Have Gun - Will Travel (1957–1963)

Professional gunfighter Paladin was a West Point graduate who, after the Civil War, settled into San Francisco's Hotel Carlton were he awaited responses to his business card: over the ... See full summary »

Creators:

Herb Meadow, Sam Rolfe

Stars:

Richard Boone, Kam Tong, Hal Needham

Nominated for 5 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Richard Boone	...	Paladin (226 episodes, 1957-1963)
Kam Tong	...	Hey Boy (107 episodes, 1957-1963)

Storyline

Professional gunfighter Paladin was a West Point graduate who, after the Civil War, settled into San Francisco's Hotel Carlton were he awaited responses to his business card: over the picture of a chess knight "Have Gun, Will Travel ... Wire Paladin, San Francisco."

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Plot Keywords:

gunfighter | san francisco california | cult tv | cult tv | cult tv

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Genres:

Drama | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 September 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

El pistolero de San Francisco

Filming Locations:

Agua Dulce, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), Filmaster Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

25 min 25 min (226 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Trivia

Parts of the first season episode "The Colonel and the Lady" were filmed on sets used for the television show Gunsmoke. The Long Branch Saloon is very minimally redecorated to stand in for a saloon Paladin visits in a Nevada mining town. Shots of people walking the streets of the town were also taken from Gunsmoke.

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Quotes

Paladin: I don't think you got a very good look at this gun while you had it. The balance is perfect. This trigger responds to a pressure of one ounce. If you look carefully in the barrel you'll see the lines of the rifling. It's a rarity in a hand weapon. This gun was handcrafted to my specifications and I rarely draw it unless I mean to use it. Would you care for a demonstration?

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Connections

Referenced in The War at Home (1996)

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Soundtracks

"Ballad of Paladin"
By Johnny Western, Richard Boone, and Sam Rolfe
Sung by Johnny Western
Recorded by Johnny Western

User Reviews

Have Gun - Have Fun

I recently bought season one of "Have Gun - Will Travel" on DVD. I'm only twenty years old, but I've always had an interest in the golden age of television and westerns. I've never seen this show before purchasing it... but I've heard my father talking about it before and it sparked an interest.

Unlike "Gunsmoke" and "Bonanza", "Have Gun - Will Travel" is a lot darker (for it's time, especially) and a lot more in-depth - story-wise and moral-wise -- but not too dark, mind you. It's tasteful and holds important morals. Richard Boone, who plays the jack-of-all- trades hero Paladin, does a terrific job playing the classy scholar gun-for-hire who often quotes Shakespeare. The show relies more on character interaction and story, as opposed to the cliché gun slingin' and horse riding (although they are included tastefully into the story lines).

Overall, this is an extremely fun show. If you like the '50s Disney "Zorro", starring Guy Williams, than you'll love this. Amazing for any Western and Drama fan, too.

4.5/5, quality entertainment, writing, production and acting.