13 Western Stars Who Died After Surgery

They survived stampedes, stunts and a thousand shootouts. What finally beat them was the one place that was supposed to save them. On May 13, 1961, the man who played Cochise went in for back surgery. Eleven years later to the day, Bonanza's Hoss Cartwright died after gallbladder surgery. In this video we look at the hospital statements, the lawsuits and the families' own words behind 13 western stars who went under the knife and never came home, including a superstar who checked into a Mexican clinic under a false name, the first Cisco Kid, and a family that took one of Hollywood's most famous hospitals to court. Featured in this video: 1. Rod Steiger — Oklahoma!, Run of the Arrow 2. John Derek — The Outcast, Run for Cover 3. Horst Buchholz — Chico, The Magnificent Seven 4. Ted Cassidy — Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 5. Marty Robbins — "El Paso", Ballad of a Gunfighter 6. Warner Baxter — the first Cisco Kid, In Old Arizona 7. Will Sampson — Ten Bears, The Outlaw Josey Wales 8. Jeffrey Hunter — The Searchers, Temple Houston 9. Bill Paxton — Tombstone, Hatfields & McCoys 10. Jeff Chandler — Cochise, Broken Arrow 11. Steve McQueen — Wanted: Dead or Alive, The Magnificent Seven 12. Lorne Greene — Ben Cartwright, Bonanza 13. Dan Blocker — Hoss Cartwright, Bonanza Which Cartwright meant the most to you: Ben, Hoss or Little Joe? Tell us in the comments, and subscribe to Hollywood Weekly for more true stories of classic western and TV legends. Note: This is a documentary-style retrospective drawn from obituaries, hospital statements, court filings and published biographies. Lawsuit claims are described as allegations; settlements are not admissions of fault. Nothing here is medical advice. #westerns #bonanza #classictv