Wardell Edwin Bond

 Wardell Edwin Bond, known as Ward Bond (April 9, 1903 – November 5, 1960)

His appearance and easygoing charm were featured in more than two hundred films and the series Wagon Train from 1957 to 1960. Among his best-remembered roles are Bert, the cop, in James Stewart's It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and Captain Clayton in John Wayne's The Searchers (1956). Bond made his screen debut in Salute and thereafter was a busy character actor, playing over 200 supporting roles. He appeared in 31 films released in 1935 and 23 in 1939. Rarely playing the lead in theatrical films, he starred in the television series Wagon Train from 1957 until his death in 1960. He was frequently typecast as a friendly policeman or as a brutal thug. He had a long-time working relationship with directors John Ford and Frank Capra, performing in such films as The Searchers, Drums Along the Mohawk, The Quiet Man, and Fort Apache for Ford, with whom he made 25 films, and It Happened One Night, It's a Wonderful Life, and Riding High for Capra. Among his other well-known films were Bringing Up Baby (1938), Gone with the Wind (1939), The Maltese Falcon (1941), Sergeant York (1941), They Were Expendable (1945), Joan of Arc (1948), in which he was atypically cast as Captain La Hire, Rio Bravo (1959), and Raoul Walsh's 1930 widescreen wagon train epic The Big Trail, which also featured John Wayne's first leading role.

Bond died on November 5, 1960, from a massive heart attack; he was 57 at the time of his death. John Wayne gave the eulogy at his funeral. Bond's will bequeathed to Wayne the shotgun with which Wayne had once accidentally shot Bond.