Wagon Train (1957-1965)

Hi Karl

Thanks for the heads up. Hopefully they'll come over the pond.

Regards

Arthur

Hi Arthur, quite welcome ;-)) Also, just today I learned from TV Shows on DVD site that Tales of Wells Fargo will be coming out too. Im also looking forward to this series as i've never seen any episodes from it.

excellent I'm looking forward to these

First season of Wagon Train comes out in November. It'll be 39 episodes on 10 discs, all remastered. Right now, you can buy a set of Wagon Train episodes, 32 of them at 90 minutes each and in color. There's also 16 classic b&w episodes included.
Also available is a Tales Of Wells Fargo set that has about 30-40 of the best episodes. I've seen that one and the Wagon Train color set at Sams Club.
Plus, wasn't it a couple of years ago that Daniel Boone was released on DVD? I seem to remember they released seasons 1 and 2 together, then the rest periodically after that. They were even showing a few on a cable channel, either TV Land or Encore Westerns because I watched a couple of them.

Hi Waynamo; I hadn't been aware that the Wagon Train and ToWF had already been released before? but I am hoping that both are being released by companies who spent some time and money to restore them-well at least we know that Wagon Train was.

As for Daniel Boone--yup the series was released starting around 2 or so years ago. I have the first 3 seasons on DvD, had the 4th but had to send it back to get another copy of season 4, because mine had defective discs in it-as did seasons 2 and 3. Well, the 2nd set of season 4-was also defective. I sent it back too and just got my money back on it because it turned out that their entire enventory of DB DVDs were defective. Well, DDDvD.com is now only selling season 5 and I can't get 4,5 through them. Guess ill have to look on Amazon or ebay for those?

I've been catching up on WT now that it's on TWC each weeknite. Ward Bond was a tremendous all-around actor, and dominated his run. He'll be sorely missed if they show the later John McIntire episodes(not that he was a slouch, but I prefer Bond). It had a bit of odd "theme" music in the early episodes, that seems to be evolving to new music as the series goes on. Love the array of guest stars, and haven't seen an episode I didn't like. Stuntmen Terry Wilson and Frank McGrath made great support, and Robert Horton had great chemistry with Bond. LOVE this show!

Encore Western runs Wagon Train on week days. June 23 the episode directed by John Ford that Wayne made a brief appearance in should air.

BTW, last week Flint ran in to an old girlfriend, Gloria DeHaven. She didn't recognize him right away but then said how could she ever forget his red hair and freckles. I had no idea Robert Horton was a redhead.

http://fiftiesweb.com/wt/robert-horton-6p.htm

Thanks about the heads up about the Ford/Wayne episode of Wagon Train. I'll program the DVR accordingly.
I also picked up a DVD set of TOWF which contained random episodes. The one with Steve McQueen was great to see, but the prints weren't remastered.

We deal in lead, friend.

Finally saw "The Colter Craven Story" on Wagon Train last night. It was typical Ford with a lot of his stock company popping up throughout and a lot of alcohol jokes. It also seemed to have used footage from "Wagonmaster".
Duke is only seen in shadow as Sherman near the very end of the flashback.

We deal in lead, friend.

Keith, thanks for the nudge to the correct thread and that link. Wagon Train isn't one of my favorite old TV westerns, but that link is a marvel with all the character actors and future stars listed.

We deal in lead, friend.

Where do you go look for your post when it is bumped back? Thanks, KP KEITH

As usual, the internet has a few things confused. When Major Adams and the boys see Beth Pearson, that prompts Seth to "narrate" the story of his being in the hospital after the war, going to find his LOVE Raine Webster, and finding that she had married. When Bill and Charlie come to visit him in the hospital bed and they get him up to start his "physical therapy" for his legs, he begins to narrate. It is not Ward Bond's voice. Don't believe anyone could ever impersonate the resonance he achieved later in his career. Anyway, he says that Raine had gone to live with her sister and brother in law before and that she sent for him when finding the train was coming through near them. There was a whole episode, The Major Adams Story Part 2, I believe, that is devoted to Seth's taking Raine on the Train to her sister's. She was very ill, but Bill and his wife were sworn to secrecy not to tell the Major. Her brother in law picked her up after she had declined Seth's marriage proposal, not telling him why.
Not long after, he came back to get Seth. Raine died in Seth's arms while he told her of the life they would have in CA. But, she was on the Wagon Train going out there. In fact, there was a fight scene between him and Major Hilary who was after Raine's attentions. It was a great fight, but, if I remember right, the Major would have killed him if Bill had not stopped him.....need to watch that one again also. If Ward had been alive when the Pearson Story was finished, he never would have told the story completely wrong. I am surprised that Terry and Frank allowed it. As it was told off set, they probably didn't even know until it was aired.....then, it was too late to set things straight.
Below is a video, not in the proper order and does not show the fight scene I need, but it shows the Major finding Raine again and taking her on the train. They got to spend much time together before she left and then died. The scene of their meeting in around the 10 minute part of this video.
The Ward Bond episodes of Wagon Train are my thing.

Quote from ethanedwards

The Colter Craven Story, was shown 18 days after Ward's passing.

According to the Wagon Train web-site, this is the last episode taped by Ward.

However as we know Ward passed away in November 1960,
and this was shown in February of 1961.

The Beth Pearson Story
(ep. #4.22) 2/22/1961

Major Adams is shaken by the resemblance of a widow to Raine Webster, the woman he once loved.
He falls for the woman, but she wants him to be sure that it is she, and not a ghost he's fallen in love with.

Ward Bond as Major Adams
Virginia Grey as Beth Pearson
Johnny Washbrook as Ron Pearson
Del Moore as Johnson

This is the last episode taped by Bond. He was never written out of the show.
According to Terry Wilson, we were supposed to assume he left of a broken heart after this story.

Keith, apart from his final episode, I have no further plans on posting any other episodes,
but here are the links to
The Weight of Command
The Jonas Murdock Story

As a tribute, I have posted his last performance below

"WAGON TRAIN" The Beth Pearson Story (1961)

PRODUCED BY HOWARD CHRISTIE
DIRECTED BY VIRGIL W. VOGEL
REVUE STUDIOS
NATIONAL BROADCASTING COMPANY (NBC)

Information from IMDb

Plot Summary
Ron and Beth Pearson join the wagon train to travel to Denver. Beth is a twin copy of Ranie Webster
who was Major Adams one true love before the war but who refused to marry him.
She died in Arizona after the Major found her. Major Adams courts Beth much to the dismay of her son Ron.
Beth is concerned that Adams is still thinking of her as Ranie but the issue seems to fade away.
When she is thrown from a wagon and paralyzed, Adams and Ron stay with her while the wagon train goes on led by Hawks.
However, when the members of the train are told by Ron Adams is gone, they refuse to move until he rejoins them.
Ron and Beth rejoin the train with her suspended by ropes. Adams is exhausted and when she starts to recover,
he is so dazed he calls her Ranie unleashing the truth that he thinks of her as Ranie - not Beth
Written by Anonymous

Episode Cast
Ward Bond ... Major Seth Adams
Robert Horton ... Flint McCullough (credit only)
Virginia Grey ... Beth Pearson / Ranie Webster
Frank McGrath ... Charlie Wooster
Terry Wilson ... Bill Hawks
Johnny Washbrook ... Ron Pearson
Del Moore ... Johnson
Chick Hannon ... Wagon Train Member (uncredited)
Ted Mapes ... Wagon Train Member (uncredited)

Writing Credits
Peter Germano
Norman Jolley

Original Music
Richard Shores

Cinematography
Benjamin H. Kline

Filming Locations
Revue Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
Stage 19, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Watch the Full Episode

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Just to note how significant is the Salem cigarette advert 19 mins in,
"Every puff is springtime fresh""

Display More

This was posted with a quote from Ethan about the Beth Pearson Story. Anyway, it is not about COLTER CRAVEN but about The Major Adams Story part 2 and the Beth Pearson Story. Don't know if it will show up or not? Here is the video where, at about the 10 minute mark you will see Major Adams take Raine off the Stage so as to take her to her sister's on the Train. OK, the video, for some reason didn't show up, but it is the second one one You Tube that Says Major Adams Story 1 and 2. Keith, If I were Wagon Train and made a mistake that big, I wouldn't print it either! Print the legend, right? LOL.

Quote from Hawkswill

As usual, the internet has a few things confused. When Major Adams and the boys see Beth Pearson, that prompts Seth to "narrate" the story of his being in the hospital after the war, going to find his LOVE Raine Webster, and finding that she had married. When Bill and Charlie come to visit him in the hospital bed and they get him up to start his "physical therapy" for his legs, he begins to narrate. It is not Ward Bond's voice. Don't believe anyone could ever impersonate the resonance he achieved later in his career. Anyway, he says that Raine had gone to live with her sister and brother in law before and that she sent for him when finding the train was coming through near them. There was a whole episode, The Major Adams Story Part 2, I believe, that is devoted to Seth's taking Raine on the Train to her sister's. She was very ill, but Bill and his wife were sworn to secrecy not to tell the Major. Her brother in law picked her up after she had declined Seth's marriage proposal, not telling him why.
Not long after, he came back to get Seth. Raine died in Seth's arms while he told her of the life they would have in CA. But, she was on the Wagon Train going out there. In fact, there was a fight scene between him and Major Hilary who was after Raine's attentions. It was a great fight, but, if I remember right, the Major would have killed him if Bill had not stopped him.....need to watch that one again also. If Ward had been alive when the Pearson Story was finished, he never would have told the story completely wrong. I am surprised that Terry and Frank allowed it. As it was told off set, they probably didn't even know until it was aired.....then, it was too late to set things straight.
Below is a video, not in the proper order and does not show the fight scene I need, but it shows the Major finding Raine again and taking her on the train. They got to spend much time together before she left and then died. The scene of their meeting in around the 10 minute part of this video.
The Ward Bond episodes of Wagon Train are my thing.

This was posted with a quote from Ethan about the Beth Pearson Story. Anyway, it is not about COLTER CRAVEN but about The Major Adams Story part 2.

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[extendedmedia]

Well, thought I had this thing down, Anyway, if you watch the Part 2 of Major Adams, you will see what I am talking about.

Thanks Keith, but wish you could have fixed the video....thought I did it as I had learned. Anyway, I appreciated all your info on Ward, as you probably know he is my favorite. All I was trying to get across was that there was a man, NOT Ward, but supposed to be him, who did the narration in the Beth Pearson Story. Apparently all the action had been shot, because I didn't see anything that might have been missing.....Ward just hadn't done the narration part before he died. The second I heard his voice, I knew it was not Ward. And just wanted to show that Ward would never have gotten the story mixed up about Rainey.....shoot, never remember how to spell her name. And Frank and Bill would have realized it right away. The narration must have been supervised and written by a different producer and writer, (I believe they had quite a few, not sure). Guess it all got carried away, somehow, sorry if I caused any problems...it was not my intent. When I get some spare money, I will get The Weight of Command which was an excellent episode, Stagecoach Story, and The Jonas Murdock Story which all show well the talents of Terry Wilson, Frank McGrath, and of course, Ward Bond. Netflix really messed me up when they took all the old Westerns off. IMDB only shows a few things for free....none that I need, but thanks anyway. Keith