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» » Wagon Train The Jonas Murdock Story (1957–1965)

Short summary

Adams has agreed to Chief Red Hawk's terms to kill no game while crossing his territory. It is taking longer than expected to cross and the train is down to hardtack for meat. Having lived alone in Indian territory all his life Jonas Murdock tells Adams he could catch game without the Indians knowing it. However, Adams is adamant there will be no hunting and has Hawks, a close friend to Jonas, verify Jonas he won't hunt. Young Alma Hardy tells Jonas her grandpa needs protein to stay healthy so Jonas decides to trap a few rabbits. Wooster following Adams' orders trails Jonas catching him trapping. Jonas severely hurts Wooster with his rifle butt. When Adams confronts Jonas with a punch, Jonas hits Adams who is speared in the back by a spit when he falls. Thinking Adams is dead, Jonas leaves camp. Hawks has Wooster take over the train and care of Adams while he goes after Jonas as promised to Chief Red Hawk. Jonas uses his Indian scout experience to steal Bill's horse and gun plus drug ...

User reviews


  • comment
    • Author: cyrexoff
    There is a very lengthy, extremely well done fight scene near the end of this episode. Noah Berry does part of his fighting, but has a double for some of the rough stuff. Terry Wilson, who began his career as a double, does all of his. If you watch this a time or too, you will always be able to pick out his double action in any fight. He has a certain distinct style. After watching this, watch the knife fight in HONDO where John Wayne has to fight Silva. Except for the closeups, all the work is done by Terry Wilson, and it is very evident if you indeed did watch the Wagon Train episode. Terry doubled for Duke quite often. In this same movie, he is Ed Lowe, as the Indian jumps him from the rock. He,Frank McGrath, (Wooster on Wagon Train), and Ward Bond were all in this John Ford directed movie and were all part of his stock company. In fact, a little known fact is that Frank McGrath was one of the best horse stunt men in the early westerns. In Wagon Master, a movie directed by Ford and starring Ben Johnson and Harry Carey, Jr., (although Ward Bond was the true star and was paid top money), Frank McGrath has just gotten out of a full body cast, and Ford had him do quite a few horse falls and drags. Oh, forgot, when Ward Bond died, Terry Wilson called Duke and said, "Hold on.....Ward just dropped dead". It is said that both men cried together on the phone. Lot more to those stunt men and character actors that you will ever know.
  • comment
    • Author: Dranar
    This particular episode of Wagon Train where Noah Beery, Jr. is in the title role is one where Terry Wilson finally came into his own as an actor. It's the first time Wilson dominates an episode as a good deal of the story is him chasing Beery through the desert.

    The Wagon Train is in the territory of Chief Red Hawk who has decreed that no game will be hunted by the pilgrims or he'll massacre everybody. But Noah Beery decides those rules don't apply to him. He traps some rabbits and gets caught. He slugs Charlie Wooster and Major Adams is accidentally stabbed with a poker when he falls on it during a fight.

    That leaves Bill Hawks to go after Beery and being a former scout himself he's tough and resourceful. But Terry Wilson proves to be very tough indeed.

    For fans of the dependable Bill Hawks on the Wagon Train series this episode is your's.
  • comment
    • Author: Shaktiktilar
    The episode benefits from Noah Beery Jr.'s excellent performance as the title character, a slightly deranged mountain man named Jonas Murdock. But the story strays too far from the wagon train, like some installments do, and neither Adams nor Flint figure much in the main action. Instead, the action is left to Bill Hawks (Terry Wilson) who goes chasing after Beery's character through the desert and winds up having a violent hallucination after drinking some tainted water. There is one scene near the end, where Hawks catches up to Jonas and they have a knockdown drag-out. But in what is obviously a case of poor editing, we get several very clear shots of the stuntman's face who has been put in as a double for Beery. After the fight, Hawks takes the man back to camp and there is a scene where the natives drop off some venison to prevent the wagoners from starving.
  • Episode cast overview:
    Ward Bond Ward Bond - Major Seth Adams
    Robert Horton Robert Horton - Flint McCullough (credit only)
    Noah Beery Jr. Noah Beery Jr. - Jonas Murdock (as Noah Beery)
    Terry Wilson Terry Wilson - Bill Hawks
    Frank McGrath Frank McGrath - Charlie Wooster
    Lyle Talbot Lyle Talbot - Jameson
    Joe Bassett Joe Bassett - Chief Red Hawk (as Joseph Bassett)
    Bernadette Withers Bernadette Withers - Alma Hardy
    Gail Bonney Gail Bonney - Mrs. Jameson
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