Just Some of The Many Things That Ty "Bronco" Hardin Never Said or Done

ALL ABOUT "BRONCO"

Legendary Hollywood actor, Ty Hardin, starred in ABC’s “Bronco,” from 1958 until 1962. People of all ages loved “Bronco,” for the weekly show’s spirit of adventure in the untamed west and the pure drama that the show’s writers and producers mixed in to make the show a fan-favorite.

Hardin was not your “garden variety” Hollywood he-man actor such as Tab Hunter who Hollywood mildly-exploited to give him fame and them fortune. Ty Hardin’s show, “Bronco,” was just one in a string of successful westerns produced by Warner Bros. Studios. Other hit-westerns included, “Sugar foot,” with Will Hutchins, “Cheyenne,” with Clint Walker and who can forget “Maverick” with James Garner and Gene Kelly?

This is Clint Walker

who played "Cheyenne Body," and later starred in "The Dirty Dozen," with Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, Ernest Borgnine and Tellyi Savlalas. This story is not about him although I am sure that Walker and Hardin were good buddies off of the set.

TELEVISION AND WESTERNS COME OF AGE

What a time to own a television in this timeframe of westerns that exhibited plenty of action, drama, and sometimes a glimpse of romance in their scripts. Hardly anyone today that you talk to will admit to not knowing these westerns and their stars. I would assume that these were the “top four” western series. There were others such as: “The Adventures of Wyatt Earp,” with Hugh O’Brien, “Have Gun Will Travel,” with Richard Boone, “Lawman,” starring Peter Brown and John Russell and of course, “Wagon Train,” starring Ward Bond.

Of course all of these westerns were considered the early westerns. Then there came the more-sophisticated and polished westerns, “Bonana,” with Lorne Green, Michael Landon, Dan Blocker and Pernell Roberts and “The High Chapparal,” that starred Leif Erickson, Henry Darrow and lovely, Linda Cristal.

The first few times that I watched “Bronco,” I was at first, confused. This was an easy-fix. I had been accustomed to seeing those “Lash LaRue” and “Cisco Kid,” westerns that had non-stop outlaws chasing good guys while shooting and then some gunfights at high noon in the center of town. What a great avenue for a young guy’s overly-active imagination. When I acted as “Lash LaRue,” I had built up a rough reputation for shooting several bad guys who were solely out for evil and hurting innocent people. But please do not turn me in. That was way years ago and I am sure that the statute of limitations have long since ran out for having gunfights with fictitious bad guys.

“Bronco,” was one-of-a-kind westerns. I got used to it eventually, but most times I just endured the show for my mom and dad loved it. But as a gesture of long-overdue respect, I want to share with you . . .

“Some The Many Things That Ty “Bronco” Hardin Never Done or Said”

When “Bronco Lane,” would date a pretty young woman, he never tried to impress her by jumping across the ground on all-fours, bucking and snorting like a wild horse, or “bronco,” as they were called.

• “Bronco” never had an opportunity to tap-dance on his show. That might have had serious ramifications because the writers did not want him to be soft-hearted, but a rugged manly-man of the west.
• “Bronco” was never filmed with his head down weeping like a scolded child for him losing a gunfight. (think about this one. You will get it in a minute).
• “Bronco” never talked an angry townspeople into allowing him to do a needed-rain dance to bring rain to their parched grounds.
• “Bronco” never jumped off of a high building and claimed his dark secret was “being able to fly like a buzzard.”
• “Bronco” never hit a woman.
• “Bronco” never hit a horse.
• “Bronco” never had Eric “Mr. Favor” Fleming and Paul “Wishbone” Brinegar as guest stars on his show.
• “Bronco” never wore an apron and said, “Take your order, gentlemen?”
• “Bronco” never said, “Hey, you women stop! I want to join you all in your quilting circle this evening!”
• “Hey, I am not about fights,” was never part of “Bronco’s” vocabulary.
• “I appreciate you, ‘Tom Jimmy,’” was something “Bronco” never confessed to his pet sheep named, “Tom Jimmy.”
• “Just let me get down on my knees and beg you to not shoot anyone in this peaceful town,” was never heard from “Bronco’s” mouth.
• “Bronco” was never beaten-up by town leaders for being a bum.
• “Bronco” never, at any time, said to anyone on his show, “Wanna see me pull my shirt off?”
• And “Bronco” never . . .
• Ran from outlaws on foot to show them that he was faster than their horses.
• Jumped into a farmer’s well (without a rope to help him out) to clean the farmer’s well.
• Never convinced innocent people that he was a veterinarian who specialized in sick horses and mules.
• Discovered a huge vein of gold in a deserted gold mine.
• Had a suggestive love scene with a hot farmer’s daughter in her daddy’s barn.
• Took more than four shots to shoot a bank robber.
• Allowed a thug to tire himself out by beating him with his two fists.
• Preached a Sunday sermon while staying in a busy cattle town.
• Eat a meal of Mexican chili while visiting some Mexican friends.

NOTE: If I had been privy to this information from 1958 to 1962, I would have patterned my life after “Bronco.”

Some sweet facts about Ty Hardin

Ty Hardin, born Orison Whipple Hungerford, Jr. (born January 1, 1930), is a former American actor best known as the star of the 1958-1962 ABC western television series Bronco.

• Early life
  Though born in New York City, Hardin was reared in Texas and attended Lamar High School in Houston. He served in the United States Army during the Korean War. He was commissioned after attending Officer Candidate School, and became a pilot of Forward Observer O-1 Bird Dog liaison aircraft. After his return from service, he began taking courses at Texas A&M University on a scholarship under coach Bear Bryant.
• Working as an electronic engineer at Douglas Aircraft in Santa Monica, California, Hardin lived with two other A&M Aggies who worked for Douglas. While renting six-guns at a motion picture costume rental company for a costume party, he was discovered by a Paramount Pictures talent scout. By 1957, Hardin acquired the services of agent Henry Willson and made his way to Hollywood where he was put under contract by Paramount Pictures. Initially billed as "Ty Hungerford," he made various minor appearances in several Paramount films such as I Married a Monster from Outer Space, The Space Children, and Last Train from Gun Hill. The "Ty" came from a childhood nickname of "Typhoon" given to him by his grandmother.

Source: Wikipedia