Caravana

I remember watching "Wagon Train" when I was a child. It ranked up there with such western classics as "Gunsmoke," "Bonanza," "Have Gun Will Travel," and "Laramie." I think the earlier episodes that featured Ward Bond as the Major and Robert Horton as Flint were somewhat better than the last few years the show was on. Of course, Charlie the cook was everyone's favorite character. It was interesting to see what obstacle the wagon master had to overcome on a weekly basis: blizzards, floods, Indians, outlaws, religious fanatics, small pox, snakes, droughts and so on. There's an episode featuring the great Charles Laugthon as a pompous Englishman that is my favorite. This television program is the epitome of true grit on the lonely frontier.

Would like to know why Wagon Train is never shown in reruns. It was one of my favorite westerns and I would love to see the episodes again. I remember watching it every week with my Dad (who also loved westerns), in fact, the first time my future husband came to my house, we were watching Wagon Train, and he watched it with us, even though he didn't really care for westerns! It's a wonder we made it together, but we have been married now for 43, almost 44 years. I really preferred Ward Bond as the wagon master, but of course, he died and they had to replace him. Flint McCullough was my favorite character. I thought he had the most exciting role, being the one who always went ahead to check things out for the rest of the wagon train.

Whenever i watch any western movie, i wish for long running time even thought it is only a wagon running or horse riding or coach journey. and i like the old days Western movie production, new one are not up to the mark. I didn't know about Wagon Train TV serial before, i accidentally watched Wagon Master, i impressed with the story and wagon master characters, so started searching something related, guess what i got "Wagon Train", i am watching it like a treasure map.

Each episode is beauty, as of now i am in season 1 episode 7. Brilliant. I can say this is one of the best TV serials i watched so far.

And also surprisingly in parallel i am also watching, Andromeda, Game of Thrones and Rome all are related to different periods.. cool.. i love this life. :) Thanks Youtube for Wagon Train complete episodes.

On the strength of this vintage TV' show's 1st season (where I watched all of its 39 episodes) - I enthusiastically give Wagon Train my personal recommendation.

Even though (at a 50-minute running time) a number of the episodes did tend to wear a little thin at times - (For the most part) - The overall majority of these 39 episodes were quite tightly scripted and believable.

I also found the "Old West" settings seemed authentic and the actors could usually be counted on to give convincing performances.

All-in-all - For anyone who enjoys watching top-notch TV Westerns from the 1950s - Wagon Train (filmed in b&w) was right on the mark. I especially liked actors Robert Horton and Terry Wilson.

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.