The Cowboy Boot

The American silent film entertainer William S. Hart may not be today’s Orlando Bloom, Gerard Butler or Brad Pitt but he is definitely someone a lot of people looked up to during his heyday.

William S. Hart is not just a film actor though but now also a name for a ranch and museum and one high school –an indication that William S. Hart is well-remembered even in this era where silent films are no longer in existence.

Deemed as a storybook hero and the original on-screen cowboy, Hart may be remembered by many as a villain in most of his films but he will always be remembered by his contemporaries as “ever forthright and honest”.

The 6’2” Hart’s first film His Hour of Manhood released in 1914 was a two-reeler. The next year, he signed another contract and joined Triangle Film Company.

During his retirement, Hart was disturbed by the sound of a plane that kept flying over his house. The plane was owned by Amelia Earhart. For him to complain about the noise that Earhart’s plane makes, he invited the lady to dinner. The two later on became very good friends.

Before his retirement, William S. Hart also went into producing movies and directing them.

One of his most memorable films is Tumbleweeds released in 1925. His career as a film star started with him on a New York stage. However, one has to note that his passion for the American West did not start in his boyhood but when he was already a young man traveling to the West. This is as much a good story as any of his films shown in cinema in those days.

What is most interesting about Hart is that he was ahead of his time and developed a deep respect for the native American culture.

Tags: cowboy