riddle Gawne (1918), The Poppy Girl’s Husband (1919), Square Deal Sanderson (1919)

More info: Wikipedia, William Surrey Hart