[.ca] Have Gun Will Travel: Season 1

From Amazon.com:
The first season of Have Gun--Will Travel makes it easy to see why this Western series was an overnight success. Making its debut on September 14, 1957, the half-hour show ranked no. 4 in the ratings for its entire first season, which ran almost completely uninterrupted (minus a one-week preemption) until June of 1958--a punishing schedule unheard of in present-day television. (It ranked even higher in subsequent seasons, holding the no. 3 spot, behind Gunsmoke and Wagon Train.) Richard Boone was perfectly cast in the lead role of Paladin, a cultured gunslinger whose West Point education, impeccable style, literate sophistication, and distinguished Civil War service made him unique among Western heroes, and the prototype for many dashing figures to follow. Based in San Francisco's ritzy Carlton Hotel, he scans newspapers to locate trouble throughout the wild West, then cagily markets his services (via his legendary calling card, "Have Gun--Will Travel") as a hired gun, moral arbiter, voice of reason, and reluctant killer of badmen. Understanding the complexities of frontier justice, Paladin (whose full name is never revealed) could turn on those who hired him if he suspected dubious motivations. He wore black, but he traveled in an ethical gray zone. Running about 25 minutes each, these 39 episodes are consistently good and economically plotted, since Have Gun boasted stellar talent on both sides of the camera. Each episode began with the memorable theme by legendary film composer Bernard Herrmann, and most of the first season was directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, who worked regularly on Gunsmoke, Rawhide, and Perry Mason before graduating to a prolific big-screen career. Regular writers included Gene Roddenberry (who created Star Trek six years later), and budding maverick Sam Peckinpah co-wrote episode #22, "The Singer." In addition to series regular Kam Tong as Paladin's Chinese-American manservant Hey Boy (a "Coolie" stereotype, but Tong handles it with dignity, especially in "Hey Boy's Revenge"), Have Gun offered a who's-who of 1950s and '60s guest stars, from genre stalwarts like Victor McLaglen (Andrew's father), John Carradine, Strother Martin, and R.G. Armstrong, to promising newcomers like Angie Dickinson, Warren Oates, and Charles Bronson (the last starring in "The Outlaw," one of the season's finest episodes). Each episode is accompanied by background information and guest-star profiles, and while picture quality is quite good overall, the audio quality suffers from a low-level mix with noticeable hiss from aged source materials. Fortunately, this won't prevent anyone from enjoying a first-rate TV series that thrived for another five seasons, until cancellation in 1963. --Jeff Shannon

A Classic Western with Boone firmly in control:
Richard Boone was one of the most natural actors ever to grace the screen. Good guys, bad guys, he did them all with such a grace and ease that he made it seem so effortless. Paladin was a product of the post-Civil War. A West Point Graduate, he was an educated man, a man who appreciated literature, opera, culture. So it was not surprising he settled in San Franscisco after the war. Though a man of refinement, he made his living by hiring his gun out to those in need. He passed his little cards around - "Have Gun, Will Travel. Wire Paladin, San Fransisco" and waited for clients to find him. While a cultured man, he was just as comfortable in the deadly knight errant persona, the man in black. Boone excelled at making you believe both sides could exist within one man. While he was a hired gun, he often spent more time talking to people making them listen to reason. A loved all these Westerns. Have enjoyed the reruns on TVLand, Starz Westerns, and the Hallmark Channel. But so many of the old Westerns don't hold up well. I was surprised how well Rawhide and Have Gun, Will Travel hold their quality. So these are a super addition to any video maven's collection. Sadly, I don't think Boone ever got the true recognition his talent deserved, but those of us who appreciated him can now watch his talent shine.

well worth the purchase:
I was not around to see this show when it was on television. It is a real treat to see it now for the first time. The shows are really efficient in the way they are laid out. They fit a lot of story in less than 30 minutes. I have always been a fan of television westerns, and they are rarely shown in my part of Canada. Even our western channel does not show the really good western shows. My favourate was gunsmoke,it hasn't been shown for years. I hope the have gun will travel series sells well and they release more seasons, and this leads to other TV westerns being released. With gunsmoke and its 20 seasons it could be an expensive collection. I am hoping to see box sets of the best of gunsmoke ,the colour episodes are my favourites. But for now I will enjoy my have gun will travel set and look forward to more of this and other quality television westerns.

Classic western with Boone firmly in control:
Richard Boone was one of the most natural actors ever to grace the screen. Good guys, bad guys, he did them all with such a grace and ease that he made it seem so effortless. Paladin was a product of the post-Civil War. A West Point Graduate, he was an educated man, a man who appreciated literature, opera, culture. So it was not surprising he settled in San Franscisco after the war. Though a man of refinement, he made his living by hiring his gun out to those in need. He passed his little cards around - "Have Gun, Will Travel. Wire Paladin, San Fransisco" and waited for clients to find him. While a cultured man, he was just as comfortable in the deadly knight errant persona, the man in black. Boone excelled at making you believe both sides could exist within one man. While he was a hired gun, he often spent more time talking to people making them listen to reason. A loved all these Westerns. Have enjoyed the reruns on TVLand, Starz Westerns, and the Hallmark Channel. But so many of the old Westerns don't hold up well. I was surprised how well Rawhide and Have Gun, Will Travel hold their quality. So these are a super addition to any video maven's collection. Sadly, I don't think Boone ever got the true recognition his talent deserved, but those of us who appreciated him can now watch his talent shine.

"A soldier of fortune...":
"...is the man called Paladin." Many times one has fond memories of the older TV programs. When they are finally distributed and bought, it is a shocker to find that they are sophomoric or just long cigarette commercials. Well this time you will not be disappointed. Each episode must find a conflict and solve it in an extraordinarily short time. Each with a moral and still maintain the entertainment value. One of the ways this is accomplished is the use of a wide spectrum of writers; many of the stories are adoptions of classics or became classics of other programs and/or movies. Each episode is accompanied by a synopses of the story, which by the way is very well done and points out the purpose of the story. Also each episode has a small but interesting biography of the main actors. One of the finer points of this series is that there usually is no clear cut hero or villain as the characters and themes of the stories are as complete as many ancient myths. We can see virtues and faults in everyone and many times there is no such thing as a clear-cut winner or loser. Paladin (Richard Boone), a well chosen name as on a chess board there are many moves available, lives in San Francisco and most people assumes he has investments all over the west as he is taking frequent trips to protect them. We know different as "Have Gun Will Travel" he makes his fortune on his many skills. Every once in a while we get a gimps of his past as we know he went to West Point and can quote many ancient writings and wars. He has an uncanny way of knowing what the meanings of names are. Yet who ever he really is many people are better off for knowing him. And so are we. A side benefit is recognizing the list of star (actors) and stars in the making.

Here is some trivia you may not know . . .:
The first season of HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL is a gem. Unlike the rest of the seasons, the first season was more western. Future seasons played more for drama in a western setting. Here, cattle rustlers, land grabbers and vengeful saloon women are at their worst. "Hey Boy's Revenge" which is included with this set was voted by TV GUIDE as one of the 100 best TV shows ever filmed. "The Great Mojave Chase" is unique in that the central character is a camel. In "The O'Hare Story," you'll see Andrew McLaglen's father play a lead. Andy was the director of more HGWT episodes than any other director. In "The Return of Dr. Thackeray," Johnny Western plays the role of a young punk who tries to out duel Paladin and gets wounded in the arm. Western would compose a musical "thank you" card which later became the theme song. One slight notice - the theme song "Ballad of Paladin" was the closing theme beginning with the second season. A few episodes in this pack have that closing theme which means some are not initial airings (the theme was included in the closing credits meant they are summer reruns after the second season but who's picky?) One recommendation: buy THE HAVE GUN - WILL TRAVEL COMPANION by Les Rayburn and Martin Grams on Amazon.com here, it'll give you TONS of trivia like I mentioned above, and makes a great companion piece with the DVD seasons. Besides, this box set doesn't give this kind of trivia - so you have to buy the book AND the gift set.