‘Wagon Train’: Robert Horton Describes Ward Bond Years After His Death
NBC’s Wagon Train was one of the most popular Westerns of its time, putting the spotlight heavily on Robert Horton and Ward Bond. The duo played two main characters in the series, though they notoriously didn’t get along on-set. Years after Bond’s death, Horton described Bond while speaking on a talk show. Here’s what he said.
Did Ward Bond die during ‘Wagon Train’? What happened to the actor?
Ward Bond was a seriously popular actor in his prime, starring in over 200 films. Bond had roles in films like Gone With the Wind, Bringing Up Baby, and It’s a Wonderful Life, and he also had a legendary friendship with John Wayne. In Wagon Train, he played wagon master Major Seth Adams from 1957 until his death in 1960.
Sadly, Bond died during season 4 of Wagon Train. He died of a heart attack in November 1960 in a hotel room in Dallas, Texas. According to the John Wayne website, John Wayne was incredibly distraught after Bond’s death. He was with Bond’s body on the journey from Dallas back to Bond’s home and participated in the ceremony after Bond’s cremation. Wayne’s biography manuscript detailed how he thought about Bond for the rest of his life.
“When you lose a friend that close after so many years together, you realize you’ve reached the time of life when the ghosts surrounding you are some of the most significant people in your life,” he wrote in his 1970s manuscript. “Part of me knows he’s gone; another part automatically spots good parts for him. Instincts stay long after friends are gone.”
Robert Horton described Ward Bond years after Bond’s death
While John Wayne and Ward Bond maintained a close friendship during their lifetimes, Robert Horton and Bond did not. Horton and Bond’s characters had a father-son-like relationship on Wagon Train, but their relationship outside of the show was anything but happy. The two could not get along. The New York Times reports Horton and Bond swore off ever appearing together on the show after a brutal argument, though this was short-lived. Weeks later, the script called for them to appear together, and they did.
Years after Bond’s death, Horton talked about what Bond was like as a person. “I worked very hard with Ward Bond,” Horton said during the interview with a laugh.
“What type of person was Ward Bond?” the interviewer questioned. “Was he an outgoing man? A quiet person?”
“No, I think Ward Bond was very much the way he appeared on the screen, especially in the role of Wagon Train,” Horton said. “He’s a big, husky, burly fellow.”
While speaking of Bond, Horton couldn’t contain the smile on his face. He didn’t mention their past feud, but it’s clear he wasn’t giving away all the details of their on-screen relationship.
Why did Robert Horton leave ‘Wagon Train’?
While Robert Horton spent years starring in Wagon Train, he left the series. According to The New York Times, Horton exited the series despite a lucrative contract because he didn’t want to get typecast.
“There is a lot more to this business than just collecting your paycheck,” he explained. “Getting rich as an actor and then sitting on an island someplace and drinking vodka is not my idea of how to spend my life. I’m interested in using whatever talent I have.”
In the same interview in which he discussed Ward Bond, he also mentioned leaving Wagon Train for other opportunities. “When I was doing Wagon Train, I knew that I wasn’t going to spend the rest of my life saying, ‘they went that-a-way,’ so I got really interested in the musical theater,” he noted. “I guess I spent most of the last 10 years doing that.”
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