Have Gun Will Travel (1 Viewer)

TV Shows on DVD has the Artwork for S3, they say a late 2005 release I can't wait I just finished Season 2. I Just always Blow thru these sets, it's becomce my favorite series on DVD. Never having seen the series how does it hold up thru it's run ? 6 years is along time for a series (Even thou Gunsmoke and Bonanza lasted 20 Years they are exceptions) I understand at some point Heyboy leaves the show and returns Later? Can't wait for this set

I just started season 2 last night. It's good to know Paramount/CBS is planning to go forward with this series.

HGWT keeps up the quality all the way to the end seasons. Don't worry about that. In fact, in some ways it becomes even more fascinating, with more offbeat tales, and perhaps even a tad more violence.

I'll certainly pick up all forthcoming sets. It's quite a series; a big favorite. I just wish there were more old-time western/adventure/drama series of this ilk on dvd.

It seems kind of funny that the two western shows I have on DVD could almost be called "anti-westerns": Kung Fu and Have Gun. I'd like to have more traditional westerns in addition, particularly the good 'ol Warner westerns like Bronco, Cheyenne and Maverick. I'll take more like Have Gun, too, but I'm not expert enough to know what that would be.

Anyway, good to know Have Gun keeps it between the ditches throughout its run.

It's amazing how they can take the same formula in everyshow and keep it interesting. THey cram so much story in a 25 min Show it's amazing. I guess Wanted Dead or Alive or The Rifleman might be similar shows I like HGWT the best.

I'd also like to see some 60 min shows come out Like Big Valley, High Chapperal, The Virginian, Bonanza (Not those same Ten eps).

A lot of the success of HGWT has to do with the rich development of the main character of Paladin. As played by Richard Boone, Paladin broke the mold of the stereotypical cowboy as seen in most Westerns of the era.

Paladin was college- and military-educated, a graduate of West Point, schooled in the arts, culture, science, and religion, among others, a contemplative chess player who can rely on logic, an atypical gunslinger who relies more on his wits and sense of reason as much as he can depend on his custom-made pistols. He's also a jack-of-all-trades for hire as a bodyguard, hitman, bounty hunter, chaperone, or even a trusted friend who can earn your trust one minute and border on betraying it the next, who looks as dapper in a rich man's white suit as he does in black chaps and boots, and ever with an eye for the ladies. Not many series today can have such a fascinating leading character like Paladin.

And the caliber of writers back then were really schooled in telling human drama and filling the many episodes with rich background information. Writers like Gene Roddenberry were extremely proficient in their knowledge of the Old West, the military, and human emotion, among others.

The only drawback I've seen on S1 and S2 is its negative use of the Asian racial stereotype in the character of Hey Boy. All he pretty much does is fetch Paladin's bags and newspapers and say, "Yessir, Mister Paladin!" Even the name smacks of stereotypes. In a medium that would later have such rich and diverse Asian characters such as Hikaru Sulu (George Takei) on the original Star Trek and Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) on Star Trek: Voyager, you'd have thought that they would have really escaped the stereotype mold on HGWT with Hey Boy (and later in the series with Hey Girl).

A great series nonetheless, and I'm looking forward to S3-S6 when they come out!

That is basically how Orientals were treated in the 1800s when the series is set. To have depicted them otherwise would have been revisionist history and untrue to the era.

That's awesome news! It was about a year to the day between the releases of Seasons 1 & 2, I was dreading another year long wait for Season 3, that is if it would get released. I'm happy I won't have to wait that long. After this, three seasons left.

I would say Paladin's treatment of Hey Girl (played by Lisa Liu) was a little better than that of Hey Boy, probably a consequence of his culture and respect for women. Although I don't recall any outright derogatory behavior toward Hey Boy, just the stereotypical limitations of the role. HGWT does maintain its quality through the six seasons, and delves into some nontraditional themes for a western, such as religion and cultural differences.

I'm glad Paramount is moving along with this series at a good pace. Another one I hope gets released is Bat Masterson. Gene Barry was great in this role, similar to Paladin in being well educated and sophistocated. BM was an adult western, dealing with historical events like the Lincoln assassination and railroad construction in storylines that were well written and realistic.

One has to take into account when this series was made. Last night I cracked open one of my Benny Hill Sets. I had'nt seen Hill since the early 80's and then in edited syndicated form. I was amazed by the level of racist humor in that show given that it was made in the 70's.

Some might argue that Heyboy had a bigger role then Harry Kim did.

Frankly, I don’t think that we’ll see an official “Bat Masterson” release anytime soon on DVD. “Bat Masterson” was originally produced by ZIV, which was later acquired by United Artists, then MGM and, just recently by Sony. Sony has one of the worst track records when it comes to releasing vintage TV series on DVD, or should I say almost no track record . . . I don’t believe that they have released anything from the Fifties and, possibly, the Sixties save “Naked City,” which was actually released by the independent Image Entertainment.

There are a couple of “Bat Masterson” episodes that fell into the public domain (“The Fighter” and “Stampede at Tent City”) that can be found on some public domain Western TV compilations from the likes of Diamond Entertainment, Goodtimes, Brentwood, and Madacy, etc., but that’s probably all that we’re going to see for the near term, unless Sony decides to license the series out to an independent like Image.

I purchased both seasons of 'Have Gun Will Travel' never having seen episode prior to the box set releases. This is truly a gem of a show that easily stands the test of time. For writing and character depth, this is certainly an atypical Western series. I have the four box sets of 'The Rifleman' (why on Earth can't MPI release this on a season by season basis?) and the first season of 'Wanted: Dead or Alive' as well. I grew up on 'The Rifleman' so it is a nostalgic treat for me, but both it and 'Wanted' pale somewhat in comparison to HGWT for story and character complexity. This show to me has an almost 'mini-movie' feel, which is quite rare.

Thanks for the background info, Bob. I knew that Bat Masterson was a Ziv-United Artists title, but lost track of it when MGM acquired it. Now that Sony owns it, I agree our best hope is that some independent like Image acquires the rights to release it. Unfortunately, the same dim fate applies to Ziv classics like Sea Hunt, Ripcord, and Everglades.

Just a few comments here:

BONANZA was on TV in first-run for 14 seasons, not 20.

The Hey Boy character was basically a quiet man. The only episode that I recall to ever focus on him was "Hey Boy's Revenge" guest-starring Pernell Roberts. By the way, the actor who played Hey Boy got his own series, a detective drama called The Garland Touch, which lasted a few months after being retitled "Mr. Garland". He then went back to Have Gun, Will Travel for 2 more years, until it ended.

On BONANZA, Hop Sing was far more "racially incorrect" as portrayed by the late character actor Victor Sen Yung. Yet while BONANZA was in its third season, Victor also played a slick fast-talking conman character on Bachelor Father and friend of Peter's. Peter was Bentley Gregg's Chinese butler-- who was perhaps as stereotypical for the 1950s / early 60s as Hop Sing was to the 1860s / 70s. Using his real American voice, the occasionally seen Sen Yung was no pushover on John Forsythe's sitcom!

The best Hop Sing episode of BONANZA -- ever: "The Lonely Man" during the 13th season. The serious story had Hop Sing taking time off from the Ponderosa to go prospecting alone. He meets and falls for a white woman half his age. Their attempt to marry is met with opposition from the prejudiced people of Virginia City, who are against mixed marriages.

Michael Landon said in an interview years later that the Hop Sing character could never be portrayed that way on TV again.

Cool. I rather enjoyed the variety of stories told in season 2. can't wait for the season three release.

Hear Hear !!!! Bill....I certainly agree....especially S4...with "El Paso Stage" and "A Quiet Night in Town, Parts I and II". "Everyman" ain't bad either.

Buddy Ebsen and that wonderful script make "El Paso Stage" probably the best episode of the series.

I'm ready to buy Sea Hunt.



DG

I couldn't agree more. If The Rifleman was ever released in season sets I'd buy them in a heartbeat. Until that day comes, I just won't buy them.

My apologies....HGWT fans. The future of Season 4 doesn't look good for release any time in the near future.

Roy:

Other than the ever lengthening time between S3 and anything else, on what do you base this gloomy news?

PatH