Wagon Train

I'm not quite sure how your website allows for the addition of biographical information - so I'm entering this comment in this forum in the hope that you might be able to add this to Mr. Horton's biographical sketch. I thought that your readers would find it interesting - as I did - that Mr. Horton wrote the biography for his character Flint McCullough in Wagon Train.

At the Western Film Festival in Tombstone Arizona (2004) - Mr. Horton stated that since the writers often changed from episode to episode - he wrote the biography for Flint McCullough - to ensure consistency for his character across all episodes. For example - one writer would write his character as an expert horseman - and the next would write his character as being less than expert with horses.

Perhaps the quintessential show from the Golden Age of TV westernsthis series ran from 1957 to 1965 and it had a simple but compelling format. Each week it told the story of one of the travelers on an 1870's "wagon train" making its way across the American West. This format thus combined the sweeping backdrop of an ever-changing frontier with the smallpersonal story of a single individual.

So popular did the show become that it attracted an impressive array of "guest stars" -- Bette DavisErnest BorgnineRhonda FlemingBarbara StanwyckLeslie NielsenLee Marvinetc.

The earlier shows in the series were probably the best since they featured Ward Bond as the leader of the wagon train and Robert Horton as his scout. Ward's death in 1960 and Horton's departure in 1962 weakened the series though it maintained a respectable level of production for several more years.

While the TV westerns that arose in the Eisenhower years are now nostalgically regarded as fine "family" entertainmentit's curious that they often showed their leading actors stripped half-naked and subjected to various forms of torture. "Wagon Train" was no exception. On the 1-15-1958 episode titled "The Gabe Carswell Story," for examplea bare-chested Robert Horton is staked out spreadeagle- under the scorching sun and left to die by a villainous "half-breed." And in the 12-13-1961 episode titled "The Traitor," Horton is stripped to the waisttied to a wagon wheeland whipped across his bare back. In both cases the sado-masochistic nature of these sequences is emphasized rather than muted and the exposed muscularity of the actor is openly exploited.

While Ward Bond could never be replacedmany viewers looked kindly on his successorJohn McIntire. Robert Fullerhowevernever quite seemed adequate as Robert Horton's replacement.

Would like to know why Wagon Train is never shown in reruns. It was one of my favorite westerns and I would love to see the episodes again. I remember watching it every week with my Dad (who also loved westerns)in factthe first time my future husband came to my housewe were watching Wagon Trainand he watched it with useven though he didn't really care for westerns! It's a wonder we made it togetherbut we have been married now for 43almost 44 years. I really preferred Ward Bond as the wagon masterbut of coursehe died and they had to replace him. Flint McCullough was my favorite character. I thought he had the most exciting rolebeing the one who always went ahead to check things out for the rest of the wagon train.

I had never watched WAGON TRAIN when I was growing up as at that time I wasn't particularly fond of westerns. The only one I remembered enjoying was Death Valley Days. So it was with some amusement that when I ordered Wagon Train: The Complete Color Season at Amazon.ComI was thinking at the time I was ordering the other shows. At 50my mind was already slipping. When it cameI decided to give it a try. The DVD set includes all 32 episodes of Wagon Trains only color seasonplus 16 episodes of the best of the black and white seasons. It turned out to be one of the best television series I have ever bought. What made the color season unique was that the shows were ninety minutes longeach story practically a movie unto themselves. The colors on the transfers were still vivid and the black and white episodes were crisp and clear. Unlike other commentsI really enjoyed John McIntyre in the role of Chris Hale as Wagonmaster. He reminded me almost of John Wayne in his later yearsin movies such as True Grit and The Sons Of Katie Elder. The ensemble cast on this show was excellent as well as the endless parade of guest starsmost notably in the color season with Barbara Stanwyckappearing in two episodesSuzanne Pleshetteplaying a very unsympathetic bad girl roleand Burgess Meredith in a touchingsentimental role that will leave tears in your eyes. Wagon Train was truly one of the great westerns. If you can't find it on TVI suggest you get it on DVD in whatever form you can find.

I remember watching "Wagon Train" when I was a child. It ranked up there with such western classics as "Gunsmoke," "Bonanza," "Have Gun Will Travel," and "Laramie." I think the earlier episodes that featured Ward Bond as the Major and Robert Horton as Flint were somewhat better than the last few years the show was on. Of courseCharlie the cook was everyone's favorite character. It was interesting to see what obstacle the wagon master had to overcome on a weekly basis: blizzardsfloodsIndiansoutlawsreligious fanaticssmall poxsnakesdroughts and so on. There's an episode featuring the great Charles Laugthon as a pompous Englishman that is my favorite. This television program is the epitome of true grit on the lonely frontier.