‘Wagon Train’: Why Ward Bond and Robert Horton Couldn’t Stand Each Other
NBC’s Wagon Train ran from 1957 to 1965, and the incredibly successful series featured stars that many fans recognized. Ward Bond is known for his friendship with John Wayne and his incredibly successful career starring in over 200 films, including It’s a Wonderful Life. Unfortunately, Bond allegedly didn’t get along with his co-star, Robert Horton. Here’s why.
How long was Ward Bond on ‘Wagon Train’? The star was a huge hit in the series
Ward Bond played Major Seth Adams in Wagon Train. Like other Western series at the time, like Bonanza and Gunsmoke, the NBC series was a huge hit from the ’50s to the ’60s, Wide Open Country explains. Wagon Train followed the lives of the people aboard a wagon train traveling from Missouri to California. Bond led the group along with co-star Robert Horton, who played scout Flint McCullough.
Bond was a part of the series from 1957 to 1960. He died on November 5, 1960, at age 57 from a heart attack. According to The Old Corral, he died in a Dallas, Texas, hotel while visiting the area to go to a football game. He was cremated, and his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.
Bond’s death happened during season 4 of the series. John McIntire then stepped in to replace his role as the wagon master, though the show didn’t fully explain what happened to Major Seth Adams.
Ward Bond and Robert Horton couldn’t stand each other for multiple reasons
While Ward Bond was certainly bookable in Hollywood, it seems he didn’t get along with everyone. He and Wagon Train co-star Robert Horton didn’t get along.
So, what was the deal with Bond and Horton? Multiple sources state there were many reasons for the alleged feud. According to Wide Open Country, Bond was jealous of Horton because Horton received more fan mail. As one of the biggest stars to hit the show, this could’ve easily led to Bond having issues with his co-star.
IMDb notes Horton said Bond also spread rumors regarding Horton’s sexuality, furthering their feud. The co-stars allegedly settled their differences just one day before Bond’s death.
The New York Times also notes Bond and Horton had an on-screen relationship that read as very close, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. At one point, Horton and Bond vowed never to appear on-screen with each other due to an intense argument. This didn’t stand, though, as a script weeks later called for them both to be on screen, and they participated.
Robert Horton often fought with the writers of the show
Ward Bond and Robert Horton certainly had a reputation for not getting along on Wagon Train. But it seems Horton also didn’t get along with the show’s writers.
According to The New York Times, Horton took his role in the series very seriously, learning all about the frontier era and creating a backstory for his character. And he often didn’t think the writing was satisfactory. This led to him fighting with the writers and rewriting scripts.
“I have to rewrite half the scripts,” he said. “Otherwise, I’d get laughed off the screen.”
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