Ward Bond

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Ward Bond (born April 8, 1903 in Benkelman , Nebraska as Wardell E. Bond , † November 5, 1960 in Dallas , Texas ) was an American film actor. He regularly took on supporting roles in films by John Ford or on the side of John Wayne . He was often seen as a rough westerner, soldier or police officer. When the American Film Institute drew up the list of the 100 best American films in 1997 and 2007, respectively , Bond appeared in seven films on this list - more often than any other actor.

Life

Bond was the son of a woodworker and grew up in Denver , Colorado , which is often mistakenly passed off as his place of birth. At the University of Southern California in Los Angeles , he began to study engineering and was then active as a professional football player, together with John Wayne . Both were discovered for the film by director John Ford and first cast together in the 1929 film Salute . In 1930 both appeared together for the first time together in a western in the film Der große Treck ( The Big Trail ) directed by Raoul Walsh . For a long time he played mainly in small roles before he was able to assert himself as a supporting actor around the end of the 1930s.

The stately and brawny looking Bond was not necessarily considered attractive because of his appearance, but also because of his charisma . So he was mostly committed to the embodiment of supporting roles. He often played rough westerners, soldiers, police detectives, boxers, and often the hero's best friend.

In later years he more often played old men who were supposed to appear as relics of a bygone era. He became widely popular in his home country through the lead role in the extremely popular television series Wagon Train , which ran on American television from 1957. Ward Bond received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (6933 Hollywood Boulevard) primarily for his television work. Bond is the Hollywood actor who has appeared most frequently in films ranked among the 100 Best American Movies by the American Film Institute . He acted there mainly in supporting roles. For example, he was seen in John Huston's film noir classic Die Spur des Falken (1941) as police detective Tom Polhaus. In life Is not it beautiful? (1946) he impersonated the helpful police officer Bert at the side of James Stewart . Even in Gone With the Wind (1939), Ward Bond made a minor appearance as a Yankee captain investigating an act of revenge. One of his last roles was in Howard Hawk's 1959 western classic Rio Bravo (1959).

One of Bond's most notable film appearances is his role in the western classic The Black Falcon by John Ford , which Bond cast in many of his films. There he played the pastor Samuel Johnson-Clayton , who also acts as a vigilante captain and greets the killing of people with a "hallelujah". Bond's buttocks were quite opulent. This became a running gag for director John Ford, who liked to tease his actors . In almost every film directed by Ford with Bond involvement there is at least one scene in which it is alluded to through the camera position or the film plot. Seen from this point of view, it is no coincidence that Bond is wounded on that part of the body of all things in “The Searchers”. Ward Bond was a member of the closer circle of the John Ford Stock Company (John Ford AG; the herd of John Ford), a circle of friends who met regularly at Ford's ranch, alongside John Wayne , Hank Worden , Jack Pennick , Harry Carey junior and a few others.

In the 1950s, Bond was a leading member of the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals , which wanted to fight communism allegedly prevalent in Hollywood during the McCarthy era . To this end, alleged or actual “communists” in the film industry were summoned to the committee with the threat of damaging or ending their film careers. Numerous prominent colleagues such as Charlie Chaplin or the Hollywood Ten were affected by the activities of this society, which also included Bond's best friend John Wayne .

Towards the end of his career, Bond was able to draw attention to himself through a leading role: He became popular in his home country through the leading role in the extremely popular television series Wagon Train , which ran on American television from 1957. Ward Bond received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (6933 Hollywood Boulevard) primarily for his television work. Ward Bond's career came to an abrupt end with his sudden death in 1960. He died of a heart attack at the age of 57. He left behind his second wife, Mary Louise May, whom he married in 1954.

Filmography (selection)

literature

  • Kay Less : The film's great personal dictionary . The actors, directors, cameramen, producers, composers, screenwriters, film architects, outfitters, costume designers, editors, sound engineers, make-up artists and special effects designers of the 20th century. Volume 1: A - C. Erik Aaes - Jack Carson. Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, Berlin 2001, ISBN 3-89602-340-3 , p. 461.
  • On the DVD They call me Hondo - Special Collector's Edition by Paramount Pictures from 2007 , a 9.5-minute short documentary about Ward Bond can be found under Special features in the sub-heading The John Wayne Stock Company .

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Bond, Ward
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Bond, Wardell E. (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION US-American actor
DATE OF BIRTH April 8, 1903
PLACE OF BIRTH Benkelman , Nebraska
DATE OF DEATH 5th November 1960
Place of death Dallas , Texas