Bronco 1958 - 1962

[Tracy]

Bronco is a Western series that aired for four seasons on ABC from 1958 through 1962.

Ty Hardin.jpg (70.51 KiB) Viewed 1747 times

The program starred Ty Hardin as Bronco Layne, a former Confederate officer who wandered the Old West, meeting such well-known individuals as Wild Bill Hickok, Billy the Kid, Jesse James, Theodore Roosevelt, Belle Starr, Cole Younger, and John Wesley Hardin.

Hardin, whose real name was Orison Whipple Hungerford, Jr., was born on January 1, 1930 in New York, New York. The name Whipple was given to him in honor of an ancestor on his father’s side, William Whipple of New Hampshire, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Hardin grew up in Texas, served in the Korean War, and played football at Texas A&M under future University of Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. He changed his name in his 20s, in homage to the outlaw John Wesley Hardin, as his acting career was taking off.

After being discovered by a talent scout while renting a Halloween cowboy outfit at Western Costume on Melrose Avenue near Paramount Pictures, he was given a contract at Paramount, where he made six films. He then talked with John Wayne about starring opposite him in Rio Bravo, but the part went to Ricky Nelson. Still, his discussions with Wayne bore fruit in the form of a TV deal with Warner Bros.

Hardin's run began on the series, "Cheyenne", in 1958. He replaced star Clint Walker, who was in a contract dispute with Warner Bros. A year later, Walker returned to the series (1959) and Hardin moved on to his character's own show, "Bronco", which aired until 1962.

"Bronco" was part of "The Cheyenne Show" and rotated each week with "Cheyenne" (starring Clint Walker) and "Sugarfoot" (starring Will Hutchins).

Cheyenne’s season five episode, "Duel at Judas Basin", was the only one to feature Hardin, Walker, and Will Hutchins all in the same episode.

Hardin in 1980

1980.jpg (62.08 KiB) Viewed 1747 times

The father of four, Hardin died in 2017 in California.


Trivia:

Bronco is Spanish for "rough".

[Adamant]

He was one good-looking man. I always watched those WB westerns. I think, but I may be wrong, that Maverick started out in the rotation but was so popular, it was given another time and shown every week

[dougsgirl]

That was some birthname. I don't recall seeing him in much, but I too thought he was a handsome man.
I was just reading up and him and saw he had been married 8 times and had 10.

[daisy60]

I vaguely remember the show Bronco but I remember Ty Hardin from several shows he did. He made the rounds in quite a few westerns.

[Tracy]

That was some birthname. I don't recall seeing him in much, but I too thought he was a handsome man.
I was just reading up and him and saw he had been married 8 times and had 10.

I saw that, too. It depends on the site you're reading. I do know that after acting, he went into the ministry, so eight wives seems a bit much.