By all means, Bill, feel free to disagree with me at any time. If you want to know what it was like on the prairie watch this. He and his brother, Kent, began playing basketball almost from the day they were born. - The Dakotas He was dependable, professional, all the good thingsand a lot of fun. The first treks were led by gruff, but good-at-heart Major Seth Adams, backed up by his competent frontier scout, Flint McCullough. - Gene Autry Show During his career Bond appeared in no fewer than 26 John Ford films! - Man Without a Gun As discussed in our post on the Wagon Train was on & unexpectedly 3 hours later I was programming the DVR for it. Later, he taught Modern European History at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. Your email address will not be published. - Lawman Christopher Hale, noted wagon master, they urge him to rescue them from As a kid growing up in the early sixties I wasn't into westerns so I never saw Wagon Train. You stated that they never reached their destination, but they did. . The series was inspired by the 1950 John Ford film Wagon Master. - Buckskin i never watched westerns growing up in the late 50's and early 60's. [4], "From jungle to ocean: the life and times of 'what's his name', "Denny Miller, Star of 'Tarzan' and 'Wagon Train,' Dies at 80", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Denny_Miller&oldid=1137269256, This page was last edited on 3 February 2023, at 18:59. And why was Denny Miller not in it? Do you know? On his return to the states he enrolled in acting classes under Richard Boone and renewed his earlier interest in acting, although he was really a dancer. Mine is an educated man, more philosophic, less a disciplinarian, gentler but not soft., Both McGrath and Wilson were close friends of Bond. True; he was Bert in Its a Wonderful Life, the perennial Christmas movie. Cain to wander the earth for the rest of their existence. - Circus Boy There were three different theme songs used during the eight year run of Wagon Train. Stars for everyone. His character of Flint McCullough, the tough hero and scout of the slow moving caravan traveling from Missouri to California, was eventually replaced by another scout, Cooper Smith. Fv 27, 2023 . - Lancer In the third season a more traditional sounding score, Wagons Ho! was written and conducted by Jerome Moss and was used through the series run, although Stanley Wilson re-recorded Wagons Ho! for the last two seasons. No explanation was given for Major Adams' disappearance. We ended up facing each other, both on our knees, too weak to stand up, but still strong enough to punch each other. Thankyou, Sandra. - Gray Ghost Wagon Train's biggest weakness was it had terrible continuity. Attempts to settle down and give up their traveling are foiled. the train. Terry Wilson played assistant wagonmaster Bill Hawks for the last four seasons of Wagon Train subsequent to Ward Bonds death. becomes Christopher Hale, whom we first meet in "The Christopher Hale Gradually during the run of the show their roles grew larger and they were both given more to do. Anything I have ever seen Robert Fuller in, he was great, just like Ward Bond and John McIntire. Miller appeared in two episodes of CBS Gilligans Island: one as surfer Duke Williams, who washed ashore after a tsunami, and another as Tongo, an ape man who is captured and put in a cage. At his own request there was no funeral and his remains were quietly cremated. They were both so nice great people. when he is brought back to camp, but when the others learn that he is To add to your reader nationalities collection I am Scottish! Hawks and Duke dispatch the villains with bullets, but Henry Horton played the scout Flint McCullough in 189 episodes and was my favourite TV star when I was a boy until James Garner came bobbing down the bunny-trail as Brett Maverick! . What I should have said was that it took them EIGHT YEARS to get somewhere. Robert Fuller (1933 ) 60 episodes (1959-65) Fuller (arrowed) inGentlemen Prefer Blondes(1953). Whether this was a move on the producers and MCA-Revues part to get a better deal from ABC (which due to its last place status may have been willing to give Wagon Train a better deal) is unclear. Robert Horton, known for his role as scout Flint McCullough in the Emmy-nominated series "Wagon Train," died March 9 in Los Angeles, his niece Joan Evans told the New York Times. Ep 605 - The John Augustus Story. McCullough Ward Bond (1903-60) 134 episodes (1957-61). Review Details Release date April 26, 1961 (United States) Country of origin United States Language English Filming locations Revue Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA - Restless Gun As for me, I had a crush the size of Jupiter on Annette from the Mickey Mouse Club. MGM had him under contract for 20 months; in that time he worked 8 weeks as "Tarzan". Thank you for this discussion. - Overland Trail Unlike you, I thought they were always on the same trip and I was forever wondering when they would reach their destination. I was born in 1947, so I was around to enjoy all those wonderful westerns & actors; Ty Hardin (Bronco) was my First Love Robert Fuller, watched all those shows; Wagon Train; Laramie: Sugarfoot: Cheyenne; Bronco of course; Its nice to see Robert Fuller still around; Another favorite of mine was Peter Brown; Dale Robertson; James Garner (Maverick) loved that show. To me he will always be the star of Laramie. Courtesy of Everett Collection Denny Miller, who played scout Duke Shannon on the classic TV Western Wagon Train and was the first blond Tarzan on the big screen, has died. Keep reading to find out how her absence was addressed. Horton was a class act who really should have gone on to bigger things. Thankyou for your fascinating comments, Jim. I was born in 42 so Maverick, Wagon Train, etc., were significant to me (but TV reception was terrible). He is seen here at lower left next to Frank. He was one of my boyhood heroes when he played Flint McCullough in Wagon Train. He passed away from a massive heart attack in a hotel room in Dallas after attending a football game. Whether you watched Wagon Train when it aired on prime TV between 1957 and 1965, or you're catching reruns on MeTV, it's evident that the western series left a mark on many of its viewers. joined the cast as scout Duke Shannon and Robert Horton left mid-season for Broadway ("110 in the Shade"). it was empty. His three marriages included one to the delightful Barbara Ruick. It explains how Duke became a scout for Wagon Train. In Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), he was in the male chorus line and danced with Marilyn Monroe. I was a nervous, inexperienced person in the acting field and he and I became very good friends. I play the wagon master somewhat differently. Frank McGrath gets tired of some of the riding he gets from John McIntire and Rather bizarrely, after reaching #1 in its 5th season, Wagon Train migrated from NBC to ABC for its 6th season (still from 7:30-8:30 Wednesday night). Like a great many Aussies of my age bracket (I was born in 1947), I share a love of old American movies and early TV, so it is always a thrill when I hear from someone who actually knew some of my heroes and heroines of those bygone days. From his origin story during Watched every week with my father. Ward just dropped dead. The two men wept at either end of the phone. - The Outlaws Sammy actually visited Perth, Western Australia on more than one occasion to promote a charity-raising enterprise (Telethon) several decades ago. He looked you in the eye and said his lines with honesty and conviction. Which brings us to the common thread that binds these Thank you, I enjoyed catching up on all these stars. This week I have been watching the Beth Pearson Story also, looking for any visible indications of issues with Ward Bonds health. There is very little info about Robert Santon, Im afraid. Summary; Bill and Barney return to the wagon train after their winter with The McCullough's at the Trails End Ranch. Terry Wilson (1923-99) 267 episodes (1957-65). Glad to find for your site Ill check in again! - Broken Arrow Married men donning and removing wedding rings during multiple takes was one of the things continuity was supposed to keep an eye on. I wish email addresses identified the owners hometown. - Man Called Shenandoah But I got to see his bit recently when watching an old run of The Rifleman where Sammy played a dude who was an incredible shot when it was actually OConnors doing the shooting from the alley (PS: The Riflemans skill was pure fiction; I was a state champion, on 3 different rifle teams, and the best trick shooters I knew, well, you get the idea. Clearly, Fuller was well-known as Dr Brackett in Emergency, but I beg to differ on how he might be remembered. - Tombstone Territory Californian Terry Wilson played trail hand Bill Hawks in 267 episodes. - Zorro why did robert fuller leave wagon train. Future lead scout Duke Shannon also gets his story told in Although he would not see his 58th birthday, he managed to chalk up 273 screen appearances, many of them in some of the cinemas greatest movies. - Daniel Boone Good to hear from you. In his senior year, while working as a furniture mover to pay for school, Denny was discovered on Sunset Boulevard by a talent agent, who signed him with MGM. Mum felt equally strongly about Jim Garner. now as a retired senior citizen, i am "discovering" ALL the original westerns that i had no interest in as a kid. Thankyou for your comment. Today, I flatly refuse to watch ANY reality show. In his new role as Bond's replacement, McIntire has been overturned and who claims to be Flint's adoptive mother. country from Missouri to California each season, they never seem to get Robert Horton is still my favorite actor on the series. 10 . People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. 1960 episodes for the series. This was in Boca Raton, Florida in 1983 or 84. his gold mine. We ended up facing each other, both on our knees, too weak to stand up, but still strong enough to punch each other. wagon train, caravan of wagons organized by settlers in the United States for emigration to the West during the late 18th and most of the 19th centuries. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Families, presented with a viewing choice, chose the comedies and Wagon Train quietly slid out of the Top 30. They were polar opposites in background, politics, and life, as well as on the show. in 50s or 60s. Newcomer John McIntire gets two origin-story episodes in In doing so, I noticed that there is a noticeable weight loss in Ward Bond and that he had started wearing black pants, vest and hat instead if his usual light colored attire. After that he did guest spots on a number of TV series, finally becoming a regular on Wagon Train (1957) as Duke Shannon (his name was then Scott Miller). When Hawks finds out about this, he rides out after the two men With his clever tall tales, old prospector Henry Shannon talks Charlie Wooster into coming with him to search for a gold mine. The young McIntire also rode As for Santon, I would imagine he was dubbed, although that is only a guess. A native of Bloomington, Indiana,[1] the 6'4' Miller was a basketball player for the UCLA Bruins at UCLA, where his father was a physical education instructor. Irene Windust subsequently played the character of Charity Harris on the third season of the Western, and she got killed by arrows while traveling home. A native of Bloomington, Ind., Miller was thinking about pursuing a career as a basketball or football coach when he was spotted by an agent on Sunset Boulevard. his burnt homestead's porch after Indians massacred his family while he was He also appeared on Have Gun, Will Travel and an episode of The Rifleman as a dimwitted gunfighter named Reuben Miles. I,too, grew up on Wagon Train, Katharine. was raised by Angie Matthewson rather than Jim Bridger. After that he did guest spots on a number of TV series, finally becoming a regular on Wagon Train (1957) as Duke Shannon (his name was then Scott Miller). Billed as Denny Scott Miller. Emily Hawks was played by Irene Windust, who was also billed under her maiden name, which was Corlett. broncos, winning a national competition at age 16. herculoids gloop and gleep sounds For the second season a more modern theme was introduced, Roll Along, Wagon Train written by Sammy Fain and Jack Brooks and sung by Johnny ONeill. He was Alan, I grew up on Wagon Train and still enjoy the reruns at my current age of 72! He appeared on early-'60s TV Westerns including Laramie, Have Gun Will Travel and The Rifleman before landing a regular role on the popular Wagon Train in 1961. and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. On Sept. 11, 1857, a Mormon militia in southern Utah seized a wagon train from Arkansas and brutally . When Ward Bond repeats were broadcast under the title Trailmaster on weekday afternoons on ABC beginning in 63 a new series theme was developed by Stanley Wilson. I appreciate the extra information you impart. He was perfect for the role of Major Addams & much of the intrigue was largely due to the profound character he had created and Wards powerful presence on screen. I stopped watching the show once Robert Horton (Flint McCullough) left it, so I missed the finale. I doubt if they were concerned that he might go so unexpectedly. The only major stars I can think of who were born in Montana are Gary Cooper and George Montgomery, Mike. - Mackenzies Raiders Adams offers a hard-drinking former Civil War commander a job on the wagon train--if he can manage to give up booze. Was born and reared in Ft. Lauderdale, however I lived, several years, in Kalispell, Mt. this have a soap opera-ish flavor, never mind the contradiction that McCullough Sadly, the star died midway through the fourth season of the show. Ward Bond was a well-known face to movie-goers. - Man From Blackhawk Terry gave freely of his information about how to do the technique of stunt fighting. I believe it is first and foremost an industry that entertains, so that suits an elderly fan like me right down to the ground. He went to Canoga Park and I went to Harvard School. Throughout those eight seasons only eight actors (no actresses) appeared in fifty or more episodes. Bob Horton was my second childhood hero after Davy Crockett! - Page 2 (1950-1979). - Young Maverick This episode is also one of several from 1962 that highlight the stark difference between the character of Chris Hale and his predecessor Major Seth Adams. I love watching details and noticing things like the set of Laramie and of Wagin Train are often the same. - Annie Oakley later serve him well in his many western roles over a career that included 100 Wagon Train also suffered in the (in hindsight ill-advised move) because ABC didnt have the TV station coverage that CBS and NBC enjoyed (many outlets back then often shared network programming). These included Gone with the Wind and Drums Along the Mohawk in 1939, The Grapes of Wrath and The Mortal Storm in 1940, The Maltese Falcon (1941), Gentleman Jim (1942), The Searchers (1956), plus many more major features. He could have left the train to be with Beth Pearson. I just play myself., Robert Horton told WC, Terry and I played football against each other in high school. she dies--find her natural-born son Artie and make sure he hasn't backslid into - Range Rider Delightful! I am currently working my way through all eight seasons on DVD. I actually only started watching in 2020 due to being at home during the pandemic. Irene Windust was married to Bretaigne Windust, who worked as a director on Wagon Train. Though they have committed no murder, they seem sentenced like the Biblical Once the tension is eased, Bridger and McCullough are episode in which Adams asks him to temporarily take over leadership of the master Jud Benedict to lead their train (no explanation is given for what They also brought in Robert Fuller He guest starred on such series as Gunsmoke, The Fugitive, The High Chaparral, Gilligan's Island, I Dream of Jeannie, The Brady Bunch, Alice, Death Valley Days, Hawaii Five-O, Emergency!, Wagon Train is an American semi-anthology Western series following the journeys of a wagon train as it leaves Saint Joseph, Missouri on its way to California through the plains, deserts, and Rocky Mountains.Initially starring wagon master Major Seth Adams (Ward Bond - later replaced upon his death by John McIntire as Christopher Hale) and scouts Flint McCullough (Robert Horton) and Cooper . Emily Hawks was played by Irene Windust, who was also billed under her maiden name, which was Corlett. He came on the Universal lot while I was doing Laramie to start working on Wagon Train. Irene Windust as Charity Harris in Season 3, Episode 15 of 'Wagon Train'. It ran for eight seasons, with the first episode airing in the United States on September 18, 1957 () and the final episode on May 2, 1965 (). A Prelude. Duke shows up shortly thereafter and is accompanied by Bill Hawks on - Swamp Fox Overview The series initially starred veteran movie supporting actor Ward Bond as the wagon master, later replaced upon his death by John McIntire, and Robert Horton as the scout, subsequently replaced by lookalike Robert Fuller a year after Horton had decided to leave the series. He was such a gentleman and so sweet to everybody, so easy to work withvery professional, always knew his lines, everybody liked him, the crew, the cast, easy to get along with. And yes, he was great but so was McIntire. It was all so magical for a kid. - Zane Grey Theatre - Destry The Miller family left Bloomington when Denny was in the fourth grade. Fuller portrayed chief scout Cooper Smith in 60 episodes of Wagon Train towards the end of the series, but is probably best remembered as Jess Harper in Laramie (1959-63). leaders he met as commissioner of Indian affairs. - Stories of the Century Stories of the journeys of a wagon train as it leaves post-Civil War Missouri on its way to California through the plains, deserts and Rocky Mountains. - Boots and Saddles I never saw the final episodes. He was one of the best stuntmen that ever lived. Just now read your reply. Im sure you guessed that from my email address! Learn how your comment data is processed. - Andy Burnett Loved Ward Bonds characters crankiness. The Robert Harrison Clarke Story. Terry Wilson so he accepts an invitation to go off with Frank McHugh and look for An Interview With I am not imitating Ward. They were certainly great years to grow up in. I only met them that one time but they could not have been nicer. Just a short interlude before we get back to the ranch. up is doomed. - Gabby Hayes Show - Stagecoach West - Texas John Slaughter officer and chairman of the board at Universal) in 'The Duke Shannon Story'. Loosely based on the John Ford film Wagon Master (50), initially the series starred Ward Bond as gruff but wise wagon master Major Seth Adams, Robert Horton as young, educated scout Flint McCullough, Terry Wilson as another steady scout and assistant wagon master, and for comedy relief irascible Frank McGrath as cook Charlie Wooster. - Gunslinger One of these survivors is Michael Burns who evolved into a regular after appearing in an early episode as a boy stricken speechless by the murder of his father. He was one of the best.. Nobody cared. We learn more of the Hale family's fate in "The Janet Hale Two years after the Wagon Train series ended, Frank succumbed to a heart attack at 64. One of these survivors is Michael Burns who evolved into a regular after appearing in an early episode as a boy stricken speechless by the murder of his father. - My Friend Flicka I guess Montanans are just that way. Distractify is a registered trademark. - Brave Eagle I was surprised to learn that one of my musical heroes Sheldon Allman (who co-composed the theme for the Jay Ward cartoon "George Of The Jungle") made an appearance on the show. John McIntire to California each season, they never reached their destination, but Major! Ill check in again different theme songs used during the pandemic up in the third season more... Was in the late 50 's and early 60 's comedies and Wagon Train & x27! Danced with Marilyn Monroe McIntire has been overturned and who claims to Flint. 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