This series was always well known, as was Boone. It was syndicated for many years and was always popular. I'd never seen it, as I was not old enough to watch it when it was first shown, and never bothered to catch it later. It was only recently that I began watching it, and I was shocked. It is an excellent example of the thirty-minute drama: no fat, just solid story, no time to waste, and is consistently well- written. The other reason I was shocked was the brilliance of Richard Boone. A student of Sanford Meisner and Elia Kazan, Boone was one of the finest actors and acting teachers of the twentieth century. He is remarkably subtle; like Gary Cooper, even the slightest facial move makes a difference in his performance. The character of Paladin is very much like Boone: a lover of art (he was a very gifted painter), poetry (which he wrote), music, women and Shakespeare (which he could quote at length). He directed several episodes of the series as well. It is a tragedy that because he smoked two-three packs of cigarettes a day, he died at too young an age. But his legacy mostly rests on over 200 half hours of this series, 86 of the series "Medic" (an early TV series about doctors), and 26 hour-long episodes of his own series on NBC after he decided to retire Paladin. That series has been difficult to see in the United States, and is ripe for rediscovery.
"Have Gun" has held up beautifully, and the entire series is on DVD (all of the episodes were once on VHS tape issued by Columbia House via subscription).
With all of this said, the quality of most of these DVDs is abysmal given that master negatives are available. These transfers probably date from the Columbia House era. When I see pristine copies of episodes of "Perry Mason, "Mission Impossible" and other vintage series and then compare them to the quality on these DVDs, it is sickening. And unfortunately, they will probably never be remastered given the marketplace. Should you still get these sets? Absolutely. This was one of the great television shows of any era, and many of the episodes could be remade today with the same scripts. However, there will never be another Richard Boone, and for him alone, these sets demand your attention.
"Have Gun" has held up beautifully, and the entire series is on DVD (all of the episodes were once on VHS tape issued by Columbia House via subscription).
With all of this said, the quality of most of these DVDs is abysmal given that master negatives are available. These transfers probably date from the Columbia House era. When I see pristine copies of episodes of "Perry Mason, "Mission Impossible" and other vintage series and then compare them to the quality on these DVDs, it is sickening. And unfortunately, they will probably never be remastered given the marketplace. Should you still get these sets? Absolutely. This was one of the great television shows of any era, and many of the episodes could be remade today with the same scripts. However, there will never be another Richard Boone, and for him alone, these sets demand your attention.