WILLIAM S. HART - AUTOGRAPH QUOTATION SIGNED - HFSID 252672

WILLIAM S. HART
Hart signed this small slip of paper with the quote "'A queen indeed I will be her king", a line from a character Hart played on the New York stage in A Lady of Quality.
Autograph quotation signed "'A queen indeed I will/be her king'/Very Truly Yours/'Sir John Oxon'/W. S. Hart". With pencil notations near upper right corner in unknown hand. 6x3. Hart (1870-1946, born in Newburgh, New York) began acting onstage in New York, going on to make his name as a Shakespearean actor on Broadway. By his 30s, he was a highly popular stage performer, particularly in western plays. He had spent his youth traveling around the country with his father, an itinerant laborer. Hart was 44 when he starred in his first film in 1914. Basing his westerns on his own memories of the West, he insisted on stark realism, using bare, unglamorous storylines that emphasized plot and character over action. In the early 20s, other western stars emerged who emphasized spectacular action and larger-than-life heroics, and Hart's popularity faded. In 1925 he made his final film, Tumbleweeds. Hart was a friend of legendary lawman Wyatt Earp and was a pallbearer at Earp's 1929 funeral. The quotation Hart cites here is from the play A Lady of Quality, first performed on Broadway play from 1897 and later in 2 film versions.Two movie versions followed in 1913 and 1924. Sir John Oxon was a rogue who wagered he could seduce a young woman, Clorinda. Hart himself played this role opposite Julia Arthur in a New York production at Wallack's Theater. Lightly toned and creased. Top edge is irregular. Folded once and unfolded. Top edge is nicked at fold. Otherwise in fine condition.