Job Actor
Years active 1929-1960
Known for Irish policemen, boxers, rugged warm-hearted westerners
Top Roles Mounted Policeman, Policeman, Mike, Rev. Capt. Samuel Johnston Clayton, Bert
Top GenresDrama, Romance, Comedy, Crime, Western, Action
Top TopicsBook-Based, World War II, Romance (Drama)
Top Collaborators (Director), (Producer), (Director), (Producer)
Shares birthday with Paul Robeson, Brandon De Wilde, Jean-Paul Belmondo  see more..

Ward Bond Overview:

Legendary character actor, Ward Bond, was born Wardell E. Bond on Apr 9, 1903 in Benkelman, NE. Bond appeared in over 270 film and TV roles. His best known films include Drums Along the Mohawk (as Adam Hartman), The Maltese Falcon (as Detective Tom Polhaus), The Searchers (as Rev. Capt. Samuel Johnston Clayton), Mister Roberts (as Chief Petty Officer Dowdy) --- and It's a Wonderful Life (as Bert). You can also catch a glimpse of him in It Happened One Night (as the first bus driver, uncredited) and Bringing Up Baby (as the motorcycle copy at the jail, uncredited). He is most famously known for his TV role as Major Seth Adams in Wagon Train (1957-1961). Bond died at the age of 57 on Nov 5, 1960 in Dallas, TX and was cremated and his ashes scattered in the Pacific Ocean between Newport Beach and C.

MINI BIO:

After a start in small roles, Bond was often cast as Irish policemen or boxers, and was also employed by director John Ford in progressively juicier parts, usually as rugged, warm-hearted westerners. He also enjoyed great success as the wagonmaster in TV's Wagon Train.

(Source: available at Amazon Quinlan's Illustrated Dictionary of Film Character Actors).

HONORS and AWARDS:

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He was honored with one star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the category of Television. In addition, Bond was inducted into the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum . Bond was never nominated for an Academy Award.

BlogHub Articles:

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE BLOGATHON - A 75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: and Frank Faylen as Bert the cop and Ernie the taxi driver

on Dec 11, 2021 From Caftan Woman

Ari, The Classic Movie Muse is hosting the It's a Wonderful Life Blogathon, A 75th Anniversary Celebration. Click HERE to access the tributes to Capra's Classic. Assuming you have lost count of the number of times you have watched the movie, spoilers abound.It's a Wonderful Life is a story of dreams... Read full article


For Your Consideration:

By Caftan Woman on Aug 6, 2009 From Caftan Woman

April 9, 1903 - November 5, 1960Caftan Woman has been watching movies again, and again she has found a performance overlooked at Award time. This time back in 1952 by prolific character actor .Nebraska born Bond was attending the University of Southern California when he and a fel... Read full article


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Ward Bond Quotes:

[repeated line]
Travis Blue, Elder Wiggs: Wagons West!


Father Paul: Father! Father Lonergan!
Father Peter Lonergan, Narrator: [not wanting to disturb the fish] Ssh, ssh, ssh, ssh, ssh.
Father Paul: It's a big fight in the town!
Father Peter Lonergan, Narrator: Listen, there's a big fight in this fish right here, too.
Father Paul: I'd have put a stop to it, but seeing it's...
Father Peter Lonergan, Narrator: You do that, lad. It's your duty.
Father Paul: But seeing it was Danaher and Sean Thornton...
[Father Lonergan turns at stares at Father Paul in amazement]
Father Peter Lonergan, Narrator: WHO?
Father Paul: Danaher and Sean Thornton!
Father Peter Lonergan, Narrator: WELL WHY THE DEVIL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME? Oh, you young...
[Throws down his fishing rod and the two run back into town. They abruptly stop behind a gate]
Father Paul: Father, shouldn't we put a stop to it now?
Father Peter Lonergan, Narrator: [relishing the fight from a distance] Ah, we should, lad, yes, we should, it's our duty!


Bert: Liver pills? We need posters of beautiful places, romantic places. Places George wants to go!


read more quotes from Ward Bond...



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Ward Bond on the
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Ward Bond Facts
Worked with director John Ford on 26 films. Few, if any, actors, have appeared in so many films for a single director.

In The Wings of Eagles (1957), Bond played his friend, director John Ford, under the character name John Dodge (the name itself was a play on American automobile names. Ford was a real-life friend of the film's subject character). The set dressing, wardrobe, and Oscars in the scene are all actually Ford's.

Once while on location, John Ford had a photo taken of himself and John Wayne standing on either side of the rear end of a horse. He sent the photo to Bond with the caption, "Thinking of you".

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Cowboy Museum Hall of Fame

Also in the Cowboy Museum Hall of Fame





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