A knight without armor in a savage land, Paladin (Richard Boone) was a unique gunfighter. A highly educated and well-traveled man, Paladin enjoyed the finer things in life, and always preferred peaceful solutions over violent confrontations. But if no peaceful resolution was possible, Paladin was a lethal marksman. Have Gun - Will Travel was a huge hit in its day, thanks in part to its writers Gene Roddenberry (Star Trek), Bruce Geller (Mission: Impossible, and Harry Julian Fink (Dirty Harry).

Making its debut on September 14, 1957, the half-hour show ranked no. 4 in the ratings for its entire first season, which ran almost completely uninterrupted (minus a one-week preemption) until June of 1958--a punishing schedule unheard of in present-day television. (It ranked even higher in subsequent seasons, holding the no. 3 spot, behind Gunsmoke and Wagon Train.) Richard Boone was perfectly cast in the lead role of Paladin, a cultured gunslinger whose West Point education, impeccable style, literate sophistication, and distinguished Civil War service made him unique among Western heroes, and the prototype for many dashing figures to follow. Based in San Francisco's ritzy Carlton Hotel, he scans newspapers to locate trouble throughout the wild West, then cagily markets his services (via his legendary calling card, "Have Gun--Will Travel") as a hired gun, moral arbiter, voice of reason, and reluctant killer of badmen. Understanding the complexities of frontier justice, Paladin (whose full name is never revealed) could turn on those who hired him if he suspected dubious motivations. He wore black, but he traveled in an ethical gray zone.

Cast and Characters

• Richard Boone as Paladin
• Kam Tong as Hey Boy
• Lisa Lu as Hey Girl
• Hal Needham as Bartender
• Edward Faulkner as Ben
• Harry Casey, Jr. as Ben Murdock
• Roy Barcroft as Flannigan
• Hank Patterson as Hank
• Peggy Rea as Cookie
• Robert Stevenson as Clemenceau
• Horse: Rafter

Broadcast History, Episode Guide & TV Schedule

First Telecast: September 14, 1957
Last Telecast: April 20. 1963
Original Network: CBS
Number of Seasons: 6
Number of Episodes: 225
View the Have Gun - Will Travel Episode Guide
Original Primetime TV Schedule:

• September 1957 - April 1963, CBS, Saturday 9:30-10:00pm

Theme Song Lyrics and Intro

"Ballad of Paladin" by Johnny Western, Richard Boone, and Sam Rolfe Performed by Johnny Western

Have Gun Will Travel reads the card of a man. A knight without armor in a savage land. His fast gun for hire head's the calling wind. A soldier of fotune is the man called Paladin. Paladin, Paladin Where do you roam? Paladin, Paladin, Far, far from home. He travels on to wherever he must; A chess knight of silver is his badge of trust. There are campfire legends that the plainsmen spin Of the man with the gun, of the man called Pa-l-l-l-l-a-din

Listen to theme song: Purchase theme song from Amazon.com: Purchase theme on

Have Gun - Will Travel On DVD

Season 1

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Season 3

Season 4

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Last Updated on Thursday, 19 August 2010 07:37