(1870?-1946)
Although best known as the major motion picture cowboy star of the silent era, Hart had a significant legitimate acting career, which he colorfully recounts in his memoir My Life East and West (1929). He made his debut in 1889 in Daniel Bandmann 's company. He performed with Lawrence Barrett on the Ganelon tour. He acted Shakespearean leads opposite Julia Arthur, Hortense Rhéa, and Helena Modjeska, and created the role of Messala in Ben-Hur (1899).
The Historical Dictionary of the American Theater. James Fisher.