Behind the Scene Story:
WARD BOND
Wardell Edwin Bond, was born 1903. He was a prolific American film character actor whose rugged appearance and easygoing charm were featured in over 200 films and the television series “Wagon Train”. He is remembered for his roles as Bert, the cop, in “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946) and “Captain Clayton in “The Searchers” (1956), among many others.
Bond was born in Benkelman, Nebraska, a small town located in the southwestern corner of the state near the Kansas and Colorado borders. The Bond family, John W., Mabel L., and sister Bernice, lived in Benkelman until 1919 when they moved to Denver. Ward graduated from East High School in Denver.
Bond attended the University of Southern California and played on the same team as future USC coach Jess Hill. AT 6’2” and 195 pounds, Bond was a starting lineman USC’s first national championship team in 1928.
Bond and John Wayne, who, as Marion Robert Morrison had played tackle for USC in 1926 before an injury ended his career, became lifelong friends and colleagues. Bond, Wayne and the entire Southern California team were hired to appear in “Salute” (1929), a football film starring George O’Brien, and appeared in many of John Ford’s films.

Stunts, Stars and Legends:
PAUL BAXLEY
Paul Baxley was born in Casper, Wyoming. He grew up in Los Angeles ... He was quarterback and track star at Eagle Rock High School. He was a marine, scout,and sniper in the 4th division during World War II. He received two purple hearts, a bronze star, and a letter of recommendation from the president of· the United States. He met one of the most succcessful stunt coordinators in the film business, Richard Talmadge in the late 1940s and was brought into the stunt community. By 1947, Paul was performing stunts in films such as ‘’Deep Valley’’, ‘’Pirates of Monterey’’, ‘’The Lady from Shanghai’’ and Comanche Territory.
He was also in ‘’The Crimson Pirate’’ starring Burt Lancaster and Nick Cravat. He doubled for Alan Ladd, James Dean and Marlon Brando. It was while he was doubling for Brando in, ‘’The Ugly·- American’’ that he was almost run over by a runaway truck down a mountainside. In this stunt the disaster was so close to happening that the front left wheel of the truck actually took off his shoe as he frantically escaped to safety.