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SP!IN& 2019
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Betcha You Didn't Know This About Bill ...

by John Boston

Newhall's most famous citizen is William S. Hart. He was the silent film star who created the modern model
for the movie cowboy. I've got tons of little tidbits about the SCV's legendary actor, but let's start with a
dozen tidbits not often shared by the mansion's plucky tour guides:

1) Darryl Zanuck bought the rights to William county fire department had a huge fire look-out
S. Hart's life's story. Zanuck hired producer Sol tower right where the mansion sits today.
Siegel and Cy Bartlett to write an epic screenplay 6) On Dec. 16, 1941, Hart returned from
about our Western superstar. Small problem. having successful eye surgery. He gets to his
Zanuck bought the rights from Hart's son, Bill Jr., Newhall mansion only to realize the town was
who didn't OWN the rights. The estate of his father under strict black-outs due to the start of World
would be embroiled in lawsuits for about a War II. An interesting coincidence - Hart's
decade. No movie has ever been made about operation was called an iridectomy. Hart had
the amazing life of one of the most influential burned his eyes under the fiercely hot studio
cowboy stars in movie history.
lamps while filming a movie. The iridectomy was a
2) A certain plucky local satirist and Camille procedure invented by New York doctor C.R.
Stuart, the granddaughter of legendary Hall of Agnew in the 1870s. The first patient to be
Fame cowboy Liandro (Andy) Jauregui came up undergo an iridectomy? Nicholas Hart, Bill's dad.
with quite the prank in the mid 1970s. Posing as a Story goes that Nicholas was chiseling some rock
film production studio, complete with a Beverly when a small particle of steel chipped off and
Hills phone and address, they notified Newhall's went into his eye. After three unsuccessful
4th of July Parade committee that they were operations and now being blind in one eye,
making a mini-series on the life of William S. Hart. Nicholas went to Dr. Agnew, who debuted the
Could the two stars (Signal humorist and Cammy) pioneering surgical technique. It restored Bill's
possibly ride in the parade? Officials were giddy. dad's eyesight.
Of course! Quickly, the prank got out of hand. 7) In 1925, workers were also busy 1
Locals called the BH number and asked if the constructing a small rustic cabin (the little
"actors" would mind being division marshals, museum/bunkhouse today) at the base of the
then, a day later, co-GRAND MARSHALS. The fake road to the castle for Walter King. Mr. King, by the
movie company called to apologize and report
funding for the project had dried up. way, was an accomplished saddlemaker,
silversmith and cared for Hart's horses. Some
3) Both Bill Hart Sr. and Bill Hart Jr. started locals chuckled over building a rustic cabin "with
their families late in life. Hart Sr. had Bill Jr. at 60 the bark still on." The little cabin only cost $600 to
and Bill. Jr. fathered children when he was 59 and make.
again when he was 63. Both men lived to age 81 .
8) Hart was one of the most famous people
4) Legendary icon and Signal editor Ruth on earth and locals were stunned when he
Newhall shared a story with me long ago about showed up here (Two-Gun didn't live here then)
an unusual golf three-some from the 1930s. Seems in September of 1922 for his premier of The Return
William S. Hart, comedian W.C. Fields (who lived of Draw Egan. Hart personally bowed and
across Market Street on 8th for a while) and one greeted every patron to the old Hap-a-Land Hall
of the most famous entertainers of his day, (the Courthouse Building on Market today).
Charlie Mack, used to go golfing together in 9) In the 1930s, a strange man showed up
Newhall. There wasn't any course in town then, late one night, knocking at the Hart mansion. Hart
but the trio would take a bottle of whiskey, a few answered the front door, armed with two loaded
clubs and a bag of golf balls. They would wander pistols and told the creep to vamoose. The man
up and down the hills of Newhall, using distant drove around the SCV for several hours and
tree stumps and fence posts for "holes." I used to ended up in Honby, where he murdered two
play that very same game in the early 1 960s with people.
my best pal, Phil Lanier. We used to call it Hobo
Golf. 10) Hart made $125 a week for "The Disciple"
in 1915. Two years later, he made $150,000 for
5) Here's some trivia I'm betting the tour "The Narrow Trail."
guides don't know. Before the George Babcock
Smith ranch here in the early 1920s and teens, the 11) There are stories, some that are