1959 saw the debut of some fairly intelligent TV Westerns, among them "Rawhide" and "Wanted:Dead or Alive". Though nominally a Western as well, "Yancy Derringer" took as it's base of operations the city of New Orleans, and it's hero lived up to every one of the characteristics mentioned in my summary line above. Short lived for only one season, the series produced thirty four episodes, so by current standards, that might have easily stretched into a three season run.
Yancy Derringer was portrayed by the athletic Jock Mahoney, a movie stunt man who had already starred in the early 1950's TV Western "Range Rider". He was ably assisted by his Pawnee friend and bodyguard, Pahoo-Ka-Ta-Wa, understatedly portrayed by actor X. Brands. Pahoo's name in Pawnee meant 'Wolf Who Stands in Water', and his presence was explained by the fact that he once saved Yancy's life, and now felt a responsibility for him. I could never figure out why that was the case instead of the other way around, but it made for some good adventures.
I liked the way the series gradually revealed it's continuity to the viewer in the early going. For example, the name of Madame Francine was first introduced in the third episode, but Frances Bergen didn't actually appear on screen until two shows later as the proprietor of Yancy's favorite gambling house. Other series regulars included Kevin Hagen as the appointed administrator of New Orleans, John Colton, and Richard Devon as the street wise pickpocket Jody Barker. For comic relief, you could count on Larry Blake as the local jailer, keeper of the keys, master of the damp wall and crown prince of the calaboose. Blake had his hands full keeping Yancy's incarcerations as pleasant, if not as profitable as possible.
The show also featured a number of recurring guest stars, like Claude Akins as the scoundrel Toby Cook, Beverly Garland as bayou siren Coco LaSalle, and Kelly Thordsen as mountaineer Colorado Charlie. Jock Mahoney's wife Margaret Field, billed as Maggie Mahoney, also appeared in a number of stories as the niece of Administrator Colton. Perhaps the most unusual casting for a series guest was that of Nick Adams in the role of a Russian Count in "The Night the Russians Landed". One of the elements that kept the show interesting was the way real historical figures were woven into the story lines, like Alfred Nobel (inventor of dynamite after whom the Nobel Peace Prize was named), General George Custer, and famed Civil War photographer Matthew Brady.
I guess my favorite episode would have to be "Fire on the Frontier" in which Pahoo travels East to Washington, DC to represent his people before Congress. With Yancy as interpreter, Pahoo asks for military forces to help the Pawnee against attacks by the Cheyenne, as was established by the Table Creek Treaty. The name of Pahoo's father was revealed in the story as 'Moon on Pools of Water'.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the show in general was the unique friendship shared between Yancy and his bodyguard. Yancy always treated Pahoo with respect as an equal, and even though he didn't talk, Pahoo was exceptionally conversant with sign language, much more than Tonto ever was as the Lone Ranger's sidekick. One episode in particular demonstrated how much in tune the two heroes were; once with his back to Pahoo, Yancy caught Pahoo's dagger thrown from behind in order to make a point with an adversary. Going one better, another time Yancy answered Pahoo talking in sign language, while facing in a different direction! Usually ad-libbed, it was touches like these that made the show even more enjoyable.
Yancy Derringer was portrayed by the athletic Jock Mahoney, a movie stunt man who had already starred in the early 1950's TV Western "Range Rider". He was ably assisted by his Pawnee friend and bodyguard, Pahoo-Ka-Ta-Wa, understatedly portrayed by actor X. Brands. Pahoo's name in Pawnee meant 'Wolf Who Stands in Water', and his presence was explained by the fact that he once saved Yancy's life, and now felt a responsibility for him. I could never figure out why that was the case instead of the other way around, but it made for some good adventures.
I liked the way the series gradually revealed it's continuity to the viewer in the early going. For example, the name of Madame Francine was first introduced in the third episode, but Frances Bergen didn't actually appear on screen until two shows later as the proprietor of Yancy's favorite gambling house. Other series regulars included Kevin Hagen as the appointed administrator of New Orleans, John Colton, and Richard Devon as the street wise pickpocket Jody Barker. For comic relief, you could count on Larry Blake as the local jailer, keeper of the keys, master of the damp wall and crown prince of the calaboose. Blake had his hands full keeping Yancy's incarcerations as pleasant, if not as profitable as possible.
The show also featured a number of recurring guest stars, like Claude Akins as the scoundrel Toby Cook, Beverly Garland as bayou siren Coco LaSalle, and Kelly Thordsen as mountaineer Colorado Charlie. Jock Mahoney's wife Margaret Field, billed as Maggie Mahoney, also appeared in a number of stories as the niece of Administrator Colton. Perhaps the most unusual casting for a series guest was that of Nick Adams in the role of a Russian Count in "The Night the Russians Landed". One of the elements that kept the show interesting was the way real historical figures were woven into the story lines, like Alfred Nobel (inventor of dynamite after whom the Nobel Peace Prize was named), General George Custer, and famed Civil War photographer Matthew Brady.
I guess my favorite episode would have to be "Fire on the Frontier" in which Pahoo travels East to Washington, DC to represent his people before Congress. With Yancy as interpreter, Pahoo asks for military forces to help the Pawnee against attacks by the Cheyenne, as was established by the Table Creek Treaty. The name of Pahoo's father was revealed in the story as 'Moon on Pools of Water'.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the show in general was the unique friendship shared between Yancy and his bodyguard. Yancy always treated Pahoo with respect as an equal, and even though he didn't talk, Pahoo was exceptionally conversant with sign language, much more than Tonto ever was as the Lone Ranger's sidekick. One episode in particular demonstrated how much in tune the two heroes were; once with his back to Pahoo, Yancy caught Pahoo's dagger thrown from behind in order to make a point with an adversary. Going one better, another time Yancy answered Pahoo talking in sign language, while facing in a different direction! Usually ad-libbed, it was touches like these that made the show even more enjoyable.