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Wardell E. "Ward" Bond (April 9 1903 – November 5 1960) was an American film actor whose qualities of both rugged appearance and easygoing charm led to featured roles in numerous classic films. When the American Film Institute selected the 100 greatest American films in 1998, Bond had appeared in more of the titles (seven) than any other performer, albeit only as a supporting actor in each one.

Early life

Bond was born in Benkelman, Nebraska, but grew up in Colorado.

College

Bond attended the University of Southern California, where he played on the football team. While on the team, he became friends with teammate and future Hollywood star John Wayne. Bond had an uncredited part in Wayne's first movie as a leading man, The Big Trail (1930), directed by Raoul Walsh. This was the first widescreen movie, predating The Robe by decades.

Hollywood

Ward Bond made his film debut in 1929 and played over 200 roles. He was frequently typecast as a friendly policemen or as a brutal thug. He had a longtime working relationship with Wayne as well as directors John Ford and Frank Capra, performing in such films as The Searchers, Drums Along the Mohawk, The Quiet Man, and Fort Apache for Ford, with whom he made 25 films, and It Happened One Night and It's a Wonderful Life for Capra. Among his other prominent films were Gone With the Wind, The Maltese Falcon, Sergeant York, Joan of Arc, in which he was unusually cast as Captain La Hire, and Rio Bravo. He later starred in the popular NBC television western series Wagon Train from 1957 until his death.

In the 1940s, Bond was a member of right-wing group called the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideas, whose major platform was opposition to communists in the film industry. Prior to his death, Bond campaigned for the Republican presidential nominee Richard M. Nixon. Bond died only three days before Democrat John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts narrowly defeated Nixon.

Bond appears in more of the films of the American Film Institute's list of the 100 Greatest American Movies than any other actor : It Happened One Night (1934), Bringing Up Baby (1938), Gone with the Wind (1939), The Grapes of Wrath (1940) , The Maltese Falcon (1941), It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and The Searchers (1956).

A legend has developed that country singer Johnny Horton died in an automobile accident while driving to see Bond at a hotel in Dallas to discuss a possible role in the fourth season of Wagon Train. Although Horton was indeed killed in a car crash early on November 5, 1960, and Bond died from a massive heart attack later that same day, the two events are unrelated. Horton was on his way from Austin to Shreveport, Louisiana, not Dallas. Bond was in Dallas not to meet Horton but to attend a football game. (In any case, Bond, as star of his show, was not a producer and was in no position to hire Horton. Moreover, there was already a "Horton" on Wagon Train, actor Robert Horton (born 1924), who played the fictitious scout "Flint McCullough".)

Bond was 57 at his death. John Wayne gave the eulogy at his funeral.

For his contribution to the television industry, Ward Bond has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6933 Hollywood Blvd. In 2001, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

Trivia

• On Sunday evenings the "good ol' boys club" met at the John Ford Ranch in the San Fernando Valley. Ford and John Wayne would be at the Ranch, and some others; Ben Johnson, Chill Wills, Bond, Grant Withers, Harry Carey, Jr. and many of the other supporting actors that were usually in all of Wayne's pictures. Sometimes, Lee Marvin would show up. They were sometimes known as The John Ford Stock Company.

See also

• Other notable figures in Western films

References

• A Macro Bio

External link

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