62 years later, this underestimated Western TV still has the most unforgettable hero of all time

In most television westerns, the very first time we see a cowboy leader hero is often on horseback or descends the main band of the old western town they call at home. But there is a TV hero who made his debut in two distinct lights in the first episode in which he appeared, with two presentations which could not have been more different from the other. In case you have not guessed it, we are talking about Richard BoonePaladin, the leading man of the iconic western series of six seasons, Have a pistol – will travel.

Paladin’s entry into “Three Bells to Perceido” broke the western mold

In the first episode of Have a gunEntitled “Three Bells to Perceido”, we are first presented in Paladin at the Carlton hotel in San Francisco, California, a non -traditional Western framework (and housing short -lived Californians) to start. Here, unlike standard cowboys, legislators or breeders who made Western television their house, Paladin (who has never given a first name on the series) appears upstairs dressed in a white costume, laughing with his women’s company. For a show called Have a pistol – will travelThis introduction does not shout any action or suspense, But that gives us a fascinating image of the man that we are about to join this trip. From what we can see of the main man, he is easy, educated and accustomed to the most beautiful things in life. It is a striking contrast with the rugged Western hero who generally makes the phase of television.

In fact, “Three Bells to Perceido” ends with Paladin in this comfortable hotel rather than watching him go up to sunset. When we see our hero for the first time, he is dressed in white and he finishes the episode in the same way. But this separate image that we get from Paladin breaks when he takes a job with a harsh breeder who has no desire to pay his costs. When Paladin arrives in service in the next scene, he is dressed in black, resembling much more to the standard Gunfighter that we would touch with a show with “Gun” in the title. There is a long Western tradition that good guys wear lighter hats while the bad guys wear black hats. Many shows have followed this formula over the years, but Have a gun broken the mold.

While Paladin is presented for the first time with these brighter clothes to confirm to the public from his sides on a moral scale, he switches to black in the event of work, knowing that it can become more violent than he hoped. But it is only when the breeder asks for the Paladin pistol that we see this other side from the hero. Although Paladin allows his new employer to examine his firearm, when the breeder turns him on Paladin, the Gunslinger reveals a smaller pistol, Reveal more than just a distinguished but also intelligent pistol.

“ Have Gun – Will Travel ” pushed the limits of Western heroism

During “three bells to Perdido”, we are starting to understand that Have a pistol – will travel is not your usual Westerner, even if the program has bowed in front of many gender conventions over the years. From this emblematic opening sequence to the Chess Knight intelligently embroidered on its case, there was always something different in Paladin – something that attracted viewers. In their book, The complete Prime Time Network directory and cable television shows, 1946 – Present,, authors Tim Brooks And Earle Marsh note that Have a gun has become rapid success with the public everywhere. At a time when Manure And Wagon train were two of the most popular television shows (not to mention the most popular westerns), the adventures of Paladin became “the show number three on television” between 1958-1961.

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For six seasons (and 225 episodes), The show took Paladin in the west of the United States On deep and thoughtful adventures. Christmas stories inspired by the Nativity to the fight against the problems of prejudice and ignorance, there was much more in the travels of Paladin than the shooting game and the cliché Western Pitreries, and that explains why the public found a rapid kinship with him. Richard Boone may not have had the softest characteristics of other Western stars, but he has always delivered a powerful performance as a paladin who looked well. While other shows like Manure would spend episodes of half an hour at the time of a full time air, Have a gun remained faithful to its initial format throughout, broadcast on CBS between 1957 and 1963.

Richard Boone’s Paladin remains one of the best heroes on Western television

Of course, like many Western protagonists, Paladin was a West Point graduate and a veteran of the civil war, but there was much more for him than that. He was also a well -educated man who used his brain as much as his brawn to solve his problems. Even smarter than James harness“Marshal Matt Dillon, Paladin was” a man of culture, enjoying the best clothes, epicurean meals and the literate company – except when he was on a mission “, as Marks and Brooke write. Again, it was then, While wandering in the West Wild West, wild and mortal, this paladin has used its more threatening black outfit. It was clearly intentional because he needed to make sure that his prey knows that he meant business by doing it. He was not only used to the most beautiful things, he was also ready to get his hands dirty – as long as he remained faithful to his own moral code.

It is not surprising that the future Star Trek Creator Roddenberry gene was attracted to this character. In fact, Paladin would inspire the most famous characters of the screenwriter in the same way as Wagon train informed his initial premise. But beyond that, the Western hero remains one of the main most interesting men of all kinds. It is difficult to underestimate how the paladin of the pioneer Richard Boone was at a time full of Bret Mavericks, Ben Cartwrights and Wyatt Earps (de la Hugh O’Brian variety, anyway). There is a reason why the entire intrigue of the Western Reunion Special TV of the 1990s, The player returns: luck of the drawfocuses on a card game dedicated to the honor of Paladin. It is not surprising that Western fans still flock to Have a pistol – will travelAnd will probably continue as the genre continues to develop.