Have Gun - Will Travel (1957-1963)

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    The Great Mojave Chase by Gene Roddenberry


    Here there be spoilers


    Have Camel - Will Race


    There's some humour in this episode as well as a lesson that wrongs can be righted without violence. In the volume of mail that was received by Richard Boone as the star of HGWT, teachers wrote to say that they recommended his series because he spoke proper English with correct grammar.


    A water baron sells precious H20 for $1 per gallon to the denizens of the Mojave desert. Paladin decides this is heinous and solicits the townspeople to employ his services to reclaim their water rights. Paladin bets $5,000 cash against the water rights on himself to win in the race across the Mojave Desert.


    Look for Claude Akins as a henchman for the water baron.


    Goofs: There's an editing error in this episode. When Dever looks out the door and sees Paladin outside he shouts, 'He's dropped the gun!' Then the cut shows Paladin mounting the camel holding the stakes and dropping his weapon.


    Paladin's Horse: A camel, Ezekiel


    Paladin's Gear: Concha black hat, black Western button down shirt, white tie, black pants, black holster with colt, derringer, regular Western saddle...the spurs have been abandoned. The necktie comes off, too.


    Paladin Shoots: At Billy Joe Kane, Water Baron, and his posse


    Forgot To Duck: 0


    Paladin Shoots: Holt


    Paladin Kills: No one in this episode


    Paladin Disarmed: Dropped his Colt


    Accumulated Kills: 1


    Total Kills: 1


    Winchester Quarantine
    by Herb Meadow


    Here there be spoilers



    Dude-dressed Paladin disembarks from a stagecoach in a town where two men are fighting in the dirt. The man being beaten is an Indian, Joseph Whitehorse. His horse has been killed by Joe Peavy. Paladin surreptitiously slips his business card into Mr Whitehorse's vest.


    Paladin befriends Mr Whitehorse as he's cleaning up at a spring. Paladin offers him a ride on his spare mount. Mr and Mrs Whitehorse's cattle are dying. Why? Paladin solves the mystery with Science!


    The focus of this tale is bigotry and hatred. McNally hates every Indian he sees because his father and brother were murdered by the Sioux 25 years previously. Mr Whitehorse and his wife are Cherokee and have nothing to do with McNally or his tragic past. Nevertheless, he still blames every Indian he meets for what happened so long ago. The plot is heavy-handed but the message may have required it at the time.


    Paladin's Horse: Dappled with a straight white blaze and white stockings on all legs. Since he came into town on the stage, it must be a rental, because it's not Curley. Perhaps a relative of Curley?


    Paladin's Gear: Concha black hat, black Western button down shirt, white tie, black pants, black holster with colt, derringer, regular Western saddle...no spurs.


    Paladin Shoots: 0


    Forgot To Duck: 0


    Paladin Shoots: Holt


    Paladin Kills: 0


    Total Accumulated Kills: 1


    Paladin Disarmed: 2

    A Matter of Ethics


    by Sam Rolfe & Herb Meadow


    Here there be spoilers


    Platinum wasn't generally available for the use or production of jewelry at the very end of the 19th Century. Even then it was a metal used for Kings and Emperors. However, in the Fifties and Sixties it was extremely popular with those who could afford it. Either Paladin had amazing taste and huge sacks of money or the writer had no clue about the history of platinum. Shall we blame it on the writer? True, platinum was discovered in the 18th century. Still, the point of the piece was for Paladin to possess it and to bestow it as he wished later in the series. This is a quibble.


    There's a rare scene inside a train carriage, although Paladin must often have traveled by train to arrive at his destinations so quickly. Stagecoach is his usual manner of transport after the horse. This is not the sole train scene but they are infrequent, perhaps because of staging costs. In later seasons another episode has train car scenes. and one takes place at a train station.


    Paladin is paid by a defendant to make certain he isn't lynched before he comes to his trial. Paladin carries a mysterious carpetbag containing what he says are 'the tools of his trade.' The somewhat weak plot hinges on the contents of that bag.


    Harold J Stone is the accused murderer, delivering a perfect performance. Look for a 26-year-old Angie Dickinson (looking younger) as Amy Bender. Strother Martin is the sleazy attorney Fred Coombs and one of the Jailbreak Team is portrayed by Robert Mitchum's younger brother, John Mitchum. These great actors do their best with what they've been given and they bring grade C material to a B+. Bravo!


    Paladin's Horse: None


    Paladin's Gear: Concha black hat, black Western button down shirt, white tie, black pants, black holster with colt, derringer, 'tools of his trade'= the Mysterious Bag.


    Paladin Shoots: Jailbreak Team 3


    Forgot To Duck: 0


    Paladin Disarmed: 2


    Paladin Shoots: 3 men


    Paladin Kills: Jailbreak Team 3


    Total Accumulated Kills: 4


    The Bride


    by Steve Fisher


    Here there be spoilers


    Sometimes a Damsel Doesn't Have Sense Enough To Know When She's Is In Distress



    At last the series is hitting its stride. RB is settling into the character of Paladin and the writing is improving. Boone knew Marian Seldes from acting school in the east and each was comfortable with the other's acting style.


    It's great to see Paladin's curmudgeonly side when he realises he must disembark from the stage to look after a stubborn woman who insists in stranding herself in the middle of the desert. Christie Smith claims to be plain but actor Marian Seldes is far too beautiful to be considered unattractive.


    The stubborn lady turns out to be a mail order bride and Paladin must see her safely to the ranch of her intended husband. The remainder of the story deals with the solution to the mystery of the man's failure to meet Ms Smith at the appointed place and time.


    Why didn't Paladin step on the tarantula? Why did he have to use the firewood log? Are tarantulas difficult to squash?


    Mike Connors and Bruce Gordon are the ersatz fiance and the real thing, respectively. Paladin helps to solve a mystery for the Bride.


    Marian Seldes was later on the faculty of Julliard from 1967 to 1991. Her students included Laura Linney, Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone and Kevin Spacey. She studied dance under Martha Graham. Boone liked to use up-and-coming new talent as guest stars in HGWT. A review of the list of guest stars indicates Boone had a good eye for talent.


    Paladin's Horse: Bay with crooked blaze and front white stockings on both legs


    Gear: Concha black hat, black Western button down shirt, white tie, black pants, black holster with colt, decorated Western saddle...the spurs have been abandoned.


    Shoots: Johnny Dart (Mike Connors) in the shoulder


    Kills: Not by Paladin


    Total Kills: 4


    We're burning moonlight.

    Edited once, last by Peridot ().

    Strange Vendetta


    written by Ken Kolb


    Here there be spoilers


    What's in the box?



    Hey Boy seems to be attempting to discover Paladin's business and employment. Has Paladin removed recently into the Carlton? Is it possible that this episode was filmed immediately after Three Bells to Perdito?


    Strange Vendetta paints a portrait of Paladin's life in San Francisco and some of his activities in town. Unfortunately the plot is weak and the subterfuge is simple to figure out by the sophisticated viewer of today.


    Things are not quite as they seem when Paladin is asked to accompany a body across the border at the request of a dying man. One observes that the stagecoach driver Timmons does most of the defensive firing when the border bandits attack. That seems peculiar within the context of driver and defender. Shouldn't the driver be driving while Paladin defends the coach? It isn't until after Timmons is killed that Paladin begins to return fire.


    Paladin's Horse: Stagecoach and 4


    Paladin's Gear: Tuxedo with ruffled shirt, concha black hat, black Western button down shirt, black pants, black holster with colt, single shot derringer, decorated Western saddle...no spurs, no necktie.


    Paladin Shoots: at Mexican border bandits, Miguel Rojas


    Paladin Kills: Manfred Holt, Jailbreak Team 3, Miguel Rojas


    Total Kills: 5




    We're burning moonlight.

    Edited once, last by Peridot ().

    High Wire



    written by Don Brinkley



    Here there be spoilers





    Paladin as Trickster



    Paladin attempts to help a man who has lost his nerve and confidence regain it. Strother Martin is brilliant as Dewey Delaware, a circus performer down on his luck. Someone certainly walked a rope across Salamander Canyon (or another high place) in this episode but it wasn't Martin. It's possible that Martin could have learned this skill. Martin was a championship diver and gymnast in college, according to Dobe Carrey's autobiography.


    Great to see both actors who played the role of Paladin in a single episode. John Dehner (Ben Marquette) was the first choice but he wasn't free to take the role so Richard Boone stepped in. HGWT was the first television series to have a hit radio series after it was a television show. Dehner took on the radio role for the two years HGWT was on the airwaves. At the end of the radio series, Paladin inherited and left San Francisco to go home, wherever that was for him. We never learned his name there, either.


    A treat is Buddy Baer in the role of Bolo, Marquette's large minion. At 6'7" Buddy is little brother to Max Baer and Uncle to Max Baer, Jr. They certainly grew them big in that family! It's not often that RB looks short on the screen, but Buddy Baer makes Boone look like a little guy.


    Paladin's Horse: Stagecoach


    Paladin's Gear: Black hat with concha trim, black Western button down shirt, black pants, black holster with colt, single shot derringer, decorated Western saddle.


    Paladin Shoots: no one


    Paladin Kills: Manfred Holt, Jailbreak Team 3, Miguel Rojas


    Total Kills: 5

    We're burning moonlight.

    Edited once, last by Peridot ().

    Show of Force


    written by Ken Kolb and Lee Erwin


    Here there be spoilers


    Do heroes always win?



    Veteran character actor Ned Glass makes his second of three appearances as Bernard, a poker player who tries to cheat Paladin by dumping 50 outdated rifles on him for a wager. Paladin finds a use for them and gets a payday for his trouble. Paladin faces the firing squad with great presence of mind and courage.


    No women appear in this episode. It's very much as the West must have been in certain places: dry and dusty with women thin on the ground. Bechdel Test: Fail.


    This episode has the feel of Gene Roddenberry but he is not credited. In later years he claimed to have been the head writer for HGWT. The producers are on record with the statement that there was no head writer for HGWT. Roddenberry's response was that the staff of writers all worked as script doctors and he did more than all put together. Nevertheless, the plot is extremely Roddenberry-esque, if the word can be forgiven. This is not the only episode that has the flavour of Roddenberry. There are more to come.


    Paladin's Horse: Buckboard drawn by two horses, a borrowed horse belonging to Valdez with wide white face blaze and white stockings on front legs


    Paladin's Gear: Black concha hat, black Western button down shirt, black pants, black holster with Colt


    Paladin Shoots: Martin's minion Russ in shoulder and another nameless minion


    Deaths: Everybody lives!


    Paladin's Total Kills: Manfred Holt, Anonymous Jailbreak Team 3, Miguel Rojas


    Total Kills: 5


    We're burning moonlight.

    Edited once, last by Peridot ().

    The Long Night


    written by Sam Rolfe, Herb Meadow


    Here there be spoilers


    A Tight Western Film Noir



    A jealous husband searches for the man he thinks is his dead wife's paramour. With no more evidence than the man's black clothes and colour of his horse, he detains Paladin and two others on the road. Overnight this man insists he will hang all three of them unless the guilty man confesses and submits to one of the three nooses dangling from the tree.


    Paladin, an excellent judge of character, soon solves a part of the mystery. Working with the other accused gentlemen, they fight back and all becomes clear at the end.


    Kent Smith gives a proper dodgy tone to the character of the jealous Louis Strome. Strome is a man who thinks his wife is another piece of property to which he holds title just as he owns his land. At the time a woman was legal chattel under the law as were her children. Treating a woman as such was considered bad taste in good society. Behind closed doors a man could do as he liked, as long as he didn't leave visible marks. Outside good society or with the very rich, as with Strome, the rules were different: there were none.


    When each of the three takes a turn at insisting that he is the man beloved by the dead woman, it's Emmy-worthy. Watch Boone closely when he steps up to be the fall guy for the madman. Was it he in the night, slipping away from her beauty?


    Paladin's Horse: Black with a white star and white boots on its rear hocks.


    Paladin's Gear: Black concha hat, black Western button down shirt open at the neck, black pants, black holster with Colt, a single shot derringer. The spurs are back in this episode, proving that it was shot earlier in sequence.


    Paladin Shoots: Strome's lackeys.


    Deaths: Strome's lackey.


    Paladin Kills: Strome's lackey


    Total Kills: 6


    We're burning moonlight.

    Edited once, last by Peridot ().

    Quote from The Ringo Kid

    Great suff on he series. Till yesterday, I have never seen any of the episodes-at least in full-except for a few that were played in 1980-81? when there was a channel called: CBN? Christian Broadcast Network, and all they played on Sundays were old Western TV shows and then in the afternoons to evenings-Western movies. I remember starting Sundays out with shows they played 2 episodes in a row of shows like; Sky King, The Cisco Kid, The Lone Ranger, The Rifleman, F Troop, Rin Tin Tin (which I never could get "in to" Wagon Train, Rawhide, and some others. Man I miss those days.


    All I had was a tiny B&W TV back then. Was it 19"? 15"? It was a wee thing. I kept it in the closet and brought it out for broadcasting I needed to see or wanted to watch. Without a den I disliked having a TV in the living room. Now I live in the same house again a flat-screen is less intrusive but I still dislike it. No den, what can one do?


    These days I have a 50" flat-screen in the bedroom. Only my closest friends know about that secret! :wink_smile: Still, I would have brought the babble box out of the (literal) closet for HGWT on Sundays had I but known! Don't tell anyone, but there's a 40" Sony Bravia in the closet right now. :ohmy: Shhh! I won't tell if you won't. :lol

    Thank you Peridot, for taking the time to distill these episodes. Really like your score card stats. Instead of RBIs - runs batted in, we have KBPs - killed by Paladin.



    We deal in lead, friend.

    3 more eps of: Have Gun Will Travel. Ill say one thing-this series sure had its fair share of Guest Stars. Ive seen many uncredited (at least in the opening credits in the part (on DvD) where you can go to see who the guest is that episode) for stars like: Claude Akins, Willis Bouchey, and so many others.

    Es Ist Verboten Mit Gefangenen In Einzelhaft Zu Sprechen..

    Quote from Gorch

    Thank you Peridot, for taking the time to distill these episodes. Really like your score card stats. Instead of RBIs - runs batted in, we have KBPs - killed by Paladin.



    We deal in lead, friend.



    You're welcome. It's a pleasure to post my reviews where they'll be read. I started out doing these a while back and I stopped somewhere in the first season. I'm glad to have a reason to finish.


    I wrote Hal Needham's son, David, and asked for episode titles where he appeared in the background as an extra. I'm waiting for his reply. I want to be certain to list him in those in which he appeared. I can't always spot him in the saloon crowd but I usually do see him there. I should be hearing back from him soon.

    Quote from The Ringo Kid

    3 more eps of: Have Gun Will Travel. Ill say one thing-this series sure had its fair share of Guest Stars. Ive seen many uncredited (at least in the opening credits in the part (on DvD) where you can go to see who the guest is that episode) for stars like: Claude Akins, Willis Bouchey, and so many others.


    Which did you like best? The first 20 or so weren't the best, except for those written by Roddenberry. The next I'll review is an interesting one with June Lockhart and Grant Withers as guest stars.

    Quote from Peridot

    Which did you like best? The first 20 or so weren't the best, except for those written by Roddenberry. The next I'll review is an interesting one with June Lockhart and Grant Withers as guest stars.



    Hi P/ So far I would say the ones i liked best that ive seen are most any after the first episode. They are well written and have a very good set of guest stars and such. Ep 2 w/ Charles Bronson was excellent, and the one following with Claude Akins was good but would have been better had Akins had more of a part in it. I dont remember which one that had Michael pate in it--but that was another very well made episode. Im on Disc 2 now-saw three more today and thought all three were at least a 9 of 10 if not a 10. The last one I saw had James Best, William Schallert in it and it was very well made. If the series gets better? I knwo ill be a huge fan of it.


    When I started out with Wanted Dead or Alive--I didnt expect much but--I swear--every episode till you get the the very last one--should rank no lower than an 8-9 on a scale of 10. The last one had Noah Berry Jr in it--and it was lame at best. Anyway, I also greatly enjoy Strother martin, and he has been in two episodes so far--one I saw today--and he was good--real good. Glad to see that he won an Oscar? for his role of the Warden in: Cool Hand Luke--he was good but underrated in my opinion.


    PS, your doing an excellent job posting about each episode-I never thought of doing it that way. I am still in the midst of posting my own take on every episode of Wanted Dead or Alive on another site and after that ill be doing every season of Daniel Boone-then most likely every episode of Have Gun...... Im also about to do all the COMBAT episodes.

    Es Ist Verboten Mit Gefangenen In Einzelhaft Zu Sprechen..

    I forgot to mention, that in the 3rd episode on disc 2--I noticed that Walter Brennan Jr, had the part of a Cowboy. I never knew he had a Son who dipped his boot into the acting pool. ;-))

    Es Ist Verboten Mit Gefangenen In Einzelhaft Zu Sprechen..

    Quote from The Ringo Kid

    Hi P/ So far I would say the ones i liked best that ive seen are most any after the first episode. They are well written and have a very good set of guest stars and such. Ep 2 w/ Charles Bronson was excellent, and the one following with Claude Akins was good but would have been better had Akins had more of a part in it. I dont remember which one that had Michael pate in it--but that was another very well made episode. Im on Disc 2 now-saw three more today and thought all three were at least a 9 of 10 if not a 10. The last one I saw had James Best, William Schallert in it and it was very well made. If the series gets better? I know ill be a huge fan of it.



    PS, your doing an excellent job posting about each episode-I never thought of doing it that way...



    Claude Akins was in The Mojave Chase, written by the great Gene Roddenberry. He was stepping up from extra roles at the time. There's no information whether he attended RB's acting school.


    The episode with James Best and William Schallert is called The Long Night. It's one of the best HGWT episodes IMO, containing the best acting and the best guest stars.


    :blush: That's very kind of you to say. It's labour of love.

    Hi P/ and thank you as well. also, ive always enjoyed James Best even as Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane ;-)) He's good and I also enjoy his Guitar playing. I just finished a great episode with June Lockhart as a Dr and Whit Bissell as a Store owner. The more of the show I see-the more I enjoy it. I also like how at the beginning intro part of each episode-he has a different introduction line-which is a line from each episode. i think in May-ill more than likely buy 1-2 more seasons and keep that up till I get the entire series.


    Im hoping to start getting more Westerns on DvD and will probably go for Maverick next.

    Es Ist Verboten Mit Gefangenen In Einzelhaft Zu Sprechen..

    Quote from The Ringo Kid

    The first 3 eps of disc 3 season 1 of: Have Gun Will Travel. The third ep was the first time they played the Paladin theme.



    It was written by Johnny Western as a thank you to Richard Boone and Andy McLacklaghlen (sp?) for the episode in which he guest-starred. The music was added retroactively to the earlier episodes. It was in the episode No Visitors.