Wagon Train
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| Wagon Train | |
|---|---|
 Wagon Train cast (1964) |
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| Genre | Western |
| Starring | Ward Bond |
| Country of origin | USA |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 or 90 mins. |
| Broadcast | |
| Original run | 1957 – 1965 |
| Links | |
| IMDb profile | |
Wagon Train was a television series on NBC from 1957 to 1962 and on ABC from 1962 to 1965. It ranked #1 in the Nielsen Ratings in the 1961-1962 television season.
The show chronicles the adventures of a wagon train as it makes its way from Missouri to California. There were 284 episodes with the first episode appearing 18 September 1957 and the last episode 2 May 1965. Some of the actors appearing on Wagon Train included Ward Bond as Major Seth Adams (Wagon master seasons 1-4), Robert Horton as Flint McCullough (seasons 1-5), Denny Miller as Duke Shannon (seasons 5-7), Michael Burns as Barnaby West (seasons 7-8), Robert Fuller as Cooper Smith (seasons 7-8), John McIntire as Christopher Hale (Wagon master, seasons 4-8) and Frank McGrath as Charlie Wooster (cook, seasons 1-8), Terry Wilson as Bill Hawks. The eight-season one-hour show was filmed in black and white except for its seventh season which was 90 minutes and in color.
When the Ward Bond episodes were broadcast weekday afternoons on ABC in 1963, a new series name and theme would have to be used to separate the two airings and avoid viewer confusion. This was because Wagon Train was still on the ABC evening schedule. Trailmaster was the name given and a new theme song the "Trailmaster Theme" was written and conducted by Stanley Wilson.
When pitching Star Trek to network TV executives in the mid-60s, Gene Roddenberry referred to his outer-space series as "a Wagon Train to the stars."[citation needed]
[edit] Theme music
The first season theme "Wagon Train" was written by Henri Rene and Bob Russell and lyrics were not used. The theme was conducted by Revue musical director Stanley Wilson. In the second season, a new more modern sounding theme was introduced. "(Roll Along) Wagon Train" was written by Sammy Fain and Jack Brooks and sung by Johnny O'Neill. About midway through the second season this was replaced with an instrumental version by Stanley Wilson. In the third season a more traditional sounding score was introduced. "Wagons Ho!" was written and conducted by Jerome Moross. This theme would last through the series run and is the most remembered Wagon Train theme. Stanley Wilson re-recorded "Wagons Ho!" for the last two seasons.
[edit] Trivia
- Ward Bond made a cameo appearance as Major Seth Adams in the film Alias Jesse James (1959).
- Ward Bond died of a heart attack on 5 November 1960, in the middle of the fourth season and was replaced by John McIntire as wagon master. No explanation was ever given on the show.
[edit] External links
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Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | NBC network shows | ABC network shows | 1950s American television series | 1960s American television series | Western television series | Nielsen Ratings winners | Period piece TV series | Television series by NBC Universal Television | Television program stubs
