Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Have Gun -- Will Travel (1960)



Have Gun -- Will Travel, with Richard Boone in the title role as gunslinger for hire Paladin, was one of the most popular westerns of the late 1950s and is typically held in high regard as a thinking man's western, as is Boone's portrayal of the lead character. The show shot up to #4 in the ratings in its debut season of 1957-58 and peaked at #3 the next three years in a row. But the show was not originally conceived as a western: co-creator Sam Rolfe brought CBS the idea of a show based on a Manhattan private detective who consults out-of-town newspapers for possible cases. CBS was not interested in a private detective series at the time--they wanted a western. So Rolfe rewrote the series to base it in 1870s San Francisco, with Paladin being a gun for hire who consults out-of-town newspapers for possible jobs. Only by calendar year 1960, the series had pretty much exhausted the newspaper gimmick, and Paladin gets his assignments via letters or telegrams brought to him by Chinese servants Hey Boy (Kam Tong) and Hey Girl (Lisa Lu) at the Hotel Carlton where he lives. Or just as often someone shows up in the hotel lobby looking for Paladin, interrupting a game of chess, sumptuous meal, or romantic tryst with their urgent request for his services.

But Paladin is not your run-of-the-mill gunfighter. He is a man of refinement, dressing foppishly in a ruffled shirt and smoking jacket when lounging in his boudoir or in top hat and cape when escorting an attractive lady out on the town. He appreciates fine wine, art, literature (he is forever quoting Shakespeare), and is a master at chess, even befuddling traveling chess expert Professor Zimmerman in "Sanctuary" (December 31, 1960). In short, he is a dandy, much like Gene Barry's portrayal of Bat Masterson, who uses his gun only as a last resort, when other methods fail to resolve a crisis. But whereas Barry's Masterson comes off as a quick-witted lady's man in search of a good time and a fast buck, Boone's Paladin sees himself as something of a philosopher soldiering on in the name of justice. He turns down assassination assignments and will occasionally perform his duties for free when the principal is a lofty one. But in his crusade, he comes off as a bit of a snob, largely due to Boone's overacting, in which he feels compelled to register a response to everything he hears with some sort of facial expression--furrowed brows, sighs, rolling of the eyes, and so on, as if he is forever thinking, "Lord, what fools these mortals be." Boone was a devotee of the Method style of acting taught by Lee Strasberg and Sanford Meisner and fancied himself an expert in the craft, even leading an acting workshop for other actors while starring on Have Gun -- Will Travel, and after his turn at Paladin, for one season he hosted The Richard Boone Show, a drama anthology series with a different production and cast of characters every week but which used a limited stable of actors in each episode, like a theatrical repertory company. Boone was crushed when the series was canceled after its first year and moved with his wife to Hawaii to get away from Hollywood. But his performances on Have Gun -- Will Travel, at least in 1960, show an actor trying too hard to give serious weight to a character that probably would have benefited more from a Steve McQueen minimalist treatment.
 

By 1960, Boone was already looking forward to moving beyond the series, though it was at the peak of its popularity and making him a wealthy man. In the February 6, 1960 cover story of TV Guide, Boone is already counting down the days remaining on his contract, which still had another 18 months on it, so that he can move on to "real" dramatic pursuits, like directing (he directed 9 episodes of Have Gun in 1960) and acting on the stage. He says in the article that money is not his primary concern, but when his 5-year contract on Have Gun finally did expire, he was coaxed into a sixth year because the money was just too good. In hindsight, it was probably a good decision, as the short lifespan of The Richard Boone Show demonstrated that Boone the director and repertory leader had aspirations above his abilities. Likewise, his directorial efforts on Have Gun were hardly the best episodes in the series. In "Fight at Adobe Wells" (March 12, 1960), Paladin is hired by the wealthy Jonathan Guilder to protect him from half-Indian renegade Quanah Parker, whom Guilder thinks is trying to kill him, though Parker's motive isn't entirely clear--Guilder forecloses on poor farmers' lands, while Parker leads Indian attacks on the same farmers. In the end, Guilder dies by his own gun, followed by Parker giving a muddled speech about the white men one day owning all the Indian lands but the Indians remaining there in spirit. Then two prospective white settlers who want to rescue the harsh, arid Indian lands from their savage owners thank Paladin for helping them make the trip out west, to which he sarcastically replies, "You're welcome." Though perhaps the episode can be credited for a message ahead of its time--that Native Americans were more entitled to their land than greedy, paranoid white settlers--the heavy-handed way the message is delivered in a speech, along with Paladin's superior attitude toward members from both sides, comes of more like a sermon that a piece of dramatic art.

Boone's next directorial effort, "Ambush" (April 23, 1960), is likewise flawed. In this episode, Paladin is transporting a man named Blandings accused of theft. At a ferry waystation, they are taken prisoner by a man named Devereaux, who has also captured three other travelers. Devereaux is awaiting the arrival of his master Gunder, an old blind man traveling with his son in search of the killer of his prize worker Willie. For some unexplained reason, he apparently believes that anyone trying to travel on the ferry across the Strada River is a suspect. When Gunder asks his son Daniel to point out Willie's killer, Blandings panics and runs for the door, only to be shot dead by Devereaux. Gunder then accuses each of the other captives but when Daniel hesitates to identify any of them as the killer, it is clear that he is the one who killed Willie. After Paladin forces Daniel to confess, another captive tries to go for Gunder's gun, Devereaux shoots him as well, prompting Paladin to overturn a table and club Devereaux unconscious with a table leg.  Gunder and Daniel are immediately reconciled, presumably because Daniel says that Willie was stealing from them and coveted his mother, but travelers Carl the gambler and runaway wife Sarah Tinsley decide not to continue their journey together because Sarah takes it as a sign that they were not able to cross the Strada on their first try, as if this were some kind of omen. This decision doesn't make much sense, nor does the fact that Daniel never told his father about Willie's crimes but instead just killed him and led his father on a mad pursuit of a nonexistent criminal that resulted in the killing of innocent people. Of course, Boone didn't write the teleplay for this episode, but he exercised a fair amount of control over the series even when not directing, so it is possible that he could have had these flaws corrected if he had viewed them as such.

"Black Sheep" (April 30, 1960), another episode Boone directed, has more curious character motivations. Paladin is hired to find Ben Huttner, illegitimate son and sole heir of a $5 million estate. Though Huttner's Mexican girlfriend Chita does not want him to go back to Waco to stand trial for killing a man who spoke ill of his mother, a condition he must agree to in order to inherit the estate, Chita takes Paladin directly to where Huttner is hiding. Huttner at first believes the 2-3 years' jail time is a fair trade for $5 million, but after he is nearly hung when he turns himself in due to the machinations of his corrupt step-father, he is against the idea. Then Chita is accidentally shot dead by her brother, who is trying to kill Paladin, and afterwards Huttner flip-flops again and is ready to accompany Paladin back to Waco without any explanation of his sudden change of heart. Again, if Boone were such a devotee of the Method style of acting, realistic character motivation would seem to be an important goal of his productions. But this episode and others he directed seem rather unrealistic.

However, a few episodes avoid Boone's over-acting and unrealistic character behavior. Perhaps the best is "The Ledge" (February 13, 1960), which begins when Paladin comes up on a camping group of men pursuing a band of raiders and is asked to join them, when suddenly a man signals to them from a rocky cliff across a ravine, then is swept away by an avalanche. The rest of the episode deals with their attempts to determine whether the man is dead or can be rescued by rappelling down the ravine to haul him out. One of the men in the group is terrified of heights and does not want to rappel down the ravine but is eventually able to calm his fear by wearing a blindfold, while another member is quick to criticize others but is not willing to be a part of the rappelling effort himself if it means going down into the ravine. The episode also deals with the topic of mercy-killing, as one wealthy member of the group, Stebbins,  offers Paladin $1000 to shoot the fallen man, reasoning that if he is dead, the shot will do no harm, and if he is alive, he is probably so badly hurt that killing him would be doing him a favor. Stebbins also reasons that Paladin should have no qualms about shooting the man since he is a hired gun, but Paladin refuses and also refuses to leave the man lying there without first proving whether he is dead or alive. The episode demonstrates how easily men can take a callous attitude when someone else's life is at stake but often sing a different tune when it is theirs that is in jeopardy. Sadly, episodes with meaty topics like this one are few and far between.

The opening musical theme and title sequence is one of the least compelling in 1960s television. The halting, highly dramatic instrumental theme was composed by long-time Hitchcock collaborator Bernard Herrmann (see the post for The Twilight Zone) and sounds more appropriate for the Manhattan private detective originally conceived as the show's protagonist than for a western gunslinger. Coupled with the music is a shot of Boone in profile silhouette, who then wheels and draws his gun without revealing his face, still immersed in shadow. The camera then zooms in on the pawn chess piece that constitutes his logo emblazoned on his holster. The camera remains focused on the pointed gun and then the holster logo for what seems an interminable amount of time while the instrumental piece fizzles out, an odd waste of 45 seconds with very little to show for it. Some episodes have a snippet of dialogue from the upcoming episode while the camera stays focused on the Paladin logo. At the end of each episode is "The Ballad of Paladin" written and sung by actor Johnny Western, who wrote the song after hanging out on the set for the show and being intrigued by the character of Paladin. The song wasn't included in the closing credits until about half way through the first season. The version of the song included up through Season 3 was plaintive, slowly rolling, and sparsely arranged. But for Season 4, the producers obviously felt they needed to take things up a notch. Western re-recorded the song with a faster, galloping beat and a fuller arrangement. Other aspects of the show were likewise spruced up for Season 4, with Jerry Goldsmith being brought in to score a couple of episodes and Fred Steiner and Leith Stevens brought in for an episode each.

The first five seasons have been released on DVD by CBS/Paramount, with the sixth and final season planned for a May 7, 2013 release.







 

 

The Actors

Richard Boone

Richard Boone was born in Los Angeles, the son of a wealthy oil industry attorney and a direct descendent of Daniel Boone's brother, Squire Boone. Boone showed an interest in acting, as well as athletics, in high school, but even though he was accepted into Stanford University, he was thrown out when he and some fraternity brothers played a prank by putting a dummy in the road and then acting like one of their frat brothers had been killed when the first car came by and ran over the dummy. Unfortunately, Mrs. Herbert Hoover was in the car and was so distraught that she twisted her ankle, which led to Boone's expulsion. While still in college he won the light heavyweight intercollegiate boxing title. After being expelled from Stanford, Boone decided to give up on college and went to work in the oil fields before deciding he wanted to be a painter and joining a bohemian community, where he met his first wife. He served as an aerial gunner in the Navy during World War II and was even shot down over a remote Pacific Island, where he was forced to fight in hand-to-hand combat and kill Japanese enemies. After the war he moved to New York and studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse as well as the Actors Studio. He had a few appearances on Broadway and lots of early television work before finally landing a movie contract with Twentieth Century-Fox after appearing in Halls of Montezuma, a movie that also included Jack Webb in its cast. From there, Webb occasionally asked Boone to appear on his radio version of Dragnet and after playing a doctor in one episode he was cast in the lead role for the TV show Medic, which ran from 1954-56.

The role of Paladin on Have Gun -- Will Travel was originally offered to veteran western actor Randolph Scott, who was then working on a movie called The Tall T with Boone also in the cast. Scott discussed the proposed role with Boone but decided not to accept it, yet recommended Boone for it. At first the producers couldn't get past seeing Boone as a doctor due to his recent performance on Medic, but after he tested for the part and showed his horse-riding skills, he was cast as the show's star.

As mentioned above, Boone played Paladin for six seasons, finishing up in the spring of 1963. In the fall of that year, he got his wish to lead a drama anthology series with an established repertory of actors he liked, including a young Robert Blake, but the show was canceled after only one season, and Boone became disgusted with Hollywood and moved to Hawaii. He did occasional movie roles, such as in Hombre and The Kremlin Letter before returning to a regular TV role as craggy former gun-fighter and now sheriff Hec Ramsey from 1972-74. That would be his last TV role. He had a few more movie roles in the late 1970s, including John Wayne's The Shootist and the Robert Mitchum-led remake of The Big Sleep in 1978. He died of throat cancer at the age of 63 on January 10, 1981.

Kam Tong

Tong was a Chinese-American actor from San Francisco about whom not much is known, other than his role as Hey Boy on Have Gun and his many appearances, typically uncredited, playing various minor oriental characters in many movies and television shows, beginning with The General Died at Dawn in 1936 up until an appearance on The Big Valley in 1969, the year of his death at age 62. His biggest roles in the movies were in the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical The Flower Drum Song and the Jack Palance-Fernando Lamas karate exploitation flick Kill a Dragon. He appeared in his role as Hey Boy in 109 episodes of Have Gun, though he did little other than deliver messages to or act as a comic foil for Paladin.

Lisa Lu

Lu, born in Beijing, China in 1927, played the female counterpart to Kam Tong as Hey Girl in 21 episodes of Have Gun. Though her career also began with a series of forgettable, small stereotypical Asian roles, mostly on television beginning in 1958, she also appeared in four episodes as Miss Mandarin on the western series Yancy Derringer in 1958-59. Her career since Have Gun has included one-off appearances on TV shows like Hawaiian Eye, The Big Valley, and Mission: Impossible! as well as movies both in the States and in China, including Terror in the Wax Museum, The Last Emperor, The Joy Luck Club, and I Love Trouble. She most recently appeared in a Chinese version of Dangerous Liaisons in 2012.

Notable Guest Stars

Season 3, Episode 16, "The Prophet": Barney Phillips (Sgt. Ed Jacobs on the original Dragnet, Lt. Sam Geller on Johnny Midnight, Lt. Avery on The Brothers Brannagan, Doc Kaiser on 12 O'Clock High, Mike Golden on Dan August, and Fletcher Huff on The Betty White Show) plays government agent Major Leonard Ferber. Lorna Thayer (starred in The Beast With a Million Eyes and played the waitress in Five Easy Pieces) plays Serafina, Apache wife of an Army deserter. 

Season 3, Episode 17, "The Day of the Badman": Eleanor Audley (Mother Eunice Douglas on Green Acres and Mrs. Vincent on My ThreeSons) plays Cynthia Palmer, mother of a tenderfoot school teacher. Ollie O'Toole (Harvey the telegrapher on Gunsmoke) plays an unnamed hotel clerk. Sue Randall (shown on the left, played Miss Landers on Leave It to Beaver) plays school teacher Miss Ruth.

Season 3, Episode 18, "The Pledge": Robert Gist (appeared in The Stratton Story, Angel Face, Strangers on a Train, and Operation Petticoat and directed episodes of Peter Gunn, Naked City, and The Richard Boone Show) plays gun-runner Ike Brennan. Cyril Delevanti (Lucious Coin on Jefferson Drum) plays a messenger from the Speedy Messenger Service. Charles H. Gray (Officer Edwards on Highway Patrol, Pico McGuire on Gunslinger, and Clay Forrester on Rawhide) plays a cavalry lieutenant.

Season 3, Episode 19, "Jenny": Peter Leeds (shown on the right, played Tenner Smith on Trackdown) plays Wilson, a government agent pursuing Jenny. Phil Chambers (Sgt. Myles Magruder on The Gray Ghost and Jed Ransom on Lassie) plays another government agent named Matlock. Olan Soule (Aristotle "Tut" Jones on Captain Midnight, Ray Pinker on Dragnet (1952-59), and Fred Springer on Arnie) plays a hotel clerk. Bud Osborne (played stagecoach drivers in dozens of westerns and in episodes of The Cisco Kid, Annie Oakley, The Range Rider, Hopalong Cassidy, The Lone Ranger, The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Rescue 8, Zorro, Bronco, Law of the Plainsman, Johnny Ringo, Cheyenne, The Texan, Maverick, and Rawhide) plays a stagecoach driver. Trevor Bardette (starred in The Secret Code, Red River Valley, and Three Faces West and played Old Man Clanton on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays counterfeiter Carruthers. Quintin Sondergaard (Deputy Quint on Tombstone Territory) plays gunman Billy Wheeler.
Season 3, Episode 20, "Return to Fort Benjamin": Robert J. Wilke (Capt. Mendoza on Zorro) plays Fort Benjamin commander Major Blake. Charles Aidman (narrator on the 1985-87 version of The Twilight Zone) plays seemingly sympathetic Lt. Graham. 

Season 3, Episode 21, "The Night the Town Died": Vic Perrin (shown on the left, narrator on Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, was the control voice on The Outer Limits, and did voicework on Jonny Quest, Star Trek, Scooby Doo, Where Are You?, and Mission:Impossible!) plays Lime Creek store owner Mr. Frazier. Sally Singer (starred in Fanny Hill Meets Lady Chatterly) plays his daughter Penelope. Barney Phillips (see "The Prophet" above) plays Lime Creek resident Mr. Warren. Barry Cahill (Buck Vernon on The Waltons) plays returning convict Aaron Bell. Robert Stevenson (bartender Big Ed on Richard Drum and Marshall Hugh Strickland on Stagecoach West) plays Lime Creek Sheriff Howard. Mary Gregory (starred in Sleeper and Coming Home and played Dr. Stanwich on Knots Landing and Judge Pendelton on L.A. Law) plays his wife Frieda. Arthur Space (appeared in Black Beauty, The Cockeyed Miracle, and Target Earth and played Herbert Brown on National Velvet and Dr. Frank Weaver on Lassie) plays town blow-hard Sayer.

Season 3, Episode 22, "The Ledge": John Hoyt (starred in My Favorite Brunette, The Lady Gambles, and Blackboard Jungle and who played Grandpa Stanley Kanisky on Gimme a Break!) plays medical man Doc Stark. Richard Rust (Hank Tabor on Sam Benedict) plays Corey, a young man afraid of heights. 

Season 3, Episode 23, "The Lady on the Wall": Howard Petrie (Hugh Blaine on Bat Masterson) plays Bonanza bartender Jack Foster. Hank Patterson (shown on the right, played Fred Ziffel on Green Acres and Petticoat Junction and Hank on Gunsmoke) plays bar customer Rafe Adams. Ralph Moody (Doc Burrage on The Rifleman) plays bar customer Elmer Jansen. 

Season 3, Episode 24, "The Misguided Father": Harry Carey, Jr. (shown on the left, starred in Red River, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Mister Roberts, and The Searchers and played Bill Burnett on The Adventures of Spin and Marty) plays out-of-town Sheriff Stander. Douglas Kennedy (starred in Adventures of Don Juan, I Was an American Spy, and Jack McCall, Desperado and played Marshal Steve Donovan on Steve Donovan, Western Marshal and Sheriff Fred Madden on The Big Valley) plays timber mogul Wynn Loring. Hampton Fancher (Deputy Lon Gillis on Black Saddle and co-wrote the screenplay and was executive producer on Blade Runner) plays his son Keith. 

Season 3, Episode 25, "The Hatchet Man": Nolan Leary (Judge Baxter on Lassie) plays police Det. Insp. Clarence Magruder. Benson Fong (Ray Wong on My Three Sons) plays police collaborator Joe Tsin. Philip Ahn (Master Kan on Kung Fu) plays his father Hoo Yee. Lisa Lu (see biography above) plays his fiancee Li Hwa. Beal Wong (Grandpa Ling on Bachelor Father) plays a Chinese henchman out to kill Joe.

Season 3, Episode 26, "Fight at Adobe Wells": Ken Lynch (shown on the right, appeared in I Married a Monster From Outer Space, Anatomy of a Murder, and Dead Ringer and played Lt. Thomas Brand on Checkmate, Det. Lt. Tom Handley on Arrest and Trial, Lt. Barney Keller on Honey West, and Police Sgt. Grover on McCloud) plays wealthy Commodore Jonathan Guilder. Sandy Kenyon (Des Smith on Crunch and Des, Shep Baggott on The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, and Reverend Kathrun on Knots Landing) plays Indian hunter Rio Jones. 

Season 3, Episode 27, "The Gladiators": Dolores Donlon (Playboy Playmate of the month August 1957) plays southern belle Allison Windrom. Paul Cavanagh (starred in Tarzan and His Mate, Goin' to Town, The Scarlet Claw, and Humoresque and played Commissioner Morrison on Jungle Jim) plays her father. George N. Neise (Capitan Felipe Arrellanos on Zorro, Dr. Nat Wyndham on Wichita Town, and Colonel Thornton on McKeever & the Colonel) plays her former boyfriend Graham Beckley. James Coburn (shown on the left, starred in The Magnificent Seven, Charade, Our Man Flint, and In Like Flint and who played Jeff Durain on Klondike and Gregg Miles on Acapulco) plays hired gunslinger Bill Sledge.

Season 3, Episode 28, "Love of a Bad Woman": Lawrence Dobkin (Dutch Schultz on The Untouchables, the narrator on Naked City, Judge Saul Edelstein on L.A. Law, and Judge Stanely Pittman on Melrose Place) plays jilted husband Haskell Sommers. Geraldine Brooks (Angela Dumpling on The Dumplings) plays his wife Tamsen. Edwin Mills (the voice of Dr. Cornelius on the animated TV series Return to the Planet of the Apes) plays one of her suitors. Harry Landers (Dr. Ted Hoffman on Ben Casey) plays another suitor. Lillian Adams (Mrs. Pepperman on The Suite Life on Deck) plays the Sommers' maid. 

Season 3, Episode 29, "An International Affair": Henry Corden (shown on the right, played Carlo on The Count of Monte Cristo, Waxey Gordon on The Lawless Years, and Babbitt on The Monkees and did voicework on The Flintstones, Jonny Quest, The Atom Ant Show, The Banana Splits Adventure Hour and Return to the Planet of the Apes) plays Russian prince Alexei Romanov. Ziva Rodann (Queen Nefertiti on Batman) plays Hawaiian princess Mapuana. Oscar Beregi, Jr. (Joe Kulak on The Untouchables) plays ring-seeking Professor Jorgen Von Hengst. 

Season 3, Episode 30, "Lady With a Gun": Jack Weston (shown on the left, played Wilbur "Wormsey" Wormser on Red Brown of the Rocket Rangers, Chick Adams on My Sister Eileen, Walter Hathaway on The Hathaways, and Danny Zimmer on The Four Seasons) plays pursued husband Rudy Rossback. Ron Soble (Jim Fisk on Days of Our Lives and Dirty Jim on The Monroes) plays a sadistic hired gunman. 

Season 3, Episode 31, "Never Help the Devil": Jack Lambert (starred in The Harvey Girls, The Killers, and Kiss Me Deadly and who played Joshua Walcek on Riverboat) plays victorious duelist Doggie Kramer. Kelton Garwood (Beauregard O'Hanlon on Bourbon Street Beat and Percy Crump on Gunsmoke) plays a meddling townsman. 

Season 3, Episode 32, "Ambush": Ed Nelson (Michael Rossi on Peyton Place and Ward Fuller on The Silent Force) plays runaway gambler Carl. Hal Needham (Hollywood's highest-paid stuntman who invented numerous stunt devices, was a double for Richard Boone and Burt Reynolds, and directed Smokey and the Bandit, Hooper, and Cannonball Run) plays army trooper Morgan. George Macready (Martin Peyton on Peyton Place) plays vengeful blind rancher Gunder. Dan Barton (Det. Sgt. Burke on Dan Raven) plays his son Daniel. Alan Dexter (Frank Ferguson on Days of Our Lives) plays Gunder's henchman Devereaux.

Season 3, Episode 33, "Black Sheep": Patrick Wayne (shown on the right, son of John Wayne, starred in Mister Roberts, The Searchers, The Alamo, and McLintock! and played Howdy Lewis on Rounders and Lew Armitage on Shirley) plays illegitimate heir and fugitive Ben Huttner. Suzanne Lloyd (Raquel Toledano on Zorro) plays his girlfriend Chita Martinez. June Vincent (starred in Here Come the Co-Eds, The Creeper, and The WAC From Walla Walla) plays his step-mother Mrs. Duvoisin. Stacy Harris (Det. Vic Beaujac on N.O.P.D., John P. Clum on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, and Leslie Harrington on Return to Peyton Place) plays his step-father Major McNab. 

Season 3, Episode 34, "Full Circle": Raymond Hatton (starred in Oliver Twist (1916), The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Lord Jim, played Marshal Sandy Hopkins in 28 westerns and Rusty Joslin in 7 other westerns, and played The Mole on Dick Tracy) plays scheming old farmer Eph Trager. Hal Needham (see "Ambush" above) plays his son Emmet. Adam Williams (starred in Without Warning!, North by Northwest, and The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit) plays wrongly accused Simon Quill.

Season 3, Episode 35, "The Twins": Brian G. Hutton (directed Kelly's Heroes, Where Eagles Dare, and Sol Madrid) plays good twin Adam Marakian. Lane Chandler (Tom Pike on Lawman) plays the sheriff in Marakian's hometown. 

Season 3, Episode 36, "The Campaign of Billy Banjo": James Aubuchon (starred in The Silver Chalice, The Big Boodle, and The Love God? and played Urulu on McHale's Navy) plays Paladin's old friend Billy "Banjo" Jones. Rita Lynn (Ella Russo on The Detectives and Miss Kelly on Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) plays his wife Elise. Charles Davis (Tennyson on The Wild, Wild West) plays Jones' political rival Jansen. Hal Needham (see "Ambush" above) plays a wild cow hand.

Season 3, Episode 37, "Ransom": Denver Pyle (shown on the left, played Ben Thompson on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Gradnpa Tarleton on Tammy, Briscoe Darlingon The Andy Griffith Show, Buck Webb on The Doris Day Show, Mad Jack on The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, and Uncle Jesse on The Dukes of Hazzard) plays former Mexican ruler Celine. Robert H. Harris (Jake Goldberg on Molly and Raymond Schindler on The Court of Last Resort) plays Schermer, a man seeking Celine's treasure. Tom Palmer (Doc Stewart on Lawman) plays his partner Sutton. 

Season 3, Episode 38, "The Trial": Robert F. Simon (Dave Tabak on Saints and Sinners, Gen. Alfred Terry on Custer, Frank Stephens on Bewitched, Uncle Everett McPherson on Nancy, Capt. Rudy Olsen on The Streets of San Francisco, and J. Jonah Jameson on The Amazing Spiderman) plays Morgan Gibbs, father of a wanted man. Raymond Hatton (see "Full Circle" above) plays bounty hunter Perce Weber. Hal Smith (shown on the right, played Charlie Henderson on I Married Joan, Hickey on Jefferson Drum, Otis Campbell on The Andy Griffith Show, Engineer Taurus on Space Angel, and did voicework on The Flintstones, Scooby Doo, Where Are You?, The Fantastic Four, The Dukes, and The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh) plays a Santa Ynez hotel clerk. Harry Antrim (Judge Hooker on The Great Gildesleeve) plays a general store owner. Thomas E. Jackson (starred in Broadway, Little Caesar, and The Woman in the Window) plays Santa Ynez Doc RIchardson.

Season 3, Episode 39, "The Search": Wright King (played Ernest P. Duckweather on Johnny Jupiter and Jason Nichols on Wanted -- Dead orAlive) plays Lane Kilmer, brother of missing Martin Kilmer. Charles Aidman (Jeremy Pike on The Wild Wild West and was the narrator on the resurrected Twilight Zone from 1985-87) plays Harper City strongman Fred Harper. Perry Cook (Barney Udall on Hunter) plays preacher Fred Mosely. Peggy Rea (Rose Burton on The Waltons, Lulu Hogg on The Dukes of Hazzard, Ivy Baker on Step by Step, and Jean Kelly on Grace Under Fire) plays his wife.

Season 4, Episode 1, "The Fatalist": Robert Blake (shown on the left, played Mickey in over 30 Our Gang shorts and Little Beaver in 23 westerns, starred in Black Rose, Pork Chop Hill, The Purple Gang, In Cold Blood, Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here, and Electra Glide in Blue, and played Det. Tony Baretta on Baretta and Father Noah Rivers on Hell Town) plays two-bit gangster Smollet. Martin Gabel (starred in The Thief, Marnie, and Lady in Cement) plays Russian immigrant Nathan Shotness. 

Season 4, Episode 2, "Love's Young Dream": Ken Curtis (shown on the right, starred in Mister Roberts, The Searchers, and The Alamo and who played Festus on Gunsmoke, Jim Buckley on Ripcord, and Hoyt Coryell on The Yellow Rose) plays love-struck pelt scavenger Monk. Lorna Thayer (see "The Prophet" above) plays Baldelli's restaurant proprietor Augusta. Mike Mazurki (starred in Murder My Sweet, Dick Tracy (1945), and It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World and played Clon on It's About Time) plays restaurant bouncer Power. Cosmo Sardo (the unnamed bartender over 50 times on Bonanza) plays an unnamed barber. George Barrows (played gorillas on The Red Skelton Hour, The Addams Family, The Lucy Show, and The Jackie Gleason Show) plays a restaurant waiter.

Season 4, Episode 3, "A Head of Hair": George Kennedy (shown on the left, starred in Charade, The Sons of Katie Elder, The Dirty Dozen, Cool Hand Luke, and The Naked Gun and played MP Sgt. Kennedy on The Phil Silvers Show, Father Samuel Cavanuagh on Sarge, Bumper Morgan on The Blue Knight, and Carter McKay on Dallas) plays army fort commander Lt. John Bryson. Ben Johnson (starred in Shane, The Wild Bunch, Chisum, and The Getaway and played Sleeve on The Monroes) plays scout and former Sioux John Anderson. Olan Soule (see "Jenny" above) plays the Hotel Carlton manager. Trevor Bardette (see "Jenny" above) plays a Sioux chief. 

Season 4, Episode 4, "Out at the Old Ballpark": John Larch (starred in The Wrecking Crew, Play Misty for Me, and Dirty Harry and played Deputy District Attorney Jerry Miller on Arrest and Trial, Gerald Wilson on Dynasty, and Arlen & Atticus Ward on Dallas) plays Whiskey Slide baseball captain McNagle. J. Pat O'Malley (Judge Caleb Marsh on Black Saddle, Duffy on Frontier Circus, Harry Burns on My Favorite Martian, Mr. Bundy on Wendy and Me, Herbert Morrison on A Touch of Grace, and Bert Beasley on Maude) plays traveling baseball club manager Marcus Goodbaby. Jack Albertson (shown on the right, starred in Days of Wine and Roses, Kissin' Cousins, The Flim-Flam Man, and Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and played Lt. Harry Evans on The Thin Man, Walter Burton on Room for One More, Lt. Cmdr. Virgil Stoner on Ensign O'Toole, Paul Fenton on Mister Ed, and Ed Brown on Chico and the Man) plays Whiskey Slide Mayor Whiteside. 

Season 4, Episode 5, "Saturday Night": Martin Balsam (starred in 12 Angry Men, Psycho, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Catch-22 and played Dr. Milton Orliff on Doctor Kildare and Murray Klein on Archie Bunker's Place) plays small-town Marshal Jim Brock. Wesley Lau (shown on the left, played Lt. Andy Anderson on Perry Mason and Master Sgt. Jiggs on The Time Tunnel) plays sheep stealer Stub. Rudy Solari (Frank Martinez on Redigo and Casino on Garrison's Gorillas) plays sheep-herder Ramon Bagaras. Denny Miller (Duke Shannon on Wagon Train and Mike McCluskey on Mona McCluskey) plays Swedish sheep-worker Svenska. Terence de Marney (Case Thomas on Johnny Ringo and Counsellor Doone on Lorna Doone) plays incarcerated townsman Kip.

Season 4, Episode 6, "The Calf": Denver Pyle (see "Ransom"  above) plays belligerent landowner Advent. Parker Fennelly (Mr. Purdy on Headmaster) plays his neighbor Abraham Lee. Don Grady (shown on the right, played Robbie Douglas on My Three Sons) plays Lee's adopted son Lawson.

Season 4, Episode 7, "The Tender Gun": Jeannette Nolan (starred in Macbeth (1948), The Big Heat, Tribute to a Bad Man, and The Reluctant Astronaut, did voicework for Psycho, The Rescuers, and The Fox and the Hound, and played Annette Devereaux on Hotel de Paree and Holly Grainger on The Virginian) plays rambunctious widow Maude Smuggly. Tom Reese (starred in Taggart, The Money Trap, and Murderers' Row and played Sgt. Thomas Velie on Ellery Queen) plays land-grabber Yates. Don Keefer (starred in Death of a Salesman, Hellcats of the Navy, and Sleeper and played George on Angel) plays gun salesman Corcoran. Lou Antonio (Barney on The Snoop Sisters, Det. Sgt. Jack Ramsey on Dog and Cat, and Joseph Manucci on Makin' It and directed episodes of The Partridge Family, The Rockford Files, Chicago Hope, and Boston Legal) plays Yates henchman Ted Grieve. 

Season 4, Episode 8, "Killing of Jessie May": Robert Blake (see "The Fatalist" above) plays wanted killer Jessie May Turnbow. Barney Phillips (see "The Prophet" above) plays Joseph Ergo, trying to hire someone to kill Turnbow. Rayford Barnes (Ike Clanton on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays Ergo henchman Sim Lenzer. John Milford (Ike Clanton on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Corporal Kagey on The Lieutenant, Lt. Paul Hewitt on The Bold Ones: The Lawyers, and Capt. Dempsey on Enos) plays Abraham Sinclair, Turnbow's father's killer. William Talman (shown on the left, played Hamilton Burger on Perry Mason)  plays former bronco rider George Jondill. Hari Rhodes (Mike Makula on Daktari, D.A. William Washburn on The Bold Ones: The Protectors, and Mayor Dan Stoddard on Most Wanted) plays Jondill's partner Ansel James. 

Season 4, Episode 9, "Poker Fiend": Jack Weston (see "Lady With a Gun" above) plays poker addict John Paul Neal. Brett Somers (Blanche Somers-Madison on The Odd Couple and Gertrude Lade on The New Perry Mason) plays Sarah, a woman in love with Neal. Peter Falk (shown on the right, starred in Robin and the 7 Hoods, Murder by Death, and The Cheap Detective and played Daniel O'Brien on The Trials of O'Brien and Columbo on Columbo) plays poker pimp Waller. Warren Oates (starred in In the Heat of the Night, The Wild Bunch, and Stripes and played Ves Painter on Stoney Burke) plays poker player Harrison.

Season 4, Episode 10, "Crowbait": Russell Collins (starred in Niagra, Miss Sadie Thompson, Bad Day at Black Rock, and Fail-Safe) plays silver hunter Crowbait. Jacqueline Scott (starred in House of Women, Empire of the Ants, and Telefon and played Donna Kimble Taft on The Fugitive) plays his daughter Amanda. 

Season 4, Episode 11, "Marshal's Boy": Ken Lynch (see "Fight at Adobe Wells" above) plays Hobbs, NM Marshal Guy Lamport. Andrew Prine (shown on the left, starred in The Miracle Worker, The Devil's Brigade, Bandolero!, and Chisum and played Andy Guthrie on The Wide Country, Dr. Roger Helvick on Dr. Kildare, Timothy Pride on The Road West, Dan Costello on W.E.B., and Wayne/Wyatt Donnelly on Weird Science) plays his son Billy. Harry Carey, Jr. (see "The Misguided Father" above) plays Frank Gulley, whose son Billy shot. Sandra Warner (Pat Smith on Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) plays Paladin's dance partner. 

Season 4, Episode 12, "Fogg Bound": Patric Knowles (starred in The Adventures of Robin Hood, How Green Was My Valley, and The Wolf Man) plays world traveler Phileas Fogg. Peter Whitney (Sergeant Buck Sinclair on The Rough Riders and Lafe Crick on The Beverly Hillbillies) plays his nemesis Major Proctor. Arlene McQuade (Rosalie Goldberg on The Buick-Berle Show and The Goldbergs) plays Princess Aouda, whom Fogg rescued. 

Season 4, Episode 13, "The Legacy": Roy Barcroft (Col. Logan on The Adventures of Spin and Marty and Roy on Gunsmoke) plays posse member Judge Carter. Harry Carey, Jr. (see "The Misguided Father" above) plays banker Burton. Harry Lauter (Ranger Clay Morgan on Tales of the Texas Rangers, Atlasande on Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, and Jim Herrick on Waterfront) plays posse member Crawford. George Kennedy (see "A Head of Hair" above) plays accused killer Sam Tarnitzer. 

Season 4, Episode 14, "The Prisoner": Liam Sullivan (Major Mapoy on The Monroes, Dr. Joseph Lerner on The Young and the Restless, and Mr. Willis on Knots Landing) plays traveling New England Judge Bradford. Barry Kelley (starred in The Asphalt Jungle, The Manchurian Candidate, and The Love Bug and played Mr. Slocum on Pete and Gladys and Mr. Hergesheimer on Mister Ed) plays local Sheriff Carlton. 

Season 4, Episode 15, "The Montebank": Crahan Denton (starred in The Young Ones, The Parent Trap, and Birdman of Alcatraz and played Det. Tom Cleary on Brenner) plays traveling puppeteer Jack Burnaby. Denver Pyle (see "Ransom"  above) plays renowned Indian fighter Pawnee Croft. Peter Boone (son of Richard Boone) plays a young boy at Croft's fort.

Season 4, Episode 16, "Sanctuary": Albert Salmi (shown on the right, played Yadkin on Daniel Boone and Pete Ritter on Petrocelli) plays mission head Father Montalvo. Leo Gordon (Big Mike McComb on Maverick) Harkness, a man waiting outside the mission. Oscar Beregi, Jr. (see "An International Affair" above) plays chess expert Professor Zimmerman.

6 comments:

  1. I feel that the reviewer is too harsh in his judgement of Boone's acting and directing abilities. Boone brought the right degree of temperament to his acting and perfected the role of Paladin. The show would not have been such a success without him. It's interesting to learn so many details from this article, but the critical view of Boone seems a bit uncalled for.

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    1. I agree. Auther a bit harsh o. RB acting abilitys etc. Have fun was a great show with RBs fingerprints all over it. Good read anyhow.

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  2. Knight, knight, Paladin's chess piece logo is a knight. Look up the word "Paladin" in the dictionary and you will understand the connection. Also, "A knight without armor in a savage land . . ."

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  3. Where was the location shoot shown at the end of each episode?
    Thanks

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  4. I have been collecting DVD's of HGWT not only because of the quality of the show, but to watch
    what my late brother watched on Saturdays beginning in 1957.
    Albeit the series only lasted 6 seasons, I feel if Mr. Boone had wanted, he could have gone further.
    Idk if it would've surpassed or even stayed on CBS as long as Gunsmoke... But it was a good series, many diverse stories, multi-faceted, different situations,
    & we the audience look in interest to see how Paladin helps in varied situations.
    I've not seen all of them, but so far, I can respect & enjoy very good writing, producing, & directing.
    Ida Lupino to Richard Donner, Gene Roddenberry's writing, to Richard Boone's own vision.
    I naturally appreciated the diversity of Hari Rhodes,
    Odetta, & Ivan Dixon & others as guest stars.
    Quite the era for African-Americans as actors debuting on a Saturday night Western.
    I believe when Mr. Boone made the decision to end his run as Paladin, it had a lot to do with the use of firearms as a hero. He was a parent @that time, & made the call only he could live with.
    Being a parent, I understand completely.
    In any case, he made an indelible mark in Television History, he played him eloquent, educated, handsome, well trained, & dignified as only Richard Boone could. I love him as Paladin. I only wish I could tell him....

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  5. Richard Boone was ahead of his time, with regards to the insertion of actors of color....in particular,the episodes with Ivan Dixon and Odetta. He succeeded, at CBS. Parnell Roberts was cut from the same cloth, but unable to succeed, at NBC, in his attempt to bring Black actors to Bonanza. I will always wonder...if Walt Disney's painful disregard for appropriate portrayals of Blacks, contributed to NBC's decision to extinguish Mr. Roberts. After all, "The Wonderful World of Color," was competitive with Ed Sullivan, Ted Mack, etc....

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