After being promised twice, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce "Walk of Fame" committee, turned down Mr. Bond for a star on Hollywood Blvd., after over 65 years in show business and 72 movies. The same year, three disc jockeys from local Los Angeles radio stations all received stars on the Walk of Fame.
After college in 1951, he quit acting and became an assistant director at Channel 11 in Los Angeles; in 1972, to escape the pollution and traffic of Los Angeles, moved with his family to the San Joaquin Valley where he worked at Channel 30 until he retired in 1990.
As a boy, was an actor in the movie Adventure in Washington (1941) along with friend, actor Gene Reynolds who later got behind the camera, being the producer of the hit CBS series "M*A*S*H" (1972).
Bond played Jimmy Olsen in the first live-action Superman movies: Superman (1948) and Atom Man vs. Superman (1950), both chapter serials. But he turned down the role of Olsen in the TV series, "Adventures of Superman" (1952), starring George Reeves.
Bond was one of the first "Charter" members of the newly formed 'Screen Actors Guild [us]' when he joined in 1938 at the age of 11 years old. His sponsor was Comedian/Actor Eddie Cantor.
Bond worked closely with director George Sidney who started out as a director with the OurGang/Little Rascals comedies in the 1930's.
Bond's wife Polly Bond (aka Polly Ellis) turned down the role of "Miss Kitty" on the "Gunsmoke" (1955) TV series.
Co-hosted "The Little Rascals Theater" TV series with Dr. Jackie Lynn Taylor and Mathew ("Stymie") Beard. "The Little Rascals Theater" was syndicated in a few TV markets during the 1970s.
Despite his and Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer's antogonistic relationship onscreen, the two were really the best of friends off camera.
Good friends with actors Mickey Rooney, and Dean Stockwell from his MGM days as a child actor.
He recently hosted the new home video The Rascals (2004) (V) made by 'American Mutoscope & Biograph [us]' .
He was Butch in the 'Our Gang [us]' comedies.
His original role in the "Our Gang" comedies was as another member of the Gang. He was later recast as another character, the bully "Butch.".
His wife Polly Bond (aka Polly Ellis) was a former Miss California.
Son Thomas R. Bond II is a producer and President/CEO of their family corporation, the 'American Mutoscope & Biograph Co. [us]' .
The monument that stood at 1716 North Vine Street, commemorating the first movie made in Hollywood, made by Bonds company, the 'American Mutoscope & Biograph Co. [us]'. was stolen April, 2005. Bond felt because of the monument's size, it had to have been an "Inside Job". He was so upset, he swore that the company would never shoot any project in the district of Hollywood.
Was prop management on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.