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head-scratchers, that Hart owned the future Spahn Movie Ranch in Chatsworth. Hart reportedly bought
the 160-acre spread in 1920 to store stunt and movie horses. Some sources said he sold the place in 1948,
which would have been tricky because he died in 1946. The ranch is most famous for being the home
of Hollywood cult murderer, Charles Manson and his "family."
12) Before he died in 1946, Hart left all his belongings to the County of Los Angeles, ordering that his
huge ranch and castle be a gift to the people. As-AS- Hart is about to be rolled into the crematorium
fires, his son, Bill Jr., runs into Forest Lawn, waving a court order over his head to stop the funeral pyre and
demanding his father's brain for autopsy. Hart Jr. would begin a decade-long series of colorful and
controversial trials to get his dad's estate. His last Hail Mary was in 1956 when his lawyers pressed that the
will was null and void because the Treaty of Hidalgo granting California to the U.S. was illegal. Hart Jr.?
He ended up being a local real estate appraiser, driving past his father's holdings worth at their highest
estimate at $250 million.
(John Boston has penned more than 11,000 essays, columns, biogs and features, making the most
prolific humorist in world history. He has earned 119 major writing awards, including The Will Rogers
Lifetime Achievement Award. He's been named Best Humorous and Best Serious newspaper columnist
in North America, the United States, California and Los Angeles, several times.)

My Wife and Bill Hart's Girlfriend Made Me an Indian Dinner!

by Bill West

In 197 4, long after Jane Novak starred in 5 films with William S. Hart, and long after
their failed engagement, Jane wrote a cookbook, all about chicken. You can still
find it on used bookshelves! I did, with the intention of holding it up as J
"show-and-tell" at the upcoming Silents Under the Stars in 2018 (I forgot).

Recently, my wife Liliana
pulled it off the shelf and
began reading me t'.JltCKEN CURRY KORMA
excerpts. It's a fun and 2 cloves garlic, halved
1 onion, chopped
fascinating read! We 1 leaspoon salt
quickly got inspired to try 2 teaspoons ginger root, shredded as fine as possible
2 cups plain yogurt
2 pounds chicken breasts, boned, skinned, and diced
one of her recipes, Vi cup plus 1 tablespoon clarified butter (see page 187)
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
expecting them to be, well, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/i teaspoon mustard seeds
greasy and bland like 3 cardamom seeds
many recipes of the day. 3 whole black peppercorns
l teaspoon good-quality turry powder
¾ cup hot. water, more if n~ry
This was neither! In fact, it Pound the garlic, half of the onion, the salt, and ginger in a
was quite exotic and a bit mortar, or whir in a blender. Mix with the yogurt and
chicken and marinate for at least 1 hour, preferably longer.
ln a large skl\let, lightly brown the remaining onion in
spicy! (Just like my wife the 1/2 cup butter, then blend in the turmeric. Crush the
and presumably Bill Hart's cumin, mustard and cardamom seeds with the peppercorns.
Add, along with the curry powder, to the browned onion
and simmer for l minute, then add chicken, along with the
girlfriend!) ~ri.nade. Simmer until the sauce is reduced by half, then
s~1r m the l_tabl_espoo~ butter and the hot water. Cover and
simmer until chicken 1a tendEr (about 15 minutes). (It may
be necessary to add a littl~ extra water so the curry does not
become too dry.) Serve with or over rice. (Serves )
4