10 Startling Facts About Ward Bond That Will Shock You
We loved him
in "Sargent York," "The Jim L. Sullivan Story," and his best work: "Wagon Train," with a host of Hollywood's finest actors. Bond was in real-life as he was in most of his roles--stubborn, short-tempered, but so wise he was seldom led into the wrong pathway.
Personally, I loved Ward Bond in no matter what role he played. I guess my favorite role he played was his role in "Wagon Train," and his constant frustration with the cook, "Charlie Wooster." Bond gave this show and any production "that" touch that was needed to give it that special image.
Sadly, Ward Bond was human. And not made of granite. I found out recently that there were
10 Starting Facts About Ward Bond That Will Shock You
Ward Bond
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Wardell Edwin "Ward" Bond (April 9, 1903 – November 5, 1960)[1] was an American film actor whose rugged appearance and easy going charm were featured in over 200 films and the television series Wagon Train. He is remembered for his roles as Bert in It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and Captain Clayton in The Searchers (1956), among many others.
Early life[edit]
- Bond was born in Benkelman, Nebraska, a small town located in the southwestern corner of Nebraska near the Kansas and Colorado borders. The Bond family, John W., Mabel L., and sister Bernice, lived in Benkelman until 1919 when they moved to Denver. Ward graduated from East High School in Denver.
- Bond attended the University of Southern California and played football on the same team as future USC coach Jess Hill.[2] At 6'2" and 195 pounds, Bond was a starting lineman on USC's first national championship team in 1928.
- Bond and John Wayne, who as Marion Robert Morrison had played tackle for USC in 1926 before an injury ended his career,[3] became lifelong friends and colleagues. Bond, Wayne and the entire Southern Cal team were hired to appear in Salute (1929), a football film starring George O'Brien and directed by John Ford. During the filming of this movie Bond and Wayne befriended Ford, and appeared in many of Ford's later films.
Please keep on open mind
1.) Ward Bond, the Hollywood Icon
was never able to speak Chinese although it was rumored that he took Chinese lessons in secret to maintain is tough, manly-image.
2.) On one shooting of Wagon Train
Ward Bond went missing, but a crew member found him hidden behind a wagon chowing-down on a homemade cupcake. The origin of who made the said cupcake was never known.
3.) As a sport and past-time
Ward Bond loved to go with friends and spend the weekend racing mules that Bond had purchased from a secret source just for this purpose. Bond loved mules and provided well for the 19 mules he owned.
4.) Bond's co-stars
Had worlds of respect for Bond's acting talents, but some were heard whispering about his lack of talent for whistling popular tunes in that day and time.
5.) Ward Bond's iron-man's demeanor
Was always in the forefront, but when Bond and his crew on the film he was shooting or the television, "wagon Train," were having a lunch break, people noticed that Bond ate with such a delicate set of manners that most of the female actresses would leave the table in tears.
6.) Bond wore a gun
on "Wagon Train," to give viewers the mindset of his western knowledge and background, but the truth was, Ward Bond was a terrible shot with a pistol and a rifle. Some times when he had to shoot his firearm during the filming of "Wagon Train," he would shoot then throw his pistol to the ground covering his ears.
7.) Ward Bond: Wrestler
Bond's six-foot frame and him being in great physical shape, made him a prime candidate for getting involved with the early entertainment venue of television wrestling. It was found-out that a powerful wrestling promoter offered Bond a lucrative contract and a scary wrestling name, "The Loner," if he would wrestle for the promoter and let it leak-out that "The Loner" was Hollywood star, Ward Bond.
8.) One of Ward Bond's pet peeves
was the many high schools in the Hollywood area who would pursue him to come to their schools to give the students a motivational talk about their future after graduation.
9.) Bond had some failures
in his life in Hollywood. One failure Bond faced was he was terrible in the flower garden when it pertained to raising roses which was his favorite flower.
10.) Ward Bond's secret dream
was uncovered as that of being a trained ballet dancer performing famous ballets from coast-to-coast and around the world. Bond commented once, "If it were not for being scorned in public, I would leave acting today and try-out for the ballet."
