He wished to work more in musical theater. In addition he hires three men temporarily who hate the marshal but have more extreme plans for the man without Coop's knowledge. "Wagon Train" overtook "Gunsmoke" atop the Nielsen ratings in 1961. Curious how exactly there were supposed to replace him. The two actors looked alike despite their age difference. [11] He also paid tribute to John Smith, who died fifteen years earlier on January 25, 1995, of cirrhosis of the liver and heart problems. It was a story they joked about for the rest of Bond's life. Marilynn Bradley m. 19602016 Barbara Ruick m. 19531956 Mary Katherine Jobe m. 19461950 Robert Horton / Spouse On December 31, 1960, Horton married actress Marilynn Bradley, who limited her professional appearances on stage to performing with him. Robert Fuller owned his own horse, Hoot, who Jess Harper called Traveler after the horse of General Robert E. Lee. Some say the change to black and white was an homage to the early years of Wagon Train. The story lines are some of the best Ive ever seen. The other cast members got along very well with Fuller, his on-screen appearances were reduced because he had grown unhappy with the direction the show was taking, after feuding with one of the producers, off-camera, while at the same time, he was looking for Westerns. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); How would you like to ride hell-bent for leather into a world full of adventure and heroismthe world made vividly real by Zane Grey? A Revue Studios production, the program originally starred John Smith as Slim Sherman, owner of the Sherman Ranch, along with his younger brother Andy, played by Robert L. Robert Horton was often described as 6 of redheaded dynamite (though hes actually a shade over 6), and we, his loyal fans, certainly agree with that! The most popular among the three was Wagons Ho. It is the most popular because the network has used it for the longest time. In the past few months I started to watch it on MeTV. I stopped watching after he was gone. However, some actors were so good and endearing that not getting attached to them would be regrettable. They both show the unending journeys of the main characters and the different people they meet as they go. The TV show was famous for its high profile guest stars. It was a story they joked about for the rest of . Recently Passed Away Celebrities and Famous People. He played Alex in a 1958 episode of Death Valley Days, "The Gunsmith", in support of guest star Anthony Caruso, and returned to the show in 1959 to play clever Mexican-American cattle rustler Johnny Santos in the episode, "Ten In Texas". Frank was an established stunt man. 1. Robert Fuller (born Leonard Leroy Lee, July 29, 1933) is an American horse rancher and retired actor. Four years later, when Laramie came to an end, Fuller was immediately pulled aboard the long-running series Wagon Train, filling the void caused by Robert. Why did Robert Fuller leave wagon train? He wished to work more in musical theater. Was Robert Horton of Wagon Train married? I am 67 years old and for some unfathomable reason I never saw o e episode of Wagon Train until a few days ago. He studied the frontier era, drove the actual route the fictional wagon train took, and invented a back story for his character. Ward Bond was wonderful as the The series premiere Stage Stop (September 15, 1959), which was filmed in color, explains how Slim Sherman and Jess Harper become partners in the Sherman Ranch and Relay Station. He wished to work more in musical theater. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The two shows had a lot in common. for five seasons before leaving the series to pursue his production (which didnt face a huge success). The writing is usually pretty good, and the stories did an accurate job depicting the lust and violence of lonesome men without defying the censors of the time. Marshal, Panic!, M Squad, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, "The Monroes" and the Lux Playhouse. It was costlyas much as $1,000 for a family of four. Over the next six years, Fuller appeared in a handful of nondescript films. He was 91. He began his contract career at MGM in 1952 and adopted the acting name of Robert Horton. why did robert fuller leave wagon train? He started with a change in wardrobe style and colors dressing Cooper Smith in browns and tans in place of Jess Harper's blues and black. He also made appearances in ABC's The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp and Mickey Spillane's syndicated Mike Hammer. Laramie /lrmi/ is a city in and the county seat of Albany County, Wyoming, United States. No wonder the Nebraska native would become best buddies with John Wayne. That was our intention with this video as well. 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 . I like Ward Bond as an actor in all his rolls. Robert Fuller first appeared on Wagon Train during Season 2 in two guest starring roles. He was on the show for two seasons, seasons six to eight. Wagon Train first rolled on the air on September 18, 1957 to begin an eight year run which would eventually place the TV show in the number one spot in the Nielson ratings.Unlike other shows in the Western genre, Wagon Train attracted big name guest stars whose stories were told across the panorama of the American western expansion in the post Civil War period. He was an only child and his birth name was Leonard Leroy Lee, but he was nicknamed Buddy Lee by his friends. Hale does a good job but I could have watched Ward Bond forever. Was he having heart issues at the time? The first episode of theWagon Trainaired on NBC in 1957, and in 1962, they moved to ABC. 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. Bond appeared on 'Wagon Train' in crutches after injuring his leg. Fuller stepped in the following year, where he remained in the series (which switched to ABC in 1962) until it ended its run after two additional seasons. He was an only child and his birth name was Leonard Leroy Lee, but he was nicknamed Buddy Lee by his friends. Fuller traded his chaps for a surgical gown when he went to work in what would be his final TV series, Emergency! How was Ward Bond written off wagon train? The cause was cirrhosis of the liver, according to a spokesman for the Los Angeles coroners department. The network felt Robert Fuller was the perfect person to replace Robert Horton because of their resemblance. Robert Fuller joined the cast as scout Cooper Smith for Seasons 7 and 8. They have three children together. I missed out on alot, I absolutely love Wagon Train. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. 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 . He did several "bandstand" gigs with Bill Aken's Los Nomadas rock group at holiday festivities in Whiskey Flats, California. His bark was worse then his bite. The two men settled their differences two days before Bond died. The leader of the gang shoots Charlie after tying him up, and they take Coop to lead them through a mountain pass to get . He wished to work more in musical theater. Ward Bond died of a heart attack while the Wagon Train was still on its fourth season. In 1962, Robert Horton left the popular western Wagon Train after its fifth season. Either way, you have to give it to Robert Fuller: the man had some of the best sideburns in the . What were two of the main causes of the collapse of the Soviet Union quizlet? November 28, 2008 / Will Harris. He later told the band that he only knew the first verse of the song. He was in seven of the 100 Greatest Films in America. , Bond asked the production team to give Terry Wilson and Frank McGrath roles in the series. All of the familys belongings had to be packed into the wagon, leaving no room for beds. Wagon Train was such a massive success that the director of the Wagon Master, John Ford, directed one of its episodes. He was also a nightclub singer and a recording artist. In 1962, Robert Horton left the popular western Wagon Train after its fifth season. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. He moved to Texas with Jennifer in 2004 and the two of them have a horse ranch there. I am 71 and watching one episode per day. The wagons were surprisingly small, measuring only about four feet wide and eight or nine feet long. The two had a strong friendship that lasted decades, even surviving Wayne accidentally shooting Bond in the behind on a hunting trip. Fuller stayed in the. From October 9 to October 11, 1998, Fuller was reunited with the rest of the surviving Emergency! He was married to Marilynn Bradley, Barbara Ruick and Mary Catherine Jobe. Like his best friends Julie London, Bobby Troup and James Drury, he used to be a heavy smoker until his first wife, Patricia Lyons, was diagnosed with cancer in 1984. At his own request there was no funeral and his remains were quietly cremated. He was a gentleman; he was delightful, except hed rather play golf than work. He reminded me of my Great-Uncle Perry Allen Smith. Dennis now lives in California with his wife Jan and their daughter Katie. At his own request there was no funeral and his remains were quietly cremated. Was John Wayne and Ward Bond good friends? [1], Fuller's first small role was as an extra in the 1952 film Above and Beyond. Sadly, the star died midway through the fourth season of the show. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I guess I outgrew it. March 15, 2016 Robert Horton, a ruggedly handsome actor who found television stardom in 1957 as the scout Flint McCullough on " Wagon Train " but who resisted being typecast in westerns as he. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Report Content | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. 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 . In 1962, Robert Horton left the popular western Wagon Train after its fifth season. He was the Wagon Master in the show, which was a big deal. He also had a role in the 1979 TV action movie Disaster on the Coastliner, opposite Lloyd Bridges and Raymond Burr. set. The one exception was his role as Vin in Return of the Seven (1966) which was a modest, if lackluster, sequel to The Magnificent Seven. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". The Echo Pass Story: Directed by Joseph Pevney. Fuller played scout Cooper Smith, a character the network developed to replace scout Flint McCullough, Hortons character. Fuller, who became familiar to television viewers in the 60s as the star of the classic TV series Laramie and Wagon Train, and the 1970s fire and rescue drama . Fuller has been retired since 2001 and occasionally meets fans at western events.