Ward Bond Biography

Fast Facts

• In 2001, he was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum
• Made his screen acting debut in 1929's "Salute" and continued appearing in bit parts after college because he discovered he could make more money doing that than working at an engineering firm, which had been his plan
• Met John Wayne when they both played for the University of Southern California football team, and when the team was hired to appear in "Salute," they befriended the director, John Ford, forming a long-lasting collaborative relationship
• Best known for playing Bert in "It's a Wonderful Life" and Rev․ Capt․ Samuel Johnston Clayton in "The Searchers․"
• Often played rugged side characters such as thugs or policemen in westerns, most notably in his starring role as Major Seth Adams in "Wagon Train․"
• Appeared in seven of the film industry's top 100 movies, more than any other actor, including "It Happened One Night" and "Gone with the Wind․"
• John Wayne gave the eulogy at his funeral and was bequeathed a shotgun in his will, the same shotgun that Wayne had once accidentally shot him with on a hunting trip
• Set a personal record for most film appearances in a single year in 1935, when he appeared in 30 different films