header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
April 26
1906 - Bobby Batugo, World Champion Mixologist in the 1970s, born in The Philippines [story]
Bobby Batugo


| Sunday, Aug 14, 2016
William S. Hart grasps the hand of is betrothed in the silent Western, "The Bargain," as wedding guests watch the proceedings.
William S. Hart grasps the hand of is betrothed in the silent Western, "The Bargain," as wedding guests watch the proceedings.
 
Wyatt McCrea, grandson of the late Joel McCrea, was a featured guest. Photos: Michele E. Buttelman.

Wyatt McCrea, grandson of the late Joel McCrea, was a featured guest. Photos: Michele E. Buttelman.

Silent Western film star William S. Hart rode onto the silver screen Saturday night and enthralled an audience of more than 200 guests at the 21st Annual Silents Under the Stars fundraiser at his former ranch in Newhall.

The event, which benefits Friends of Hart Park, was held at Hart Hall and included music by Disneyland’s Mild Bill and the Mild Cats, a barbecue dinner from Rattler’s and the chance to bid on items the Silents’ silent auction.

Guests were also treated to a twilight tour of the William S. Hart Mansion and Museum.

 

‘The Bargain’

The highlight of the evening was the screening of Hart’s first feature length motion picture, “The Bargain.”

Bill West introduces the "The Bargain" starring William S. Hart.

Bill West introduces the “The Bargain” starring William S. Hart.

“The Bargain” is a 1914 American Western film starring Hart, and in 2010, it was added to the National Film Registry.

The film stars Hart playing a character that would become his trademark – the “good bad man.”

In the picture, he plays “the notorious Jim Stokes, The Two-Gun Man” and is badly wounded following a botched hold-up. He falls in love with his nurse, and the two are wed. “The Bargain” also features beautiful location photography in Arizona’s Grand Canyon.

 

‘You Asked for It’

Prior to the feature presentation, “SCV In The Movies” hosts E.J. Stephens and Bill West introduced the film and a clip from the television show, “You Asked for It.”

In the clip, host Jack Ward Smith visits the Hart Mansion and Museum and interviews Western actor Joel McCrea, a friend of Hart’s. The two discuss Hart and his films and take a tour of the mansion. The show, shot in the late 1950s, shows the view from the top of the mansion at the pristine Santa Clarita Valley below, devoid of the current clusters of tract homes and businesses.

“You Asked for It” was a human-interest television show that originally aired on TV from 1950 to 1959 and featured segments produced from reader requests.

On Saturday, special guest Wyatt McCrea, grandson of Joel McCrea, spoke to the crowd about his late grandfather and his friendship with Hart. He also spoke about his grandfather’s desire to emulate Hart’s generosity when he donated parts of his McCrea Ranch in Ventura County for public use.

 

Laurene Weste, Santa Clarita City Councilwoman and President of the Friends of Hart Park, welcomes guests to Silents Under the Stars.

Laurene Weste, Santa Clarita City Councilwoman and President of the Friends of Hart Park, welcomes guests to Silents Under the Stars.

Friends of Hart Park

Santa Clarita City Councilwoman Laurene Weste, president of Friends of Hart Park, said funds raised from the event will go toward the care of the animals at the park and to install a movie theater and seating inside of Hart Hall.

“We are growing into a phenomenal group of people who support Hart Park,” Weste said. “Bill Hart would never have believed what Newhall has become. What a gift it is to have 200 acres of open space in downtown Newhall.”

Weste said funds from the event should allow for the long-anticipated installation of a theater in Hart Hall, as well as equipment to transform the venue into a site for business conferences.

“This should put us over the top,” said Weste. “We’re excited to complete this project.”

Guests view a few of the more than 90 silent auction items to benefit the Friends of Hart Park.

Guests view a few of the more than 90 silent auction items to benefit the Friends of Hart Park.

Silents Under the Stars chairwoman Sharon Blowers said this year’s event featured more than 90 silent auction items including artwork and baskets filled with coupons for trips, entertainment tickets, gift certificates, Western memorabilia and a special gift basket from U.S. Rep. Steve Knight featuring a congressional cookbook and a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol on the Fourth of July.

“All the money made from the silent auction goes directly to Hart Park to support the animals and to improve buildings,” Blowers said. “This is a great cause.”

Blowers said the Silents Under the Stars committee started work in April.

“It is a long and tedious job,” she said. “It is an amazing committee.”

 

Musician and composer Ray Lowe prepares to provide accompaniment to the William S. Hart silent film, "The Bargain."

Musician and composer Ray Lowe prepares to provide accompaniment to the William S. Hart silent film, “The Bargain.”

Ray Lowe

“The Bargain” was accompanied by live music performed by Ray Lowe. This was Lowe’s 11th year providing the music to accompany a Hart film at the event. For past showings, Lowe would often write an original score after viewing the film.

“I had read about the film in an anthology book The Friends of Hart Park gave me a few years ago, so I got an early start,” Lowe said. “Then I found the perfect piece of music, so the main theme this year I did not write. I found it at church.”

Lowe said the music was originally published in 1835 in a Southern Harmony hymnal.

“In the 1835 hymnal, it said this tune is called ‘Pilgrim,’ and it was attributed as ‘traditional,’” he said. “I don’t know how long it takes for a tune to become old and labeled ‘traditional,’ but if it is at least 20 years, then the theme I am using for this film would be at least 100 years older than the movie, and the movie is 100 years old.”

Lowe said that as always, he had “a lot of fun” working on the project.

 

"Mild Bill" entertains guests in the backyard at Hart Hall adjacent to Hart Park in Newhall.

“Mild Bill” entertains guests in the backyard at Hart Hall adjacent to Hart Park in Newhall.

William S. Hart

William Surrey Hart began his film career in 1914 when he was at or near age 50, and over the course of the next 11 years he appeared in or produced more than 60 movies. He was embraced by the public as the prototype of the frontier hero. Born in Newburgh, N.Y., in 1864, Hart and his family traveled extensively in the Midwest during his boyhood. He was raised in a pioneer atmosphere and had a lifelong respect for the American Indian culture.

Many items in Hart’s collection of authentic Indian artifacts are on display in his mansion on the hill above the park in Newhall. At Hart’s death in 1946, he left his Newhall mansion and grounds to the county of Los Angeles for the establishment of a park. A condition of his will stipulated that no entry fee be collected.

For more information about the Friends of Hart Park and the Hart Mansion and Museum, visit www.friendsofhartpark.org and www.hartmuseum.org.

 

More than 200 guests enjoyed entertainment by “Mild Bill and the Mild Cats" at Silents Under the Stars at Hart Hall in Newhall.

More than 200 guests enjoyed entertainment by “Mild Bill and the Mild Cats” at Silents Under the Stars at Hart Hall in Newhall.

Servers dish up a BBQ dinner from Rattlers to guests at Silents Under the Stars.

Servers dish up a BBQ dinner from Rattlers to guests at Silents Under the Stars.

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

0 Comments

You can be the first one to leave a comment.

Leave a Comment


ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT LINKS
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Friday, Apr 26, 2024
In the Roaring ’20s in the big city, if there’s enough “razzle dazzle,” you just might get away with murder. That’s the premise of the hit musical “Chicago,” which has enjoyed success for nearly 50 years, and was based on true-crime stories of a century ago.
Friday, Apr 26, 2024
California Institute of the Arts will present the annual CalArts Expo on Saturday, May 2. The Expo is an institute-wide event featuring interdisciplinary creative work from the CalArts community, ranging from current students to internationally renowned faculty and alumni creators.
Friday, Apr 26, 2024
Two classic one-act comedies written by the late James McLure are coming to The Main in Old Town Newhall for a two-weekend run starting Friday, May 10.
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2024
Dust off the boots and get ready to holler, because Boots In The Park making its way to back to Santa Clarita, y’all. 
Friday, Apr 19, 2024
Visit Vasquez Rock Natural Area and Nature Center for a Day at The Rocks, a family fun event and tribal celebration of the Village of Mapipinga. A Day at The Rocks will be held Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
In the Roaring ’20s in the big city, if there’s enough “razzle dazzle,” you just might get away with murder. That’s the premise of the hit musical “Chicago,” which has enjoyed success for nearly 50 years, and was based on true-crime stories of a century ago.
May 2-4: ‘Chicago’ On Stage at West Ranch High School
California Institute of the Arts will present the annual CalArts Expo on Saturday, May 2. The Expo is an institute-wide event featuring interdisciplinary creative work from the CalArts community, ranging from current students to internationally renowned faculty and alumni creators.
May 2: Annual Cal Arts Expo Open to the Public
Blue Heat, the Saugus High School show choir team, ended its competition season on April 12 with a first-place finish in the mixed division Tier IV at John Burroughs Music Showcase 2024 held in Burbank. The team also won the awards for Best Musicianship and Best Showmanship.
Saugus High Show Choir Captures Awards at Music Showcase
Against a backdrop of cinematic magic at Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, California Institute of the Arts honored the transformative power that philanthropy has had in nurturing the dreams of CalArts students.
CalArts Honors Scholarship Donors at Nickelodeon Event
Two classic one-act comedies written by the late James McLure are coming to The Main in Old Town Newhall for a two-weekend run starting Friday, May 10.
May 10: Two Classic One Act Comedies Open at The Main
The Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity and the County Film Office, in partnership with Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor Chair Lindsey P. Horvath and Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, unveiled a new $4.1 million grant program to provide relief to small and micro businesses affected by both COVID-19 and the 2023 Hollywood double strikes.
$4.1 Million Grant Program for Small, Micro Businesses in L.A. County
Join the Saugus Instrumental Music Program at Saugus High School for a fun community event. Get ready, Santa Clarita, for an unforgettable morning of shopping, entertainment and support. The Saugus Instrumental Music Program Rummage Sale, where treasures abound and bargains await will be held Saturday, June 8, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
June 8: Saugus High Instrumental Music Program Rummage Sale
The Placerita Canyon Nature Center Associates invite residents of the Santa Clarita Valley to the annual Placerita Canyon Nature Center Open House event to be held Saturday, May 11, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
May 11: Placerita Canyon Nature Center Open House
1906 - Bobby Batugo, World Champion Mixologist in the 1970s, born in The Philippines [story]
Bobby Batugo
Starting Monday, April 29, construction on the South Fork Trail will begin to replace a portion of the lodgepole fencing, the city of Santa Clarita announced.
South Fork Trail Construction to Begin April 29
College of the Canyons dual-sport athlete Sam Regez will continue his career at University of Portland with plans to run on both the cross country and track and field programs.
COC Standout Sam Regez Signs with University of Portland
An entertainment industry initiative to support the voices of California State University, Northridge film and TV students was celebrated with a recent screening of stories they created. 
‘Changing Lenses’ Initiative Lends Voice to CSUN Film, TV Students
How important is Film and Tourism to the Santa Clarita Valley Economy? 
SCVEDC Delves into Santa Clarita Film, Tourism Impact
Earlier this month, a team of biology students at The Master’s University won a distinguished award at one of the oldest intercollegiate research conferences in the country.
TMU Biology Students Earn Recognition at Annual Research Conference
Lisa Zamroz has announced her intent to step down as the head coach of The Master's University's women's basketball team effective July 1, 2024.
TMU Women’s Basketball Coach to Resign
Spring heralds a time of renewal and rejuvenation, not just in the natural world, but within our homes and lives as well.
Cameron Smyth | Spring Cleaning Your Neighborhood
College of the Canyons student-athletes Gigi Garcia (softball) and Hannes Yngve (men's golf) have been named the COC Athletic Department's Women's and Men's Student-Athletes of the Week for the period running April 15-20.
COC Names Gigi Garcia, Hannes Yngve Athletes of the Week
California Institute of the Arts' Community Weekend kicks off on Friday, April 26 and runs through Sunday, April 28.
April 26-28: Community Weekend Returns to CalArts
May is National Foster Parent Appreciation Month! Celebrate by applying to become a resource parent and fostering or foster-adopting siblings.
May 16: Children’s Bureau Foster Care Orientation
Santa Clarita resident Edina Lemus has been appointed Administrator of the Veterans Home of California in Lancaster by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Newsom Appoints SCV Resident Veterans Home Administrator
The California Department of Transportation has scheduled Lane Closures on the northbound and southbound State Route 14 between Technology Drive in Palmdale and Avenue A in Lancaster, closing up to three lanes.
Caltrans Announces SR-14 Lane Closures
1906 - Bercaw General Store opens in Surrey (Saugus) [story]
Bercaw Store
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond testified today in the Senate Education Committee about the need for results-proven training for all teachers of reading and math.
State Superintendent Makes Historic Push for Results-Proven Training in Literacy, Math as Sponsor of SB 1115
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health cautions residents who are planning to visit the below Los Angeles County beaches to avoid swimming, surfing, and playing in ocean waters:
Ocean Water Warning for April 24
SCVNews.com