Actress, Screenwriter. She was a star of the silent film era and a leading lady who is best known for playing the character roles of daughters, sweethearts, slaves, sisters, factory workers, stowaways, schoolteachers, nurses, wives, and maids, usually appearing in western films, swashbuckler films, and period drama films, in which she did her own stunts, especially with the Selig Polyscope Company in Los Angeles, California. She will be best remembered for playing the role of 'Dorothy' in the adventure film, "The Mystery Of The Poison Pool" (1914), which was filmed in Bermuda for Victory Pictures, while doing her own stunts for the film she was bitten by an angel fish and narrowly escaped serious injury during an underwater scene. The film which was directed by and which also starred James Gordon, which was written for the screen by J. Searle Dawley, which was filmed for the screen by Charles Rosher, and which also starred Emanuel A. Turner and Frank Sidwell, tells the story of Joe Cameron, the diamond prospector, who has just been captured by a wandering band of cannibals, who soon realizes that his life is about to come to an abrupt close, and in the desperate hope that there may yet be a chance of rescue, he takes from around his neck his mother's locket, hangs it on a bush and is dragged away by the exulting natives. Corporal Walton, a member of His Majesty's Mounted Patrol, comes upon the locket, and following the trail of the savages, attempts at nightfall a heroically and cleverly conceived rescue, by lowering a rope over the large cliff. As Cameron starts to climb, an immense python crawls to the rope and starts down. With the savages below and the snake above, there seems no hope, but Walton, ever resourceful, shoots the snake in the head. Joe Cameron flees one way, and Walton escapes from the pursuing savages on horseback. A year later, Cameron, still the hard-drinking, wandering prospector, comes into the little African village of Ubangi, where he is softened for the first time in his life by the tender influence of Dorothy, the little village missionary. When Cameron sees a huge diamond a prospector has brought in, he is about to stab the man, to steal the stone, but the thought of Dorothy restrains him. Later Dorothy comes upon the murdered form of Cameron's guest. Dorothy cannot believe him guilty of this dastardly crime, but the circumstantial evidence is so strong against Cameron that, rather than face his chances of death, he makes good his escape. The Forest Patrol pursues him, and Walton, never having recognized the man whom he saved a year before, runs him down in the brush and starts, with his prisoner handcuffed to him, on the journey back to Ubangi. Cameron seizes his opportunity and rolls with his captor down an immense embankment. Walton's leg is strained. Cameron, while releasing himself from the handcuffs, discovers in Walton's pocket his mother's locket that he had left as a forlorn hope a year before. Then Walton shows him Dorothy's glove and tells him of their mutual love. Our heretofore stony-hearted prospector, raised by love to the greatest sacrifice a human being can make, starts to carry Walton back to the village for Dorothy's sake. He gives him his last drop of water, and when they come upon a limpid pool glowing in the sunlight, they are both about to drink, when Cameron discovers that it is one of Africa's horrors, a natural poison pool. In a desperate struggle, at the brink of death, he knocks out the now delirious Walton, and with his unconscious form resumes his struggling journey back to civilization. Under arrest in Ubangi, he remains mute to all except Dorothy, and she, convinced of his love for her by his sacrifice, starts for headquarters to intercede on his behalf. On her way, she comes across the real murderer, killed by the Mysterious Poison Pool, and with the evidence of the recovered diamond hastens on to headquarters. Snatching the order for Cameron's release she reaches the firing squad just as the command is to be given, and saves her lover. Cameron, a changed and softened man, begins a new life with the woman of his dreams. She was born one of eight children as Daisy Mae Light in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, to Theophilus Ozias Light and his wife Agnes Mary Bohn Light on May 13, 1882. She was educated locally and later moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she attended private school. Following her education, she decided to pursue an acting career. She began her career in various stock companies and was working as a secretary for a Los Angeles, California, area newspaper when she was assigned to interview film director Francis Boggs, who was head of the Selig Polyscope Company in Los Angeles, California, at the time. The film director was very pleased with her demeanor and appearance and quickly signed her to an acting contract. She chose the last name of Harte for her stage name because she was a fan of the author Bret Harte. She made her actual film debut playing in the classic horror short film, "Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde" (1908). The film which was directed by Otis Turner, and written for the screen by George F. Fish and Luella Forepaugh, was based on the novel "The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson, and which also starred Hobart Bosworth, tells the story of Dr. Henry Jekyll who experiments with scientific means of revealing the hidden, dark side of man and releases a murderer from within himself. Besides, playing in the classic horror short film, "The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde" (1908), and playing the role of 'Dorothy' in the adventure film,"The Mystery Of The Poison Pool" (1914), her many other film film credits include, "Rip Van Winkle" (1908), "Damon And Pythias" (1908), "The Spirit Of '76" (1908), "The Tenderfoot" (1909), "Boots And Saddles" (1909), "In The Badlands" (1909), "The Leopard Queen" (1909), "The Stampede" (1909), "Up San Juan Hill" (1909), "On The Border" (1909), "On The Little Big Horn" (1909), or "Custer's Last Stand" (1909), "Pine Ridge Feud" (1909), "The Christian Martyrs" (1909), "The Courtship Of Miles Standish" (1910), "The Roman" (1910), "Across The Plains" (1910), "The Common Enemy" (1910), "Davy Crockett" (1910), "In The Great Northwest" (1910), "The Schoolmaster Of Mariposa" (1910), "A Tale Of The Sea" (1910), "Justinian And Theodora" (1910), "Pride Of The Range" (1910), "The Spy" (1911, She starred in and was also a screenwriter for the film), "The Haven Of Refuge" (1911), "The Still Alarm" (1911), "The Herders" (1911), "Where There's A Will, There's A Way" (1911), "Range Pals" (1911), "Told In The Sierras" (1911), "The New Faith" (1911), "The White Medicine Man" (1911), "It Happened In The West" (1911), "The Profligate" (1911), "The Knight's Errant" (1911), "Slick's Romance" (1911), "Their Only Son" (1911, She starred in and was also a screenwriter for the film), "The Regeneration Of Apache Kid" (1911), "The Blacksmith's Love" (1911), "Through Fire And Smoke" (1911), "How Algy Captured A Wild Man" (1911), "The Heart Of John Barlow" (1911), "A Cup Of Cold Water" (1911), "Shipwrecked" (1911), "The Artist's Son" (1911), "Out-Generaled" (1911), "Making A Man Of Him" (1911), "Captain Brand's Wife" (1911), "The Coquette" (1911), "Old Billy" (1911), "In The Days Od Gold" (1911), "The Bootlegger" (1911), "Blackbeard" (1911), "An Evil Power" (1911), "A Frontier Girl's Courage" (1911), "The Maid At The Helm" (1911), "A Romance Of The Rio Grande" (1911), "George Warrington's Escape" (1911), "The Little Widow" (1911), "A Modern Rip" (1911), "The Mate Of The Alden Bessie" (1912), "The Secret Wedding" (1912), "A Diplomat Interrupted" (1912), "The Little Stowaway" (1912, She starred in and was also a screenwriter for the film), "Disillusioned" (1912), "The Danites" (1912), "The Shrinking Rawhide" (1912), "The Ace Of Spades" (1912), "Bounder" (1912), "The Girl Of The Lighthouse" (1912), "The 'Epidemic' In Paradise Gulch" (1912), "The Junior Officer" (1912), "Me An' Bill" (1912), "Brains And Brawn" (1912), "A Reconstruced Rebel" (1912), "The Vision Beautiful" (1912), "The Vow Of Ysobel" (1912), "The Girl And The Cowboy" (1912), "The Polo Substitute" (1912), "The Man From Dragon Land" (1912), "The Substitute Model" (1912), "The Pirate's Daughter" (1912), "An Assisted Elopement" (1912), "How The Cause Was Won" (1912), "Getting Atmosphere" (1912), "The Fisherboy's Faith" (1912), "His Wedding Eve" (1912), "Her Educator" (1912), "Kings Of The Forest" (1912), "The Vintage Of Fate" (1912), "The Girl Of The Mountains" (1912), "A Pair Of Boots" (1912), "Master And Man" (1913), "An Innocent Informer" (1913), "The Good In The Worst Of Us" (1913), "The Noisy Six" (1913), "Side Tracked By Sister" (1913), "Where Shore And Water Meet" (1913), "An Indian Nemesis" (1913), "Bill's Sweetheart" (1913), "I Was Meant For You" (1913), "The Ironmaster" (1913), "Hoodman Blind" (1913), "A Nest Unfathered" (1914), "The Pride Of Jennico" (1914), "A Woman's Triumph" (1914), "The Next In Command" (1914), "The Oath Of A Viking" (1914), "The Bride Of Sighs" (1915, She starred in and was also a screenwriter for the film), "Nancy Of Stony Isle" (1915), "The Buzzard's Shadow" (1915), "The Bait" (1916), and "The Man From Bitter Roots" (1916). Her last film role was playing the role of 'Myra' in the short film drama, "The Heritage Of Hate" (1916). The film which was directed by Burton George, which was written for the screen by Elliott J. Clawson and Walter Woods, which was based on the play by Arthur Shirley, and which also starred Roberta Wilson, William Quinn, Lillian Concord, Eileen Sedgwick, Betty Schade, and Paul Byron, tells the story of Bradley, who had been living with Myra for some time, and who was also making love to Florence and finally won her consent to their marriage. And so in poverty and without a name Roberta was born, and as she grew older she watched her mother die from a broken heart. Within her grew a desire for revenge upon the man who was her father and who had caused her mother's death. Bradley has become wealthy and is living happily with his wife and daughter, Ellen. Ellen is affianced to Richard Brockton. Bradley is anxious for the marriage to take place, as he might need Brockton's financial aid. Bradley is carrying on his business loosely and stakes his all in a venture which will either mean ruin or immense wealth for him. Orloaf, a hunchback, is Bradley's closest friend. Roberta obtains a position as his confidential secretary and plans to ruin him. Before Bradley's secret commands can be carried out they are common knowledge, and so his plans are frustrated. A friendship ripens between Roberta and Orloaf, who lives in the same apartment house, but he, being a cripple, thinks he cannot show his love, and she, being without a name, thinks love is not for her. Bradley is carrying on an affair with Christine, who does not know of his married life. Roberta discovers this and so tells Christine about Mrs. Bradley and Ellen, and also tells her that she is his daughter. Christine seeks him out at his home during the progress of a big ball, Christine causes quite a commotion and in spite of Bradley's endeavor to make her keep still she tells everything. At this moment the wharf and the ship, all of Bradley's fortune, are burned. Later Roberta and Orloaf meet at the Mission, where Hoffman's picture of Christ is hanging and Roberta realizes how shallow and selfish is the havoc she has wrought. Orloaf tries to cheer her, tries to bring out the best that is in her, but when she realizes what she has done life holds no charms for her and she tries to kill herself after writing a note to Orloaf telling him of her love for him. This note he reads and reseals and after reviving Roberta tells her of his love. She retired from acting shortly thereafter to focus on her private life. During her acting career she also used the name of Bettie Hart, Betty Hart, and Bettie Harte. Besides acting, she was a bird collector and studied ornithology, and was a student of botany, especially favoring flowers, and while under contract with the Selig Polyscope Company she maintained a large bird enclosure on the grounds of their studio in Edendale, California, where she kept various species including mockingbirds and nightingales. Known as "Hollywood's First Movie Queen" she often appeared with such actors as Marshall Stedman, Tom Santschi, and Tom Mix, among many others during her film career. She was also the cousin of the actress Margaret Illington (1879-1934). She passed away at the Perkins Sanitarium in Sunland, California, on January 3, 1965, at the age of 82. Her funeral service was held through the Crippen Mortuary in La Crescenta, California, and she was buried in Glen Haven Memorial Park in Sylmar, California. She was married twice, first to Frank Hardy in Pasadena, California, on October 17, 1907, and the couple divorced sometime before 1917. She married for a second time to Ralph Lewis Kruger, who either worked for or owned a motion picture theater, in Los Angeles, California, on September 12, 1917. She had no children. The actress once said, "The more you travel, the more you see, the more you learn, the better your chance of interpreting even the smallest role correctly."