Have Gun – Will Travel

Adult western antihero cool; radio and TV hit that made sophistication a gunslinger trait.

Why it matters

Episode guide

225 episodes across 6 seasons — titles, air dates, and synopses.

At a glance

A black-clad gentleman gunfighter named Paladin hired out of a San Francisco hotel card that read Have Gun – Will Travel. Richard Boone's CBS western (1957–1963, 225 episodes) mixed chivalry, violence, and chess-player calm — a thinking man's hired gun with a soft spot for the underdog. Kam Tong's hotel staffer Hey Boy (and later Hey Girl) anchored the civilized base between assignments. Radio and TV ran in parallel success; the theme song became as sharp as the outfit. Adult western prestige never looked this tailored.

Network & studio

• CBS — broadcast network

Why watch now

Boone's Paladin is frontier noir in a tailored suit — moral puzzles with gun smoke. One of the smartest classic westerns still standing.

Cultural impact

Have Gun – Will Travel elevated the hired-gun western into literate prime-time myth and made Paladin an icon of cool competence. Its card-and-catchphrase branding was pure mid-century marketing genius. The series still ranks among the most respected adult westerns of TV's trail era.

Creators

Sam Rolfe · Herb Meadow

Key cast

• Richard Boone as Paladin
• Kam Tong as Hey Boy
• Lisa Lu as Hey Girl

Flash facts

• CBS western starring Richard Boone as Paladin, 1957–1963.
• 225 television episodes across six seasons.
• Also successful as a concurrent radio series.
• Kam Tong played hotel employee Hey Boy for much of the run.
• Famous for Paladin's calling card: 'Have Gun – Will Travel' with a chess-knight motif.

FAQ

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