User Reviews

HAVE GUN - WILL TRAVEL "A Matter of Ethics" 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 fifth of the series, Boone gets himself hired to protect a man from a lynch mob. Boone agrees to make sure that suspected murderer, Harold J Stone, makes it to court alive. All this Boone says he will do for a partly 200 dollars in gold.

Boone moves himself, Stone, and a small carpet bag in with the town Sheriff, Roy Barcroft. He grabs a cot in the office and spells the Sheriff and his Deputy, Steve Terrell on guard detail. The townsfolk are pretty riled up as the man murdered was unarmed, and popular. Stirring the pot here is a dark haired and drop dead gorgeous, Angie Dickinson. It was the brother of Dickinson who was murdered by Stone. Equally upset with Stone is Dickinson's father, Willis Bouchey. Bouchey though wants the matter settled in court. Also in the mix is, Strother Martin as Stone's lawyer.

Boone finds himself needing to use his fists to try and keep several of the local yokels quiet. This only works for so long and a mob is soon pounding on the jail house door. Boone now pulls out the small carpet bag he had arrived with. Just as the jail house door busts open, Boone pulls out a bundle of dynamite and lights the fuse. The mob takes one look at this and breaks up pronto like. After the mob flees, Boone pulls out the fuse.

While the Sheriff and the Deputy are out rounding up the ringleaders, Boone hears noise from behind the jail house. It seems that Stone has had several of his pals stage a jail break. They have used their horses to pull out the iron bars in the window. Stone is just wiggling his way out as Boone turns the corner. Guns are quickly drawn and the used, with Boone dropping Stone's pals for the count.

Boone grabs up Stone and hustles him back inside the jail. The next day, Boone delivers Stone to the courthouse for trial as he said he would. A date with a long fall and a short rope appear to be in Stone's future. Miss Dickinson has by now realized that her anger had gotten the best of her. She apologizes to Boone.

Also in the cast are John Mitchum and Theo Marcuse.

The episode is again directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. McLaglen would direct over 100 episodes of the series.

Nice to see Miss Dickinson with dark hair, it makes her look all the more sultry.

A pretty good episode.

This is an extremely well written episode. Palladin is hired by Holgate (Harold J. Stone) a man accused of murder to keep him from getting lynched when he is returned to the town where he allegedly killed a very popular man. Palladin agrees to keep Holgate safe "until he walks in that courtroom door". Supposedly all Holgate wants is a fair trial. But he uses the threat of a lynch mob to try and bust out of jail, only to have his plans foiled by Palladin, who plans to honor the letter of his contract--and keep Holgate safe until he walks in that courtroom.

Angie Dickenson co-stars as Amy Bender, the sister of the dead man who thirsts for revenge and hates Palladin for protecting Holgate. They kind of plained her up for this episode, so we're not distracted by her usually devastating looks. The always enjoyable Strother Martin plays Holgate's weaselly lawyer Fred Coombs. He has a great scene where he tells Holgate he's guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt and if they're lucky he'll get life in prison.

Loaded with familiar faces and tackling the lynch mob mentality made prevalent by the classic western masterpiece, "The Oxbow Incident", Paladin will offer his services to a possible cold-blooded murderer who shot another man that wasn't carrying a gun. Paladin tells Bartholomew Holgate (Harold J Stone) that if he will pay him $200 he'll see the inside of a courtroom which will dictate by the law his guilt or innocence, not by an angry lynch mob. Amy Bender (the gorgeous and very young Angie Dickinson) is the sister of the slain victim, full of rage and hate, instigating a growing animosity among the townspeople over lynching Holgate without a trial for his crime. Paladin will have to see to it that the mob doesn't overtake the jail of Sheriff Swink (Roy Barcroft) and protect his "investment". The ultimate goal, besides seeing that justice is done in a courtroom not by a mad mob taking justice into their own hands, I felt, was Paladin having Amy see the error of her ways: her own brand of punishment would be no better than what Holgate might've done to her brother. What Paladin has hidden in a bag, he's very protective of, comes in quite handy when the mob barges into the jailhouse. Holgate also has a trick up his sleeve, but Paladin isn't any fool and sees that old pals of his prisoner have ridden into town with a third horse unoccupied. This episode also has a guest part for Strother Martin as a small, sweaty, nervy town attorney for Holgate, always wiping his face with a hanky due to so much perspiration. There's no surprise Dickinson would become a star—her beauty is enchanting and she has some good screen moments with Richard Boone. Boone is struck in the face by a tall, burly citizen (the most vocal male of the mob), responding by jacking that guy's jaw something fierce…you don't get the best of Paladin, no sir. As I have mentioned in a previous user comment for the character of Paladin, he's a great judge of character and sizes up Amy pretty well, as well as, the inner workings of a mob. His scene as the mob moves towards the jailhouse, cool as can be, not a bit rattled, is really a treat as Paladin has a big surprise in store for them!

Platinum wasn't generally available for the use or production of jewelry until the very end of the 19th Century. Even then it was a metal used for Kings and Emperors. Either Paladin had amazing taste or the writer had no clue about the history of platinum. Let us blame it on the writer.

There's a rare scene inside a train carriage, although Paladin must have traveled often by train to arrive at his destinations so quickly. Stagecoach is his usual manner of transport after the horse.

Paladin's paid by the defendant to make certain he isn't lynched before coming to trial. He carries a mysterious bag throughout containing 'the tools of his trade.' Paladin uses many different and unusual tools.

Paladin's Horse: None

Paladin's Gear: Concha black hat, black Western button down shirt, white tie, black pants, black holster with colt, derringer, 'tools of his trade'...no spurs.

Paladin Shoots: At Billy Joe Kane and posse, McNally, Jailbreak Team 3

Forgot To Duck:

Paladin Disarmed: 2

Paladin Shoots: 3 men

Paladin Kills: 3, the jailbreak team

Total Accumulated Kills: 4