Ward Bond

Age: 57 (passed away Nov. 5th, 1960)
Height: 6' 2 1/2"

Birth Place: Benkelman, Nebraska, USA
Born: Apr. 9th, 1903

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Ward Bond's Main TV Roles

Show	Character(s)
Wagon Train	Major Seth Ad&hellip

NOTE: Complete List of Works can be found at IMDB

BIOGRAPHY:

Gruff, burly American character actor. Born in 1903 in Benkelman, Nebraska (confirmed by Social Security records; sources stating 1905 or Denver, Colorado are in error.) Bond grew up in Denver, the son of a lumberyard worker. He attended the University of Southern California, where he got work as an extra through a football teammate who would become both his best friend and one of cinema's biggest stars: John Wayne (I). Director John Ford (I) promoted Bond from extra to supporting player in the film Salute (1929), and became another fast friend. An arrogant man of little tact, yet fun-loving in the extreme, Bond was either loved or hated by all who knew him. His face and personality fit perfectly into almost any type of film, and he appeared in hundreds of pictures in his more than 30-year career, in both bit parts and major supporting roles. In the films of Wayne and Ford, particularly, he was nearly always present. Among his most memorable roles are John L. Sullivan in Gentleman Jim (1942), Det. Tom Polhaus in The Maltese Falcon (1941) and the Rev. Capt. Samuel Johnson Clayton The Searchers (1956). An ardent but anti-intellectual patriot, he was perhaps the most vehement proponent, among the Hollywood community, of blacklisting in the witch hunts of the 1950s, and he served as a most unforgiving president of the ultra-right-wing Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals. In the mid-'50s he gained his greatest fame as the star of TV's "Wagon Train" (1957). During its production, Bond traveled to Dallas, Texas, to attend a football game and died there in his hotel room of a massive heart attack.

TRIVIA:

Bond's involvement with _Johnny Guitar (1954)_ (qv) was ironic considering the director, 'Nicholas Ray' (qv), was a major left-winger who had been shielded from the House Unamerican Activities Committee (HUAC) by millionaire producer 'Howard Hughes (I)' (qv). In addition, _Johnny Guitar (1954)_ (qv) was a thinly-veiled attack on the HUAC's drive to uncover communist sympathizers. It was strange that Bond, an activist member of the right-wing Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, should have chosen to work with Ray and stranger still that his character John McIvers eventually appeared to show remorse for the hate-mongering he had helped foster.
Campaigned for Republican 'Richard Nixon' (qv) in the 1960 presidential election.
In _The Wings of Eagles (1957)_ (qv), Bond played his friend, director 'John Ford (I)' (qv), under the character name John Dodge (the name itself was a play on American automobile names. Ford was a real-life friend of the film's subject character). The set dressing, wardrobe, and Oscars in the scene are all actually Ford's.
Often played a policeman or soldier.
Although his career was cut short by his premature death in 1960 at the age of 57, he was one of the most prolific of Hollywood's actors over a period of 30 years. He regularly appeared in 10 to 20 films per year, with the record year for him being 1935, when he acted in 30 movies.
On a hunting trip, he was accidentally shot by 'John Wayne (I)' (qv). Bond left Wayne the shotgun in his will.
On his way to John Wayne's wedding he was hit by a car, but performed his duty as best man on crutches.
The muppet "Bert" on _"Sesame Street" (1969)_ (qv) was rumored to be named after Bond's character (Bert the cop) in _It's a Wonderful Life (1946)_ (qv).

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