This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

As a child I was fascinated by Paladin's use of a business card: Have Gun, Will Travel Wire San Francisco. The card made it's appearance in every episode of this classic western. Richard Boone as Paladin was a big city dude who loved fine wines, beautiful women and the opera. Once he received a job he transformed into the crusader dressed entirely in black. How cool was that! Paladin, who also carried a hidden Derringer, would travel just about anywhere west of the Mississippi to carry out his mission as the avenging knight. He could be in a mining camp in Neveda, up in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, or riding the lonely prairie of cattle country. Paladin was quick on the draw, but quicker to use his intellect to solve a problem.

If there was ever a western that verily defined an era, this was it. Remember that in the 50s westerns were a dime a dozen. Aaron Spelling, who fostered a Hollywood dynasty years later (Charlies Angels) broke into the game by selling TV a package of forgettable westerns that he produced so cheaply (in Ringo, for example, he made the lead actor sing his own theme song)that it was impossible NOT to make money. But this show was not of that ilk. HAVE GUN was different. The scripts, acting, direction, tone were all highbrow (for the day). Boone was an older, seasoned, actor who made this character his own and held his own with the young upstarts (think Clint Eastwood) of the day. Details were given care -- in one episode Boone suggests to an antagonist that he withdraw from the gunfight not only because he (Boone) is faster but because he has the better gun! (Boone's gun is rifled, with a longer barrel, making it more accurate but also potentially slowing the draw -- critics of the era used to joke that Boone had the slowest draw on network TV). In short, this excellent series is something that no producer currently grinding out a living in Hollywood will be able to resist trying to re-create, and therefore ruin. Only a matter of time.

This is one of the most engrossing half hour shows ever made. The viewer is drawn in by the interesting plots (often involving lurking danger for Paladin or others), but just as much by the character of Paladin himself.The show is set in the west after the Civil War. Paladin, magnificently portrayed by actor Richard Boone, is a well-to-do, erudite resident of a fine San Francisco hotel. Though he dresses in ruffles and frills, he is no dandy. His business card reads: Have Gun Will Travel. On the road, he dresses in cowboy gear, all black, and rides to distant parts of the west to do his job. When it will not interfere with a job, he is interested in the ladies and is no stranger to the use of fine wines and other alcoholic beverages. Hired by various persons in need, for the normal fee of $1000.00 (quite a large sum back then), Paladin goes out and tries to accomplish the goals of his patron. When he agrees with them, that is. If Paladin's moral sense is offended, he will turn on his patron.Paladin's symbol is the chess knight, and he is known for his chess-like strategies to outfox the opposition. He is reluctant in the extreme to use violence, and always tries to discourage its use. Yet, when required to save himself or others, he uses his main firearm and his small hidden one with great speed and accuracy. He is not bragging when he wants to discourage some fool from challenging him, by referencing his gun and saying, "This is a precision instrument. I am an expert in its use."Paladin displays considerable proficiency in using his fists, and shows manly self-confidence in virtually every situation. He protects the weak against the strong. As the closing theme song says, he is "a knight without armor in a savage land." Unlike other western heroes, Paladin, a West Point graduate who served in the Civil War, is highly educated. He is well familiar with history, military strategy, literature, science and the like, and will often call upon his encyclopedic knowledge to illustrate a point, or to find the right strategy when he faces a similar situation as one faced by someone else long ago.The show has interesting style. Paladin wears all black. He has an outline of a chess knight on his holster. The opening music is dramatic and somber, and involves Paladin running a line from the show, when he is trying to talk some sense into some fool or opponent. All the while, he takes out his gun, cocks it, and points it directly at the viewer. The closing song is lyrical and catchy. Do not be surprised if you find you are singing it to yourself.Other than the minor character Hey Boy (for a short time Hey Girl), who serves him at the hotel in San Francisco, Paladin is the only recurring character. He is strong enough to carry the show, most of which takes place in typical western locales.If you have never seen this show before, please do. You will be very pleasantly surprised. And, because the action takes place in the 1800s, it does not go out of date like some shows. Have Gun Will Travel is on my list of the very finest television shows ever.

In 1974, a Portuguese(!) cowboy from Rhode Island(!) named Victor De Costa won a federal court judgment in his second suit against CBS for trademark infringement, successfully litigating his assertion that he had created the Paladin character and the ideas used in the show -- which were somehow stolen by HGWT's producers. (Rather dubious since HGWT's original concept was that of a modern day globe-trotting detective.) He claimed he began billing himself as Paladin after an Italian man stood up at a horse show and called him a "paladino." He claimed he'd adopted the phrase "Have Gun, Will Travel" after someone shouted it at him while he was on a bucking bronco. At his appearances he always dressed in black, he handed out hundreds of HGWT business cards, and he even carried a concealed derringer. The physical resemblance between Mr. De Costa and Richard Boone was nothing less than striking.Although monetary damages were not immediately awarded, De Costa stood to gain a tidy sum, as court testimony indicated that HGWT had made more than $14 million for CBS (a titanic amount in the 1950's-60's), plus millions more in product licensing. A year later, a court of appeals overturned the lower court, ruling that the plaintiff had failed to prove that the public had been deceived -- i.e., there had been no likelihood of confusion in the minds of the public -- a necessary requirement for a suit over trademark infringement. However, De Costa kept pursuing his legal options, and in 1991 -- more than 30 years after his first lawsuit was originally filed -- he was awarded over 3 million dollars after quietly trademarking the Paladin character and business card in the late 70's. Unfortunately, Mr. De Costa passed away at the age of 83 before he could receive a single penny.(hgwt.com)