Yancy Derringer (TV Series) Hell and High Water (1959) User Reviews

My favorite, so far

[mldardar · 9/10 · 26 February 2022]

I first watched Yancy Derringer when I was around 8 or 9, when reruns were on after I came back from school, so aside from him having a derringer--I had a cap one--& Pahoo, who only spoke in sign, I remember nothing else. I play Yancy with my little brother & neighbor boys.

So I started watching the episodes on YouTube last year, and this one is the best I've seen. Since there isn't much need for special effects, this one stands out showing the flood waters rushing river. And this one features Charles Bronson! He's an excaped prisoner, but gives an above average performance compared with other guest stars. This was around 8 years before his "Man With the Harmonica" character.

Hell and High Water

[Prismark10 · 9/10 · 14 November 2022]

I might have scoffed at this episode if I watched it before 2005. A levee collapsing in New Orleans is no laughing matter. Nor is Charles Bronson escaping from prison with a death wish.

Bronson plays Rogue Donovan, who has escaped and stolen a Gatling gun. He is on his way to New Orleans to get even with Yancy Darringer.

Meanwhile Darringer is aiding Commissioner John Colton to save New Orlean from being flooded. This means blowing up a levee upriver.

It would mean destroying Lady Charity's (Patricia Cutts) plantation and she is not going to stand for it. She shoots Colton on the leg.

Then Donovan turns up and takes Lady Charity and Colton in the house. The latter a hostage while the former becomes a willing ally.

In fact Lady Charity is more bloodthirsty than Donovan and does not give a darn as to what will happen to the townsfolk.

Patricia Cutts take on the ironically named Lady Charity would even make Lady Macbeth blush. It takes some doing to out tough Charles Bronson. At least his character gets a redemption arc.

These kind of shows are formulaic but once in a while you get a standout story. This is it.

It is strange to think that Patricia Cutts would later appear in the British soap opera Coronation Street before her untimely demise.