"Wagon Train" (1957) TV series 1957-1965

Directors:

Howard E. Johnson
Leo Sherman
(more)

Writer:

Lawrence Menkin

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Release Date:

18 September 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Western

Plot:

Stories of the journeys of a wagon train as it leaves post-Civil War Missouri on its way to California through the plains...

Plot Keywords:

Wagon Train | Cult TV | Covered Wagon

Awards:

Nominated for 7 Primetime Emmys. Another 5 nominations

Cast

Frank McGrath	...	Charlie Wooster (272 episodes, 1957-1965)
Terry Wilson	...	Bill Hawks / ... (267 episodes, 1957-1965)
Robert Horton	...	Flint McCullough / ... (187 episodes, 1957-1962)
John McIntire	...	Christopher Hale / ... (152 episodes, 1959-1965)
Ward Bond	...	Major Seth Adams (133 episodes, 1957-1961)
Chick Hannan	...	Wagon Train Member / ... (119 episodes, 1957-1965)

Series Directed by
Virgil W. Vogel		(58 episodes, 1958-1965)
Joseph Pevney		(25 episodes, 1959-1965)
Allen H. Miner		(20 episodes, 1958-1965)
Herschel Daugherty		(16 episodes, 1957-1964)
Jerry Hopper		(14 episodes, 1958-1963)
David Butler		(9 episodes, 1958-1962)
Richard Bartlett		(9 episodes, 1958-1959)
Mark Stevens		(8 episodes, 1957-1958)
Ted Post		(7 episodes, 1960-1961)
William Witney		(6 episodes, 1959-1965)
Sidney Lanfield		(5 episodes, 1957-1958)
R.G. Springsteen		(5 episodes, 1960-1964)
Christian Nyby		(4 episodes, 1959-1960)
Dick Moder		(4 episodes, 1961-1963)
Tay Garnett		(3 episodes, 1959-1960)
James Neilson		(3 episodes, 1959)
Bretaigne Windust		(3 episodes, 1959)
Sutton Roley		(3 episodes, 1960-1964)
Frank Arrigo		(3 episodes, 1961-1962)
David Lowell Rich		(3 episodes, 1961)
Bernard Girard		(2 episodes, 1957-1963)
Earl Bellamy		(2 episodes, 1957-1958)
John Brahm		(2 episodes, 1957)
Robert Florey		(2 episodes, 1957)
George Waggner		(2 episodes, 1957)
Jesse Hibbs		(2 episodes, 1958-1960)
Abner Biberman		(2 episodes, 1958-1959)
Mitchell Leisen		(2 episodes, 1961)
Howard E. Johnson		(unknown episodes)
Leo Sherman		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Norman Jolley		(36 episodes, 1958-1964)
Jean Holloway		(24 episodes, 1959-1961)
Gene L. Coon		(23 episodes, 1958-1963)
Leonard Praskins		(19 episodes, 1959-1965)
Allen H. Miner		(16 episodes, 1959-1965)
John McGreevey		(12 episodes, 1961-1965)
Harold Swanton		(11 episodes, 1959-1962)
Peter Germano		(11 episodes, 1961-1964)
Thomas Thompson		(9 episodes, 1958-1963)
Steven Ritch		(9 episodes, 1962-1963)
Gerry Day		(7 episodes, 1959-1965)
Robert Libott		(6 episodes, 1958-1963)
Howard Christie		(6 episodes, 1958-1959)
Calvin Clements Sr.		(6 episodes, 1964-1965)
Dwight Newton		(5 episodes, 1957-1958)
Sloan Nibley		(5 episodes, 1959-1963)
William Raynor		(5 episodes, 1960-1963)
Myles Wilder		(5 episodes, 1960-1963)
Aaron Spelling		(4 episodes, 1957-1959)
William Fay		(4 episodes, 1957-1958)
James A. Parker		(4 episodes, 1958-1959)
Harry von Zell		(4 episodes, 1958-1959)
Virgil W. Vogel		(4 episodes, 1959-1960)
Floyd Burton		(4 episodes, 1960)
John Kneubuhl		(4 episodes, 1962-1965)
E. Jack Neuman		(3 episodes, 1957-1959)
Robert E. Thompson		(3 episodes, 1957-1958)
Ted Sherdeman		(3 episodes, 1958-1965)
Lou Shaw		(3 episodes, 1958-1961)
Peggy Shaw		(3 episodes, 1958-1961)
Milton Krims		(3 episodes, 1958-1960)
Richard Bartlett		(3 episodes, 1958)
Frank W. Marshall		(3 episodes, 1958)
Leo Townsend		(3 episodes, 1958)
Kathleen Hite		(3 episodes, 1959)
Philip MacDonald		(2 episodes, 1957-1960)
Richard Collins		(2 episodes, 1957-1959)
John Dunkel		(2 episodes, 1957-1958)
Boris Ingster		(2 episodes, 1957)
David Swift		(2 episodes, 1958-1959)
Hendrik Vollaerts		(2 episodes, 1958-1959)
Warren Wilson		(2 episodes, 1958-1959)
Dorothy M. Johnson		(2 episodes, 1958)
Richard Maibaum		(2 episodes, 1958)
Arthur Browne Jr.		(2 episodes, 1959)
Paul King		(2 episodes, 1959)
Joseph Stone		(2 episodes, 1959)
Dick Nelson		(2 episodes, 1960-1965)
Ken Kolb		(2 episodes, 1962)
Jane Klove		(2 episodes, 1963-1965)
Betty Andrews		(2 episodes, 1963-1964)
Lawrence Menkin		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Howard Christie	....	producer / executive producer (154 episodes, 1958-1965)
Frederick Shorr	....	associate producer / producer (45 episodes, 1962-1965)
Richard Lewis	....	producer / executive producer (39 episodes, 1957-1958)
Boris Ingster	....	associate producer / producer (25 episodes, 1957-1958)
Ralph Dietrich	....	associate producer (2 episodes, 1957)

Series Original Music by
Sidney Fine		(14 episodes, 1960-1964)
Jerome Moross		(13 episodes, 1959-1964)
Stanley Wilson		(12 episodes, 1960-1961)
Cyril J. Mockridge		(9 episodes, 1959-1963)
David Buttolph		(9 episodes, 1959-1961)
Richard Shores		(8 episodes, 1960-1963)
Roy Webb		(6 episodes, 1958-1960)
John Williams		(5 episodes, 1958-1963)
Heinz Roemheld		(5 episodes, 1958-1960)
Lyn Murray		(5 episodes, 1958-1959)
Albert Woodbury		(4 episodes, 1959-1960)
Morton Stevens		(4 episodes, 1962-1963)
Ernest Gold		(3 episodes, 1959-1960)
Conrad Salinger		(3 episodes, 1959)
Nathan Scott		(3 episodes, 1960-1961)
Laurindo Almeida		(2 episodes, 1958-1960)
Jeff Alexander		(2 episodes, 1959-1960)
Alexander Courage		(2 episodes, 1959-1960)
Hans J. Salter		(2 episodes, 1963-1964)

Series Cinematography by
Benjamin H. Kline		(82 episodes, 1958-1961)
Walter Strenge		(28 episodes, 1960-1965)
Herbert Kirkpatrick		(26 episodes, 1957-1958)
Bud Thackery		(19 episodes, 1957-1964)
John L. Russell		(8 episodes, 1957-1965)
John F. Warren		(4 episodes, 1959-1964)
Ray Flin		(4 episodes, 1961-1964)
William Margulies		(3 episodes, 1963-1965)
Lionel Lindon		(3 episodes, 1964)
Richard L. Rawlings		(2 episodes, 1963)
Robert Tobey		(2 episodes, 1963)
Ray Rennahan		(2 episodes, 1964)

Series Film Editing by
Gene Palmer		(43 episodes, 1957-1965)
Marston Fay		(31 episodes, 1957-1963)
John Hall		(28 episodes, 1957-1960)
Tony Martinelli		(13 episodes, 1963-1965)
Buddy Small		(11 episodes, 1959-1964)
Lee Huntington		(7 episodes, 1957-1961)
Bill Mosher		(7 episodes, 1957-1958)
Daniel A. Nathan		(6 episodes, 1958-1959)
Edward Haire		(5 episodes, 1957-1963)
Milton Shifman		(5 episodes, 1958-1959)
Eugene Pendleton		(3 episodes, 1960-1961)
Danny B. Landres		(2 episodes, 1957-1959)
Stanford Tischler		(2 episodes, 1957)
Stanley Rabjohn		(2 episodes, 1958)
W. Duncan Mansfield		(2 episodes, 1959-1960)
William W. Moore		(2 episodes, 1959-1960)
Ray DeVally		(2 episodes, 1960-1964)
John Blunk		(2 episodes, 1960-1961)
George Jay Nicholson		(2 episodes, 1961)
Robert Seiter		(2 episodes, 1963-1964)
Edward A. Biery		(2 episodes, 1963)

Series Art Direction by
Howard E. Johnson		(175 episodes, 1957-1965)
John J. Lloyd		(6 episodes, 1957)
Russell Kimball		(3 episodes, 1961-1963)

Series Set Decoration by
Ralph Sylos		(169 episodes, 1957-1965)
John McCarthy Jr.		(80 episodes, 1960-1965)
Perry Murdock		(10 episodes, 1957-1963)
James Redd		(4 episodes, 1957-1963)

Series Costume Design by
Vincent Dee		(2 episodes, 1960)

Series Makeup Department
Florence Bush	....	hair stylist / makeup artist (168 episodes, 1957-1964)
Jack Barron	....	makeup artist (151 episodes, 1957-1964)
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist (19 episodes, 1964-1965)
Larry Germain	....	hair stylist (18 episodes, 1964-1965)
Robert Dawn	....	makeup artist (11 episodes, 1957-1963)
Leo Lotito Jr.	....	makeup artist (6 episodes, 1957-1963)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James H. Brown	....	assistant director (24 episodes, 1957-1965)
George Bisk	....	assistant director (20 episodes, 1959-1961)
Edward K. Dodds	....	assistant director (14 episodes, 1959-1964)
Hilton A. Green	....	assistant director (12 episodes, 1957-1959)
Charles S. Gould	....	assistant director (10 episodes, 1957-1965)
Carter DeHaven	....	assistant director (10 episodes, 1959-1963)
Abby Singer	....	assistant director (9 episodes, 1958-1959)
Frank Losee	....	assistant director (9 episodes, 1960-1964)
Jim Hogan	....	assistant director (8 episodes, 1958-1960)
Wallace Worsley Jr.	....	assistant director (8 episodes, 1960-1963)
Ben Bishop	....	assistant director (7 episodes, 1958-1964)
John Clarke Bowman	....	assistant director (7 episodes, 1961-1964)
Dolph Zimmer	....	assistant director (6 episodes, 1957-1959)
Will Sheldon	....	assistant director (5 episodes, 1957-1959)
Donald Baer	....	assistant director (5 episodes, 1961-1964)
Frank Fox	....	assistant director (4 episodes, 1957-1963)
George Lollier	....	assistant director (4 episodes, 1957-1958)
John Pommer	....	assistant director (4 episodes, 1957-1958)
Jack Doran	....	assistant director (4 episodes, 1961-1964)
Milton Carter	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1959-1960)
Henry Kline	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1962-1964)
Ray Taylor Jr.	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1964-1965)
Lester Wm. Berke	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1963)
Norman A. Cook	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1964)
Lou Watt	....	assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
David H. Moriarty	....	sound (128 episodes, 1957-1964)
Melvin M. Metcalfe Sr.	....	sound (36 episodes, 1957-1965)
Corson Jowett	....	sound (4 episodes, 1963-1964)
Earl Crain Jr.	....	sound (3 episodes, 1957-1964)
Stephen Bass	....	sound (3 episodes, 1957-1959)
Lyle Cain	....	sound (3 episodes, 1961-1963)
William H. Lynch	....	sound (2 episodes, 1957-1963)
William Russell	....	sound (2 episodes, 1961-1964)
Jim Bullock	....	sound editor (unknown episodes)

Series Stunts
Jack N. Young	....	utility stunts (4 episodes, 1957-1958)
Bobby Somers	....	stunts (2 episodes, 1957-1958)
Jesse Wayne	....	stunt double: Scott Lane / stunts (2 episodes, 1963-1964)
Dean Smith	....	stunts (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Earl C. Williman	....	lamp operator (19 episodes, 1964-1965)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Vincent Dee	....	costume supervisor (178 episodes, 1957-1965)

Series Editorial Department
Richard G. Wray	....	editorial supervisor (99 episodes, 1957-1960)
David J. O'Connell	....	editorial supervisor / editorial department head / ... (87 episodes, 1960-1965)
Robert Brower	....	color coordinator (32 episodes, 1963-1964)
George Fredrick	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Jerome Moross	....	composer: theme music / score (207 episodes, 1959-1965)
Stanley Wilson	....	music supervisor (159 episodes, 1957-1965)
Jack Brooks	....	composer: theme music / composer: "Wagon Train" theme (38 episodes, 1958-1959)
Sammy Fain	....	composer: theme music / composer: "Wagon Train" theme (38 episodes, 1958-1959)
Henri Rene	....	composer: theme music (36 episodes, 1957-1958)
Herman Stein	....	musical cues (33 episodes, 1957-1958)
John O'Neill	....	singer: theme music (33 episodes, 1958-1959)
Lloyd R. Apperson	....	composer: additional music (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Robert Eggenweiler	....	assistant to producer / assistant to executive producer / ... (47 episodes, 1958-1959)
Dwight Newton	....	story consultant (4 episodes, 1957)

Production Companies

• Revue Studios
• Universal TV (1963-1965)

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1957-1962) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1962-1965) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Independent Television (ITV)
• MCA Television
• MCA/Universal Pictures
• Mill Creek Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (video) (3 episodes)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Studios USA Television
• Timeless Media Group (2009) (USA) (DVD) (complete first season)
• Timeless Media Group (2010) (USA) (DVD) (complete second season)
• Timeless Media Group (2010) (USA) (DVD) (complete third season)
• Timeless Media Group (2011) (USA) (DVD) (complete fourth season)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:50 min (252 episodes) (season-1-6 and 8) | USA:75 min (32 episodes) (season 7)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (Seasons 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8) | Color (Season 5)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Lake Sherwood, California, USA

Company:

Revue Studios

Trivia:

Was sponsored by the Edsel Division of the Ford Motor Company during its first season on the air.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Leave It to Beaver: Miss Landers' Fiance (#4.7)" (1960)

Soundtrack:

Wagon Train

Crossing the Plains

As a lad way back in the day I was one big fan of this TV series. Even at that age I appreciated all the famous guest stars this series seemed to attract.

Take a look at the film credits of Ward Bond. You can hardly find a player, male or female, who at one point did not work with Ward Bond. All the more remarkable when you consider his rightwing politics and championing of the blacklist. The man was hated in some circles, but apparently no one denied his talent.

It was a simple concept, Ward Bond as Major Seth Adams and his team led a group of hardy pioneers across the plains and mountains to California post Civil War. EAch episode focused on those traveling in a particular wagon or someone they met on the way who was usually a name guest star.

Wagon Train was enormously popular. When Ward Bond died in November of 1960 it was national news. It was quite a month, his death and that of Clark Gable almost put the election of a new president named Kennedy out of the headlines.

Bond's death also allowed Wagon Train to pioneer what Law and Order later perfected, the revolving change of regulars. Only Frank McGrath and Terry Wilson stayed with the show for the entire run.

Frank McGrath and Terry Wilson were a pair of stunt men who worked a whole lot for John Ford and though they had done some roles with dialog in front of the camera, Wagon Train made their faces familiar to the public. McGrath was funny little guy as cook Charlie Wooster who must have kept them all amused because the regulars were forever complaining about his lousy cooking.

Wilson played Bill Hawks and comments have been made about the horrible continuity Wagon Train had. It sure did and the most glaring example was that when the show first started, Hawks had a wife named Emily in that first season. She was not only dropped. but later on Hawks referred to himself as a bachelor. Couldn't do that today.

John McIntire replaced Bond and was more than adequate as the father figure wagonmaster. There was a good episode that introduced McIntire as a temporary and sadistic wagonmaster played by Lee Marvin takes over and at the same time, the train picks up McIntire who's just seen his family massacred by Indians. McIntire is a former wagonmaster and he and Marvin have a confrontation.

Robert Horton was scout Flint McCullough and several episodes featured him in the lead and they took him to the places he was scouting with guest stars there for him to interact with. Supposedly political differences were pretty rife between him and Bond. He quit as he was planning to do anyway as I remember even after Bond died. Bad career move though, he never got anything as good as Flint McCullough again.

After that a host of new regulars came on the show, Robert Fuller, Denny Miller, and Michael Burns. The train came to an end in 1965. I was sorry to see it end.

Hallmark channel runs Wagon Train sometimes, here's hoping they start them again.