Have Gun Will Travel (1957)
The Series
Have Gun Will Travel was a black and white Western series starring Richard Boone as Paladin, gun for hire. It debuted before Gunsmoke and ran for 6 seasons, from 1957 to 1963. The title refers to his "business" card: "Have Gun - Will Travel. Wire Paladin, San Francisco". The TV series spawned a radio show, starring John Dehner, in 1958.
I bought a Have Gun Will Travel video containing "Hey Boy" and "Genesis". It says Vol. 2, but no other videos of the series seem to be available currently. "Hey Boy" was voted one of the best 100 TV episodes by TV Guide, and concerns an Asian friend of Paladin's. All the Asian roles are played by Asians - quite refreshing for its time. "Genesis" tells the story of the origin of Paladin. Try Reel.com for episodes to buy.
The Episodes
Stevens played:
- Major Wilson in The Yuma Treasure, episode aired December 14, 1957 (season 1)
The plot: Paladin travels with cavalry major Wilson (Stevens) to negotiate a treaty with an Indian chief. The major turns out to have a hidden agenda ... Apparently one of the best episodes.
- Colonel Draco in The Eve of Saint Elmo, episode aired March 23, 1963 (season 6)
The plot: A crippled land owner hires Paladin to kill the man who shot him, while the religious people of the town pray for the violence to pass them by.
- Costigan in The Mountebank, episode aired August 3, 1963 (season 6)
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