john wayne and bond true west
John Wayne (left) and Ward Bond (right).

Actors John Wayne and Ward Bond were compatriots for more than 30 years.  Both played football at the University of Southern California. Both got their showbiz starts in the 1929 film Salute.  They appeared in 23 movies together, many of them Westerns directed by John Ford.

The story goes that during a hunting trip in the 1950s, Wayne accidentally shot Bond in the butt—with one of Bond’s own shotguns.  Bond wasn’t hurt badly, and the two joked about it for years.  When Bond died in 1960, he willed the weapon to Wayne—who cherished it.

Related Articles

  • wyoming invaders true west

    They nicknamed Scott Davis “Quick Shot” because of his skill with weapons—especially over the 15…

  • frank-canton-blog

    Deputy US Marshal Frank Canton hated Bee Dunn, and vice versa.  Dunn had pulled some…

  • john-slaughter-2-blog

    After John Slaughter became sheriff of Cochise County in 1887 he issued a warning to…