Baggage Train

''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings. It is the fictional adventure story of a large westbound wagon train through the American Old West, from Missouri to California. Its format attracted different famous guest stars per episode, as travelers or as residents of the settlements they encountered. The show initially starred supporting film actor Ward Bond as the wagon master (replaced after his death in 1960 by John McIntire) and Robert Horton as the scout (eventually replaced by similar-looking Robert Fuller when Horton opted to leave the series).

The series was inspired by the 1950 film ''Wagon Master'' directed by John Ford and starring Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., and Ward Bond, and by the 1930 early widescreen film '' The Big Trail'' directed by Raoul Walsh and starring 23-year-old John Wayne in his first leading role as the buckskin-clad scout and featuring Ward Bond in a prominent supporting role.

The series influenced the development of '' Star Trek'', pitched as "''Wagon Train'' to the stars" and launched in 1966.

Overview

The series chronicles the adventures of a wagon train from St. Joseph, Missouri, across the plains of the Midwestern United States and the Rocky Mountains to Sacramento, California. It features the trials of the series regulars, who conducted the train through the American West.

Episodes revolve around the stories of guest characters portraying members of the massive wagon train or encountered by it. Many starring roles were played by already famous actors such as Ernest Borgnine, Bette Davis, Jane Wyman, Ronald Reagan, Lee Marvin, and Joseph Cotten. Episode titles routinely emphasize the guest characters, such as "The Willy Moran Story" and "The Echo Pass Story".

As a favor to Ward Bond, film director John Ford joined the show to direct a 1960 segment titled " The Colter Craven Story", which includes many members of the "John Ford Stock Company", momentarily featuring John Wayne speaking from the shadows and billed in the credits as "Michael Morris".

Cast

The regular cast includes:
* Ward Bond as wagon master Major Seth Adams (1957–61, seasons 1–4). Bond died of a heart attack in the middle of the fourth season, and was replaced by John McIntire as wagon master. No explanation was ever given on the show.
* Robert Horton as scout Flint McCullough (1957–62, seasons 1–5).
* John McIntire as Christopher Hale (1961–65, seasons 4–8), replacing Bond as wagon master upon Bond's death. McIntire had guest starred in a Season 3 episode in the role of preacher Andrew Hale, apparently Christopher's brother according to a reference made by Christopher later in the series.
* Robert Fuller as scout Cooper Smith (1963–65, seasons 7–8) replacing the McCullough character after Robert Horton left the series. Fuller had previously played a lead in the western series '' Laramie'' and physically resembled Horton. Fuller and McIntire rotated top billing from week to week on the series. Fuller even shared the same birthday as Horton, albeit nine years apart.
* Frank McGrath as cook Charlie Wooster (1957–65, seasons 1–8), one of only two regulars to last the entire series.
* Terry Wilson as Bill Hawks (1957–65, seasons 1–8), was one of only two regulars to last the entire series.
* Michael Burns as Barnaby West (1960–65, seasons 6–8).
* Scott Miller (aka; Denny Miller) as Duke Shannon (1961–64, seasons 4–7).
* Chick Hannan as Various roles (1957–65, seasons 1–8), was an actor who made numerous appearances in the series by being cast in various roles but mostly as a Wagon Train member.

In the first four seasons Ward Bond was billed above Robert Horton in the opening credits. In season five Horton rotated top billing with relative newcomer John McIntire, a practice which subsequently continued with McIntire and Robert Fuller rotating top billing from episode to episode when Fuller joined the series in the seventh season.

During the sixth season, Horton had left and Fuller had not yet replaced him, so McIntire carried the show with the supporting cast. Neither Bond nor McIntire, both veterans of dozens of supporting roles in movies, routinely had a leading role in theatrical films, although Bond did in at least one B-picture. Rivals Bond and Horton frequently quarreled on the set, an extensively publicized development at the time, while their characters disputed within the episodes. According to Scott Eyman in his biography of John Wayne, Bond's jealousy of Horton was fueled by Horton receiving more fan mail. Eyman stated Bond would try to limit Horton's screen time and interfere with any good lines Horton might be given in the scripts. They eventually reconciled shortly before Bond's death.

Guest stars

* Claude Akins appeared in four episodes during the show's first four seasons.

*Anna Maria Alberghetti carried the lead in "The Conchita Vasquez Story" (1959), cast as part of a gang of Comancheros who intend to attack the wagon train to steal rifles headed to the United States Army. Conchita decides to leave the Comancheros and move west after she falls in love with the scout Flint McCullough, but she is killed by a bullet from her own people when they ambush the wagon train.

*Roscoe Ates appeared in the 1958 episode "The Sacramento Story" in his later familiar role of "Old Timer".

*Carla Balenda appeared as Martha Leeds in "The Annie Duggan Story" (1963), credited as Sally Bliss.

*Eddie Albert appeared as Kurt Davos in the 1962 episode "The Kurt Davos Story" as a blacksmith forced to leave the train by a crippling injury.

*Parley Baer appeared in three episodes in different seasons, usually as a disgruntled passenger.

*Martin Balsam appeared as Marcey Jones in the 1964 episode "The Whipping".

*Trevor Bardette, as Will Rudge in "The Levi Hale Story" (1962), as Sheriff Lund in "The Lily Legend Story" and as Henry Ludlow in "The Antone Rose Story" (both 1963).

* William Bendix, in the second season, played a sea captain who had shanghaied Adams and Wooster in "Around the Horn".

*Charles Bickford and Roger Smith, five months before Smith was cast on ''77 Sunset Strip,'' appear in "The Daniel Barrister Story", which aired on 16 April 1958 (Season 1, Episode 29). In this segment, Daniel Barrister, played by Bickford, objects to medical treatment for his wife, Jenny, the victim of a wagon accident. Meanwhile, Dr. Peter H. Culver, played by Smith, has successfully fought a smallpox epidemic in a nearby town. He is brought to the wagon train by scout Flint McCullough to treat Mrs. Barrister. Viewers never know if Barrister yielded to allow Dr. Culver to treat Jenny.

*Theodore Bikel appeared in "The Dr. Denker Story", season five, episode 14, in the role of a traveling musician who is transporting a mysterious shipment of dynamite to San Francisco for the United States Army.

*Ernest Borgnine appeared five times on ''Wagon Train,'' including twice as "Willy Moran" (albeit for only a few moments in Moran's second appearance). In the pilot episode on 18 September 1957, Borgnine's Moran is revealed as a former boxer consumed by alcoholism but seeking sobriety. Michael Winkelman guest starred as young "Ben Palmer" in this episode, as he was beginning his regular role as Little Luke McCoy on ABC's ''The Real McCoys.'' On 1 October 1958, Borgnine reprised the role of Willy Moran in the episode "Around the Horn". Major Adams had fought with Moran at the Battle of Gettysburg.

*Neville Brand appeared in "The Zebedee Titus Story" in 1964 as an aging pioneer who joins the wagon train as a scout.

* Henry Brandon, appeared six times most notability in "The St. Nicholas Story" (1959).

*John Carradine appeared in supporting roles in the 1958 episode. "The Dora Gray Story", and the 1960 episode, " The Colter Craven Story".

*Lon Chaney, Jr. appeared as Louis Roque in "The Jose Morales Story", Season 4, episode 5 (1960), and in the 1961 episode, "The Chalice", as Carstairs.

*Jan Clayton and Beulah Bondi highlight "The Prairie Story", written by Jean Holloway, which examines how the forbidden prairie, particularly the strong wind, plays havoc on the lives of the women on the wagon train. This theme is also examined in the novel '' The Wind'' by Dorothy Scarborough. Robert Horton carries the lead in this episode that aired on 1 February 1961, three months after the death of Ward Bond.

*Jeanne Cooper guest stars in an episode titled "The Whipping" shown during season 7 (1963–64) of Wagon Train.

*Lou Costello appeared as the title character in one of his last roles, "The Tobias Jones Story" (1958). It was written by Harry Von Zell, the announcer and comedian from the ''Burns and Allen'' television series, who also appears in that episode. Von Zell also appears in the 1964 episode "The Link Cheney Story".

*Walter Coy, one of the narrators of the 1955-56 '' Frontier'' anthology series on NBC, appeared five times on ''Wagon Train'' between 1957 and 1964.

*Child actor Johnny Crawford appeared in "The Sally Potter Story" (1958).

*Yvonne Craig guest-starred in "The Link Cheney Story" (1964).

*Henry Daniell appeared twice in "The Christine Elliott Story" (1960) and the two-parter "Trial for Murder" (1960).

* Ronnie Dapo, then a child actor, appeared in the episode "The Greenhorn Story". He was later a regular on '' Room for One More'' and '' The New Phil Silvers Show.''

* Linda Darnell guest starred in "The Dora Gray Story" (29 January 1958) as an attractive young woman trying to reach San Francisco. Dora is traveling west with an unsavory peddler, played by John Carradine, who is selling guns to the Indians. Robert Horton carries this episode, with Mike Connors and Dan Blocker portraying corrupt U.S. Army officers.

*Bette Davis appeared in three episodes as different characters; as Bettina May (1961), Ella Lindstrom (1959) and Madame Elizabeth McQueeney (1959).

*Laraine Day played the title character in "The Cassie Vance Story" (1963).

*Frank Dekova plays the lead in "The Isaiah Quickfox Story" (31 January 1965), a mystery set in a ghost town amid a stunning bat cave. Andrew Prine and John Doucette guest star in the roles of Eric Camden and Bert Enders, respectively. Cast members Robert Fuller and Frank McGrath carry this episode.

*Angie Dickinson portrays the lead role in "The Clara Duncan Story" (1959).

*John Doucette played the title characters in the 1963 episode, "The Michael McGoo Story" as a retired sea captain, and the 1964 episode, "The Ben Engel Story", as well as supporting roles in six other episodes.

* Charles Drake played the title characters in the 1958 episode, "The Charles Maury Story" as an ex-Confederate marauder, and the 1960 episode, "The Sam Livingston Story" as a wagon driver with bitter memories, and the 1963 episode, "The Hollister John Garrison Story" as a Southerner with a desperate secret, and the 1964 episode, "The Link Cheney Story" as a wounded gambler hoping to retire, and supporting roles in two other episodes.

*Dan Duryea made seven appearances on the series, his first role being that of the title character in "The Cliff Grundy Story", broadcast on 25 December 1957. Cliff Grundy, an old friend of Flint McCullough, joins with the Wagon Train in time for a buffalo hunt. After an accident, Cliff and Flint are stranded in the wild, trying to survive until they can reach a small town. This was one of Dan Duryea's rare "sympathetic" roles, and one that he would reprise for the final Wagon Train episode of the same season. In his fourth appearance on Wagon Train, he played a mentally unstable man obsessed by demons and superstitions in "The Bleymier Story", broadcast 16 November 1960, eleven days after the death of Ward Bond. Samuel Bleymier opposes the interest shown to his daughter, Belle, portrayed by Elen Willard, by a young pioneer, Justin Claiborne, played by James Drury, some two years before the start of his '' The Virginian'' series. The episode is filmed mostly in the dark or during heavy rains, high winds and a cyclone, and involves pioneers passing through a Sioux burial ground.

* Jena Engstrom appeared three times. In 1961 she was featured in "The Jenna Douglas Story" with guest star Carolyn Jones. In 1962 she was featured in "The Amos Billings Story", guest-starring Paul Fix. And in 1964 she appeared in support of Joseph Wiseman in "The Santiago Quesada Story".

* Ron Foster appeared twice in the 1957 episodes "The John Cameron Story" and "The Julia Gage Story".

*Rhonda Fleming appeared three times. In the 1958 episode "The Jennifer Churchill Story", in the 1961 episode "The Patience Miller Story" and in the 1963 episode "The Sandra Cummings Story".

* Med Flory was cast as Sheriff Gile in "The Nancy Palmer Story", with Audrey Meadows in the guest-starring role (1961).

*Nina Foch appeared as the title character in "The Clara Beauchamp Story".

* Louise Fletcher appeared as different characters in two Season 3 episodes.

*Eduard Franz appeared in the lead in 1957 in "The Les Rand Story", and James Philbrook had a minor role in the same episode.

*Kathleen Freeman appeared in five different episodes, usually as the embodiment of ignorance or intolerance.

* Annette Funicello appeared in "The Sam Pulaski Story" (Nov. 1963)

*George Gobel appeared as Major Adams' country cousin in "The Horace Best Story", the Season 4 premiere episode.

* Don Grady appeared in "The Christine Elliot Story" (1960).

*Lorne Greene appeared in "The Vivian Carter Story" (1959).

* Tom Greenway appeared as Dr. Quinn in "The Dan Hogan Story" (1958).

*Kevin Hagen appeared four times on ''Wagon Train'' as Lansing in "The Willy Moran Story" (1957) and as Claymore in "The Nels Stack Story" (1957) and "The Annie MacGregory Story" (1958) and as Ed Prentiss in "The Silver Lady" (1965).

*Sessue Hayakawa appeared as the title character in "The Sakae Ito Story" (1958).

* Peter Helm appeared three times on ''Wagon Train'' in 1962 and 1963: "The Daniel Clay Story", "The Wagon Train Mutiny", and in the title role "The Tom O’Neal Story", with Myron Healey cast as his father.

*Dwayne Hickman appeared in the title guest-starring role in "The Clay Shelby Story" in December 1964. Celia Kaye played Ann Shelby, and Richard Carlson and Mort Mills were cast as military officers.

*Darby Hinton, a child actor, appeared in March 1964 as Benjie Diel in the 75-minute episode "The Ben Engel Story".

* Dennis Holmes, another child actor, appeared three times on ''Wagon Train,'' including the role of Danny Blake in "Those Who Stay Behind", along with Peter Brown and Bruce Dern (8 November 1964).

* Dennis Hopper appeared as the title character in "The Emmett Lawton Story" as the crippled son of the murdered sheriff in a town taken over by outlaws, March 1963.

* Rodolfo Hoyos, Jr., as Padre in "The Don Alvarado Story", 21 June 1961, with Ed Nelson as Sheriff Donovan

*Sherry Jackson appeared as the title character in "The Geneva Balfour Story", which was originally broadcast on 20 January 1964.

*Anne Jeffreys and her husband, Robert Sterling, play a couple with an unusual "half-marriage" courtship arrangement brought about by an attack of fever in the episode "The Julie Gage Story", the fourteenth episode of the series broadcast on 18 December 1957.

* Brad Johnson and Susan Oliver in the title role appear in the 9 November 1960, episode "The Cathy Eckhardt Story", with Johnson cast as Will Eckhardt.

* I. Stanford Jolley appeared ten times, but not in the lead role of an episode.

* Carolyn Jones appeared during the show's first four episodes, also as the title characters in "The Jenna Douglas Story" (1961) as a traumatized woman found by the wagon train, and in "The Molly Kincaid Story" (1963) as an escaped captive of the Indians intent on punishing the husband who abandoned her.

* Dick Jones was cast as John Hunter in "The Wagon Train Mutiny" (1962).

* J.M. Kerrigan appeared in "The St. Nicholas Story" (1959).

* Brett King appeared five times on ''Wagon Train,'' his last as a lieutenant in "The Sandra Cummings Story" (1963).

* Charles Laughton appeared as Albert Farnsworth in "The Albert Farnsworth Story". (1960)

* Linda Lawson guest starred in "Princess of a Lost Tribe" (1960).

*Art Linkletter appeared as the title character in "The Sam Darland Story" (1962).

*Peter Lorre played the title character in "The Alexander Portlass Story" (March 1960).

*Dayton Lummis appeared in three episodes: as Maj. Barham in "The Martha Barham Story" (NBC, 1959), as T.J. Gingle in "The John Turnbull Storey" (NBC, 1962), and as the Rev. Philip Marshall in "The Myra Marshall Story" (ABC, 1963), with Suzanne Pleshette in the title role.

*Lee Marvin appeared as Mexican bandit Jose Morales in the Season 4 episode "The Jose Morales Story". After 20 episodes he appeared as newly hired wagonmaster Jud Benedict in the Season 4 episode that introduced the Chris Hale character, "The Christopher Hale Story".

* Raymond Massey guest starred in "Princess of a Lost Tribe" (1960).

*Mike Mazurki appeared in "The Duncan McIvor Story" (1964).

*Tyler McVey appeared six times on ''Wagon Train,'' including a two-part 1960 episode "Trial for Murder".

*Audrey Meadows played the title character in "The Nancy Palmer Story" (1961).

*Joyce Meadows appeared three times: as Martha Williams in "The Conchita Vasquez Story" (1959), as Rheba Polke in "The Jed Polke Story" and as Melanie in "The Artie Matthewson Story" (both 1961).

*Ralph Meeker appeared in the title role of "A Man Called Horse" (season one, ep 26, trans 26 March 1958) in a story that served as the basis for the Richard Harris film '' A Man Called Horse,'' a decade later.

*Burgess Meredith guest starred in "The Grover Allen Story" (1964).

*Vera Miles appeared three times on ''Wagon Train'' as the lead role in "The Sister Rita Story" (1959), as Janice Stuart in "The Bob Stuart Story" (1964) and as Anne Reed in "The Silver Lady" (1965).

*Ricardo Montalban appeared as the title character in the second episode of the series, entitled "The Jean LeBec Story".

*Archie Moore, African-American prizefighter, appeared as a cowboy in "The Geneva Balfour Story", which was originally broadcast on 20 January 1964.

*Read Morgan appeared three times: as Ben Denike in "The Vincent Eaglewood Story" with Wally Cox in the title role (1959), as Curly Horse in "The Martha Barham Story" with Ann Blyth (1959), and as Jake in "The Myra Marshall Story".

*Ed Nelson guest stars in the episode "Alias Bill Hawks", a story of townspeople covering for a murder, and trying to dig a needed artesian well. Terry Wilson, as the real "Bill Hawks", arrives to put the puzzle together.

*Leslie Nielsen guest stars in "The Jeremy Dow Story."

*Leonard Nimoy appeared in four episodes-—twice as a Mexican, once as an Indian and once as one of three Spanish brothers.

* Susan Oliver guest starred in four episodes: "The Emily Rossiter Story" (1957), "The Maggie Hamilton Story" (1960), "The Cathy Eckhart Story" (1960) and "The Lily Legend Story" (1963).

*Prolific western actor Gregg Palmer appeared in three episodes: as Groton in "The Mary Halstead Story" (1957), as Paul Dawson in "The Riley Gratton Story" (1957) and as Raleigh in "The Jose Morales Story" (1960).

*Michael Parks was cast as Hamish Browne in "The Heather and Hamish Story" with fellow guest star Anne Helm (1963), and as Michael Malone in "The Michael Malone Story", with Joyce Bulifant (1964).

* John Pickard appeared as Jed Otis in the 1959 episode "The Matthew Lowry Story".

* Ronald Reagan, in one of his final acting roles prior to his entering politics, played Captain Paul Winters in the seventh-season episode "The Fort Pierce Story", first broadcast in September 1963.

*Michael Rennie appeared in two episodes: "The John Cameron Story" (1957) and "The Robert Harrison Clarke Story" (1963).

*Cesar Romero appeared in "The Honorable Don Charlie Story" (1958).

* Mickey Rooney guest starred as "greenhorn" Samuel T. Evans in "The Greenhorn Story" (1959), and again as Samuel T. Evans with young wife Melanie ( Olive Sturgess) in "Wagons Ho!", the 1960 season premiere. Ellen Corby played the role of Aunt 'Em in both episodes. Sturgess in her role had to wear the lowest of heels so as not to tower over the 5'2" Rooney.

* Pippa Scott guest-starred in "The Link Cheney Story" (1964).

* Ann Sheridan guest-starred in "The Mavis Grant Story" (1962).

* Tom Simcox and Paul Stader guest-starred in "The Link Cheney Story" (1964).

* Roger Smith - (see "Charles Bickford" earlier in the list)

*Arnold Stang

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