"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:

The following three episodes have fallen into the public domain: "Wagon Train: The Malachi Hobart Story (#5.17)" (1962), "Wagon Train: The Dr. Denker Story (#5.18)" (1962), and "Wagon Train: Alias Bill Hawks (#6.34)" (1963).

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Designing Women: Viva Las Vegas (#7.6)" (1992)

Soundtrack:

Wagon Train

"WAGONS HO-OH!" And Again and Again and Again........._

The idea of a story featuring 8, 10 or a Baker's Dozen of characters, all caught up in several different stories of their own; has long been a favourite in Hollywood; for making that "Big" movie. You know that one that the Studio Moguls all fancied to be their shortcut to "Best Picture Oscar."

The Genre's greatest exponent and possibly the earliest example lies in GRAND HOTEL (MGM, 1932) with Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Joan Crawford, Wallace Berry, Lionel Barrymore, et al. It's cousin or sort of Wartime example of the type (sharing Playwright Vicki Baum); is HOTEL BERLIN (Warner Brothers, 1945) with Faye Emerson, Helmut Dantine, Raymond Massey, Andrea King, Peter Lorre, Alan Hale, Kurt Krueger, George Coulouris, Peter Whitney, Steven Geray, Hank Daniell* and a whole lot of other regular Warners Players.

Dangerous passage on Commercial Airliners was a popular variation on the "Troubled Microcosm" type story and THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY (Wayne-Fellows/Warner Brothers, 1954) with "the Duke" and a huge supporting cast headed up this parade of Winged Tragedy. The Troubled Skies would soon grow crowded. Read on.

Arthur Hailey's novels provided fodder for adaptation; leading off with HOTEL (Warner Brothers, 1967). Following it by three years, we saw AIRPORT (Universal, 1970). Once again we have a film with a top notch cast featuring: Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, Jean Seberg, Jacqueline Bisset, George Kennedy, Helen Hayes, Van Heflin, Maureen Stapleton, Barry Nelson Dana Wynter, Lloyd Nolan, Barbara and our old friend from Courts' Hollywood Collectibles Shows here in Chicago, the very talented and personable Mr. Paul Picerni.

Arthur Hailey's AIRPORT, which has been called "HOTEL with Wings", is a unique movie. The one feature that sets it apart is that the film not only sired several sequels; but also a bastard of the line in the Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker production, the send-up, AIRPLANE (Paramount, 1980).

AS it turns out, AIRPLANE! is a fracturing of another airliner disaster microcosm film, ZERO HOUR (Paramount, 1957) with Dana Andrews, Linda Darnell and Sterling Hayden; which in turn was scripted by the same Arthur Hailey!! So when the "Microcosm of Mankind" idea is to be applied to Network Television, what sort of a series would be the lucky recipient? THE WINNER is a Western, of course! Remember, Schultz; this was 1957 and the Horse Opera ruled Supreme!

WITH all of this expositional comparison and lead in done; we can now dig in to our victim of Today's "Roast", which is of course "WAGON TRAIN" (Revue Studios/Universal TV, 1957-65). The Series started off a winner and stayed out in front in the ratings race for most of its run on the Networks; being NBC, 1957-61 and ABC 1962-65.

It's simple, yet one that is deeply seeded in the Collective Psyche of the American People. We all know about pioneers, striking out from the relative safety of settlements in Colonies (Later States) located near either the Atlantic or the Gulf Coast and transporting whole families and their household possessions Westward; hoping for a new start, a better life and a chance to give their families what they never had for themselves. And all of this enduring of hardship was complicated by the uncertainty of their dealing with Hostile Indians, floods, snowy blizzards, mountains desserts and potential near starvation in "impassible passes."

The WAGON TRAIN Series began with a solid foundation. The cast was headed up by Ward Bond as Major Adams (1957-61) and was replaced after his death by John McIntire as new boss Christopher Hale (1961-65). Both men were properly autocratic and enough of a Father Figure to pull it off as THE Big Kahuna of the operation. Other regulars were: Terry Wilson (as Bill Hawks 1957-65), Denny Miller (as Duke Shannon1961-65), Robert Fuller (Cooper Smith 1959-65), Michael Burns (Barnaby West 1960-65), Robert Horton (Flint McCullough 1957-62) and last, but not least; everybody's Favourite Frank McGrath (Charlie Wooster 1957-65). Mr. McGrath's and Terry Wilson's being the only two players to go coast to coast with the weekly convoy of horse drawn "Ships of the Plains."

AS for Guest Stars, WAGON TRAIN never wanted for any; and it was designed to have at least one or two per weekly visitation in our homes. The list of visiting dignitaries from Hollywood's top Stars and Character Actors is as long as your arm. It included Dan Duryea, Carolyn Jones, Everett Sloane, Dana Wynter and Art Linkletter!

Each Hour-Long Drama was like a "B" Movie, telling the stories of yet again yet a different journey from oh, say Missouri to California, or the Oregon Territory, which as we all know includes the present day State of Washington as well as Oregon.

Now that mad for an awful lot of trips taking months and months; but we didn't care, as each story came to an acceptable, if not exactly always happy ending.

NOTE: * Okay, we give up! It should be Henry Daniell, not Hank Daniell. Boy, what a difference a little nickname makes! Just call it an early April Fools Joke, courtesy of Schultz and Myself!