Then I had the good fortune of going to work on Wagon Train and spent almost 24-7 with him on the set every day. Later, he taught Modern European History at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. His first appearance was with Ward Bond wagon master Major Seth Adams which aired January 25, 1961. He was always a class act. There was also an episode where they started another trip in St. Louis. 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Ready for Tolkien Battle, How the Landscape of Native-Led Stories Has Changed Between Avatars: Were Flexing Our Sovereignty, The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News. - Stories of the Century When they reverted to 60 minutes it went back to black and white. I disagree with your statement that Robert Fuller is most known for his role in Laramie. Miller appeared over three seasons in more than 100 episodes of Wagon Train, which aired on NBC and ABC from 1957 to 1965. - Shane Watched every week with my father. A minor actress named Kay Stewart popped up in eleven episodes from 1958 to 1964, playing eleven different women. At the beginning of the show's run in 1957, the character of Bill Hawks was a smaller one, and he was actually a guest passenger on the wagon train. I was a basketball player at UCLA inserted into the cast of the number one show in the nation. SO SAD. Two years after the Wagon Train series ended, Frank succumbed to a heart attack at 64. There were eight actors who were more or less regulars in Wagon Train. Sammy actually visited Perth, Western Australia on more than one occasion to promote a charity-raising enterprise (Telethon) several decades ago. - Lawman I actually only started watching in 2020 due to being at home during the pandemic. Horton was a class act who really should have gone on to bigger things. I often surprised to learn that actors or actresses sing well. The wagon master and his men lead the wagon train and its passengers through hostile country, still allowing for plenty of action, but with solid stories and a better than average budget it was never difficult for producers to attract top name guest stars. Miller wrote an autobiography titled Didn't You Used to BeWhat's His Name? - Hotel de Paree When I first met Ward I had nothing but admiration and respect for him. After deserting his wagon train and leaving his passengers to die of thirst, Wagon Master Fenton Canaby turns himself in to Chris Hale, who tries to keep his identity a secret until he can turn . ploy to appeal to youthful viewers. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. I stand corrected. - The Texan His three marriages included one to the delightful Barbara Ruick. Story" (March 15, 1961) when Flint finds him sitting on what is left of why did robert fuller leave wagon train. That same house front is disguised as the business of the Princess when McCullough goes to visit on his way to a fort and, it is also the place where the elderly woman is shot and left for dead by the barn when McCullough finds her. - Hondo At that point Denny Miller comes looking for his grandfather McHugh and he and Terry Wilson go off looking for these old adventurers. Hawks and Duke dispatch the villains with bullets, but Henry Future lead scout Duke Shannon also gets his story told in Rather bizarrely, after reaching #1 in its 5th season, Wagon Train migrated from NBC to ABC for its 6th season (still from 7:30-8:30 Wednesday night). The most powerful episode I have seen so far is S4 E19 The Prairie Story. If you want to know what it was like on the prairie watch this. - Archives, Will "Sugarfoot" Hutchins train when Adams falls ill. Denny said, "I was the only one who came running. Like a great many Aussies of my age bracket (I was born in 1947), I share a love of old American movies and early TV, so it is always a thrill when I hear from someone who actually knew some of my heroes and heroines of those bygone days. That underlying current of two very contrasting individuals gave the show a spark. - Whispering Smith Learn how your comment data is processed. I also have to mention Perry Mason, I know this is mostly Cowboy Shows but I think he warrants a mention here. ; sometimes called prairie schooners), wagon trains soon became the prevailing mode of long-distance overland transportation for both people and goods. One of these survivors is Michael Burns who evolved into a regular after appearing in an early episode as a boy stricken speechless by the murder of his father. There were three different theme songs used during the eight year run of Wagon Train. Terry Wilson (1923-99) 267 episodes (1957-65). I was quite pathetic about it. It has a totally different feel from any other Wagon Train episode that I have watched so far. Had to replay that one a few times to make sure what I saw. On Sept. 11, 1857, a Mormon militia in southern Utah seized a wagon train from Arkansas and brutally . I am currently working my way through all eight seasons on DVD. There is a scene in Laramie (forget the episode) where his handling of a gun is perfect and you can tell it was muscle memory not acting. Offers may be subject to change without notice. The next time you watch either Fort Apache (1948) or She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), you might notice Frank as the bugler in both of these John Ford/ John Wayne westerns. Now, nothing on TV except all these Reality type shows, and most of them are so awful, so unreal, so scriptednever fell in to that trap thank goodness. As for Santon, I would imagine he was dubbed, although that is only a guess. Copyright 2023 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes, Top 10 Historical Movies About The American West, Top 10 Historical 19th/20th Century Dramas, Gay/Bisexual Actors in Old TV Shows ( Pt 2 ). his gold mine. Wagon Train's biggest weakness was it had terrible continuity. In the McAbee Story, there is a hammock but the Mrs faints at the corner of the Laramie house. The studio tried everything to keep Horton, offering him a very lucrative 10 year contact, plus a percentage of Wagon Train, but he was adamant about leaving. When I wrote this I was envisioning Fuller as one of the poker-playing old TV legends in the 1994 spoof Maverick starring Mel Gibson. He abandoned acting to pursue an academic career at Yale University where he earned a PhD in 1977. Married men donning and removing wedding rings during multiple takes was one of the things continuity was supposed to keep an eye on. Terry gave freely of his information about how to do the technique of stunt fighting. He and his brother, Kent, began playing basketball almost from the day they were born. - Whiplash Thankyou for your note. I knew that character cold. Millions of Americans tuned in every week to watch Major Seth Adams guide his wagon train across the west, despite the fact that it never reached its destination even though it was on the trail for eight long years. The b/w hour long Wagon Train premiered on NBC Wednesday September 18, 1957, from 7:30-8:30 just when the TV Western genre really started to take off in the network ratings. McCullough That classic,. - Have Gun Will Travel - Page 2 (1950-1979). The other survivor is Robert Fuller, but more of them both later. Frank McGrath gets tired of some of the riding he gets from John McIntire and - Rough Riders The series initially starred veteran movie supporting actor Ward Bond as the wagon master, later replaced upon his death by John McIntire, and Robert Horton as the scout, subsequently replaced by lookalike Robert Fuller a year after Horton had decided to leave the series. A continuity problem not uncommon, Linda. . - Archives, Silent Western Reviews I only intended to check it out while I was eating dinner. But I disagree that they never reached their destination. This episode is also one of several from 1962 that highlight the stark difference between the character of Chris Hale and his predecessor Major Seth Adams. This turn of events leaves Duke without a family, and Hawks and 10 . The reason Ward Bond no longer appeared in Wagon train after the 4th season. Denny Scott Miller (born Dennis Linn Miller; April 25, 1934 September 9, 2014) was an American actor, perhaps best known for his regular role as Duke Shannon on Wagon Train, his guest-starring appearances on Gilligan's Island and Charlie's Angels, and his 1959 film role as Tarzan. Its first five seasons were broadcast on the NBC network and the remaining three on ABC. (Notice Im just a few years older than you so they are still actresses) For singing actors my favorite is Le Miserables. My current brother-in-law, who now resides in Utah, and is about 87, was born and reared, in I believe, Eureka, Mt. A.N. However, ABC disastrously abandoned the series six year Wednesday night home and moved to Monday night from 8:30 to 10. His character of Flint McCullough, the tough hero and scout of the slow moving caravan traveling from Missouri to California, was eventually replaced by another scout, Cooper Smith. We learn more of the Hale family's fate in "The Janet Hale This week I have been watching the Beth Pearson Story also, looking for any visible indications of issues with Ward Bonds health. It was all so magical for a kid. He is outfoxed by Duke, played by Denny Miller, but redeems himself by aiding a dying woman. Id never heard of it before and started watching it and The Rifleman because they follow Gunsmoke and Bonanza. the unexpected death of Bond didnt destroy the series with its viewers. I only intended to check it out while I was eating dinner. - Iron Horse . I shall look at them in episode total order, highest to lowest. I stopped watching when Ward Bond died and Robert Horton left the series. In Season 1, Bill and his wife, Emily Hawks, travel on the wagon train. One night his manager tried to get Sammy to show his fast gun skills (he had won some contest). - Hopalong Cassidy After Ward Bond died and Horton left the series I kind of lost interest in it. Suddenly, Wagon Trains hour-long black and white episodes looked somewhat paltry next to the expansive full color outdoor Western which felt more like a movie than a TV episode. - Tombstone Territory why did robert fuller leave wagon train. Nobody cared. I am currently watching Season 4 on ME TV, and my wife and I are huge fans. In the much later episode with Robert Fuller about the man and his three sons that rob and steal in revenge if the late wife and mother, that same house front is where the crooked traders shop is. There is very little info about Robert Santon, Im afraid. Background [ edit] While surfing to find something different, I came across a channel (MeTV) dedicated to just running older shows. After watching, I wondered if the mood and what appeared to be an honest attempt to show the pain and suffering wasnt somehow brought on by the unexpected death of Ward Bond. I guess Montanans are just that way. Though they cross the Sadly, she died in 1968 aged just 51. - 26 Men Christopher Hale, noted wagon master, they urge him to rescue them from . Denny Scott Miller (Aprll 25, 1934-Sept. 9, 2014) played scout Duke Shannon on "Wagon Train"1961-64. - Texas John Slaughter Perhaps, this stemmed from Bobs long association with musicals. Clearly, Fuller was well-known as Dr Brackett in Emergency, but I beg to differ on how he might be remembered. Terry Wilson so he accepts an invitation to go off with Frank McHugh and look for Missouri-born Frank played the series comic relief character Charlie Wooster, the wagon trains irascible cook, and would grace all but 13 of the 284 episodes shot over eight seasons. We ended up facing each other, both on our knees, too weak to stand up, but still strong enough to punch each other. I was surprised to see how short Robert Fuller was in scenes with the other male cast members. The series underwent more changes in Season 5 also. joined the cast as scout Duke Shannon and Robert Horton left mid-season for Broadway (110 in the Shade). 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