HAVE GUN - WILL TRAVEL "The Bride" 1957
HAVE GUN – WILL TRAVEL was a Western series that ran on television between 1957 and 1963. The series was very popular and was always in the top ten of the television ratings. The series ran for a total of 225 episodes. Richard Boone headlines as "Paladin", a gun for hire, if the cause is right. Working out of San Francisco, Boone places ads in newspapers offering his services. $1,000 and he is your man. While handy with a gun or fists, he tries to settle the problem without violence. (Not very successfully as a general rule)
In this episode, the sixth of the series, Boone is on a stagecoach crossing a particularly hot part of a desert. The only other passenger is Marion Seldes. The stagecoach stops in the middle of nowhere and Miss Seldes exits. Boone is rather surprised since there is no town, stage way station or anything besides desert and rocks.
Boone, being ever so gallant, grabs his saddle and unties his horse from the back of the stage. He will stay till someone shows to pick up the young woman. Boone rigs a bit of shade cover, and the pair hide from the heat of the day. Hours go by and nobody shows to pick Seldes up.
Seldes admits that she is a mail order bride and was to meet her intended at the stage drop off. She does have a set of directions to her soon to be husband's ranch.
Boone saddles up the horse and the two head for the ranch. About an hour later someone starts shooting at them from some rocks. Boone and Seldes dive for cover and wait. The shooting stops and the pair ride on. They soon come up on the ranch but find nobody about.
Seldes cooks them up a meal while they wait for Seldes' intended. A man, Mike Connors, soon rides up. Connors says he is the husband to be. Seldes had only communicated by letter and did not have a photograph. Boone can't be sure, hut he thinks he smells a rat in the old cheese cupboard. He wishes them good luck anyways, then ides off towards the nearest town.
A while later Boone rides up on the body of a dead man. Nearby is a badly wounded, Bruce Gordon. Gordon it seems is the real man Seldes is to marry. Gordon and his ranch hand had been in town selling cattle to pay for a big wedding. Connors had overheard the plans and bushwhacked Gordon and company for the bankroll. Connors had then headed to Gordon's in order to grab anything of value that might be there.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, (Always wanted to say that) Seldes has tumbled to the fact that Connors is not the right man. She goes out to draw a bucket of water and bolts into the night. Boone by this time has returned with the wounded Gordon to the ranch. He has Gordon stashed in the barn. Boone grabs Seldes as she runs by and pulls her inside the barn. Seldes and Gordon are introduced while Boone decides how to deal with the swine, Connors.
Connors is soon outside looking for Seldes. Needless to say there is a brisk exchange of lead with Connors collecting a round in the shoulder. Gordon is moved into the house to recover under Seldes' care. It had been Connors shooting at them from the rocks. He had wanted to eliminate Seldes. He had not expected Boone to be there. Boone ties Connors to a horse for delivery to John Law.
The direction is by Andrew V. McLaglen.
A pretty entertaining episode all around with cast and crew shining. Of note here, is the writer of the episode, Steve Fisher. The one time Oscar nominated, Fisher, was involved in the story or screenplay for over 100 films and television episodes. These include, I WAKE UP SCREAMING (novel) DESTINATION TOKYO, LADY IN THE LAKE, DEAD RECKONING, JOHNNY ANGEL, ROADBLOCK, TOKYO JOE, VICKI, THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS, THE MAN FROM THE ALAMO, SAN ANTONE, HELL'S HALF ACRE, THE RESTLESS BREED, NOOSE FOR GUNMAN and I MOBSTER.
HAVE GUN – WILL TRAVEL was a Western series that ran on television between 1957 and 1963. The series was very popular and was always in the top ten of the television ratings. The series ran for a total of 225 episodes. Richard Boone headlines as "Paladin", a gun for hire, if the cause is right. Working out of San Francisco, Boone places ads in newspapers offering his services. $1,000 and he is your man. While handy with a gun or fists, he tries to settle the problem without violence. (Not very successfully as a general rule)
In this episode, the sixth of the series, Boone is on a stagecoach crossing a particularly hot part of a desert. The only other passenger is Marion Seldes. The stagecoach stops in the middle of nowhere and Miss Seldes exits. Boone is rather surprised since there is no town, stage way station or anything besides desert and rocks.
Boone, being ever so gallant, grabs his saddle and unties his horse from the back of the stage. He will stay till someone shows to pick up the young woman. Boone rigs a bit of shade cover, and the pair hide from the heat of the day. Hours go by and nobody shows to pick Seldes up.
Seldes admits that she is a mail order bride and was to meet her intended at the stage drop off. She does have a set of directions to her soon to be husband's ranch.
Boone saddles up the horse and the two head for the ranch. About an hour later someone starts shooting at them from some rocks. Boone and Seldes dive for cover and wait. The shooting stops and the pair ride on. They soon come up on the ranch but find nobody about.
Seldes cooks them up a meal while they wait for Seldes' intended. A man, Mike Connors, soon rides up. Connors says he is the husband to be. Seldes had only communicated by letter and did not have a photograph. Boone can't be sure, hut he thinks he smells a rat in the old cheese cupboard. He wishes them good luck anyways, then ides off towards the nearest town.
A while later Boone rides up on the body of a dead man. Nearby is a badly wounded, Bruce Gordon. Gordon it seems is the real man Seldes is to marry. Gordon and his ranch hand had been in town selling cattle to pay for a big wedding. Connors had overheard the plans and bushwhacked Gordon and company for the bankroll. Connors had then headed to Gordon's in order to grab anything of value that might be there.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, (Always wanted to say that) Seldes has tumbled to the fact that Connors is not the right man. She goes out to draw a bucket of water and bolts into the night. Boone by this time has returned with the wounded Gordon to the ranch. He has Gordon stashed in the barn. Boone grabs Seldes as she runs by and pulls her inside the barn. Seldes and Gordon are introduced while Boone decides how to deal with the swine, Connors.
Connors is soon outside looking for Seldes. Needless to say there is a brisk exchange of lead with Connors collecting a round in the shoulder. Gordon is moved into the house to recover under Seldes' care. It had been Connors shooting at them from the rocks. He had wanted to eliminate Seldes. He had not expected Boone to be there. Boone ties Connors to a horse for delivery to John Law.
The direction is by Andrew V. McLaglen.
A pretty entertaining episode all around with cast and crew shining. Of note here, is the writer of the episode, Steve Fisher. The one time Oscar nominated, Fisher, was involved in the story or screenplay for over 100 films and television episodes. These include, I WAKE UP SCREAMING (novel) DESTINATION TOKYO, LADY IN THE LAKE, DEAD RECKONING, JOHNNY ANGEL, ROADBLOCK, TOKYO JOE, VICKI, THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS, THE MAN FROM THE ALAMO, SAN ANTONE, HELL'S HALF ACRE, THE RESTLESS BREED, NOOSE FOR GUNMAN and I MOBSTER.