Have Gun – Will Travel: The Fifth Season, Volume One – DVD Review

DVD Reviews, Reviews

If you could party with only one cowboy superstar, let it be Paladin (Richard Boone) from Have Gun – Will Travel. He was the coolest with his sophisticated background yet his ability to be a regular guy. He hung out in San Francisco moving freely between marathon card games to the Opera House. Women draped themselves over him like seductive scarfs. He only used the gun for hire racket to support his opulent lifestyle. He wasn’t the normal hired goon that a rancher would pay to rough up John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. He had class. Have Gun – Will Travel: The Fifth Season, Volume One has him deal with quite a few entertainment icons on assignments.

“The Vigil” sends Paladin on a mission of mercy. He guides a nurse through bad territory to retrieve a doctor. There’s been a mining disaster. On the journey they encounter two prospectors burying their buddy. He’s a victim of an Indian attack. But Paladin isn’t so trusting of the duo as the nurse. These are the kinda guys he’s supposed to be protecting her from meeting. George Kennedy (Cool Hand Luke) is the more talkative of the duo. “The Education of Sara Jane” illustrates a family feud lesson. He rides in the middle of the blood feud and meets the title character. She’s upset that her daddy’s been killed. She wants revenge and has her gun ready for Duane Eddy. While he’s not much of an actor, he’s a TV legend for his guitar on the theme to Peter Gun. Paladin has to bring peace before the Twang Bar King eats lead.

George Kennedy returns for “A Proof of Love.” He’s got more than Paladin on his case. Charles Bronson (Death Wish) is furious. Turns out that Bronson ordered up a mail-order bride. The woman forwarded herself into Kennedy’s cabin. Bronson hires Paladin to teach him how to shoot. He either wants his money back or lead satisfaction. Paladin wants to solve this peacefully since Bronson doesn’t have the skills to work a water pistol. This isn’t close to the character Bronson plays in “Ben Jalisco.” He knows how to use a gun since he’s a bounty hunter that went over the line. Years before Paladin had dragged him off to prison. But Bronson has escaped and guns his way toward his ex-wife that ratted him out. Paladin arrives at the wife’s place to protect her. Bronson gets to menace like a maniac.

“The Brothers” transforms Buddy Ebsen (The Beverly Hillbillies) into the bad guy. He’s killed a woman’s husband and she wants him. She gives Paladin a bag full of warrants to bring Buddy to justice on the “Dead or Alive” clause. She’s rather upset that Paladin goes for the second option. But things get weird when he attempts to bring sanity to the situation. “A Knight to Remember” lets Hans Conried (Rocky and Bullwinkle and Fractured Flickers) appear as a knight on the frontier. Paladin must convince him that he’s not Don Quixote. “Lazarus” brings in Sam Peckinpah regulars Strother Martin and L.Q. Jones. Strother gets told he’s going to die by a doctor. Instead of planning his funeral, he goes after the town’s bully. Trouble comes when he’s not dying, but might be dead when the bully’s brother comes for revenge.

Because Paladin wasn’t merely a law and order guy, each episode is kept interesting. He’s there to do a good job without putting himself in a coffin. Most hired goons are fodder for the star to eliminate in the third act. Paladin didn’t want to meet this fate. He’s got a life to enjoy back at the Hotel Carlton. This was a very beautiful show with vast exterior locations. Paladin wasn’t cooped up on a soundstage faking the expanses of the West. He roamed a space as wide as his bon vivant life. Have Gun – Will Travel: The Fifth Season, Volume One makes Paladin the coolest guy with a hot gun.

The Episodes
“The Vigil,” “The Education of Sarah Jane,” “The Revenger,” “Odds for Big Red,” “A Proof of Love,” “The Gospel Singer,” “The Race,” “The Hanging of Aaron Gibbs,” “The Piano,” “Ben Jalisco,” “The Brothers,” “A Drop of Blood,” “A Knight to Remember,” “Blind Circle,” “The Kid,” “Squatter’s Rights,” “Lazarus,” “Justice in Hell” and “Mark of Cain.”

The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The black and white transfers look crisp without too much schumtz on the frame. The audio is Dolby Digital Mono. The levels are sharp enough to have the gunshots bounce around your living room. The episodes have English subtitles.

None.

Have Gun – Will Travel: The Fifth Season, Volume One is 19 tales of how Paladin was the best guy you could pay to do your dirty work. He comes off so clean. Marvel at the double duty of Charles Bronson and George Kennedy. Bronson plays two different characters so you don’t think it’s the same guy. Neither of the duo rank up their with the coolness of Paladin.


CBS DVD presents Have Gun – Will Travel: The Fifth Season, Volume One. Starring: Richard Boone and Kam Tong. Boxset Contents: 19 episodes on 3 DVDs. Released on DVD: November 30, 2010.

Joe Corey is the writer and director of "Danger! Health Films" currently streaming on Night Flight and Amazon Prime. He's the author of "The Seven Secrets of Great Walmart People Greeters." This is the last how to get a job book you'll ever need. He was Associate Producer of the documentary "Moving Midway." He's worked as local crew on several reality shows including Candid Camera, American's Most Wanted, Extreme Makeover Home Edition and ESPN's Gaters. He's been featured on The Today Show and CBS's 48 Hours. Dom DeLuise once said, "Joe, you look like an axe murderer." He was in charge of research and programming at the Moving Image Archive.