History Series / HaveGunWillTravel

* DarkIsNotEvil: Despite his [[OnlyKnownbyTheirNickname nickname]] correctly conveying his KnightInShiningArmor personality, Paladin dresses in a black outfit that's more along the lines of what a villainous gunfighter would wear in a traditional Western. In fact, a flashback shows that it was originally worn by a gunfighter who Paladin mistakenly thought was a villain and killed him, and he wears the outfit as a form of atonement.

%%* ThePaladin: Of course.

* ReplacedTheThemeTune: Music/BernardHerrmann wrote the original theme (and scored the pilot), with "The Ballad Of Paladin" coming along from season two.

* YoungFutureFamousPeople: In "Pancho," Paladin tangles with a young Mexican bandit, Torodeo. They manage not to kill each other, and when they part company at the end, we learn that Torodeo's men call him by a different name -- Pancho Villa. (There's a bit of ArtisticLicenseHistory going on here; Pancho Villa was only born in 1878, right around when ''Have Gun -- Will Travel'' is set.)

''Have Gun – Will Travel'' is an American {{Western}} television series that ran on Creator/{{CBS}} from 1957 to 1963, starring Creator/RichardBoone as the gentleman gunfighter Paladin, a West Point-educated former army officer who worked as a "fixer" of sorts, settling disputes and solving problems that would normally escalate into unnecessary violence, charging a standard fee of $1000. Paladin would attempt to solve the problem with minimal conflict using his cunning and education, but if the situation called for it his skill with both his fists and his gun would prove more than sufficient.

* CulturedBadass: Paladin is an excellent example of this; he recites poetry and classical literature off the top of his head ([[GeniusBonus even pronouncing Latin with the classically correct pronunciations!]]), regularly takes in opera and ballet, enjoys fine dining, fine clothes, and displaying skill as an artist. But his status as a badass can't be questioned. It should be noted that Richard Boone himself was a real-life example of a CulturedBadass, being a decorated War Hero and golden-gloves boxer on top of being a classically trained Shakespearean actor.

Episodes ranged in tone from dark and deadly serious, to light hearted comedy, giving Boone excellent chance to display his range as an actor. The setting could vary from the prairie of the old west, the deserts of Mexico, the snow covered rocky mountains, the small town, to the big city. The show attracted dozens of guest stars, including Creator/CharlesBronson, Creator/VincentPrice, Creator/JohnCarradine, and Creator/LeeVanCleef. There was also a [[RadioDrama radio version]], running from 1958 to 1960, which starred John Dehner as Paladin; it was one of the last American [[AudioAdaptation radio dramas]] with regular characters. In addition, there have been three books published based on the TV show, and a movie is in the works, but has languished in DevelopmentHell since 1997. It was set for a 2013 release, obviously that didn't happen.

* AdventureTowns

Episodes ranged in tone from dark and deadly serious, to light hearted comedy, giving Boone excellent chance to display his range as an actor. The setting could vary from the prairie of the old west, the deserts of Mexico, the snow covered rocky mountains, the small town, to the big city. The show attracted dozens of guest stars, including Creator/CharlesBronson, Creator/VincentPrice, Creator/JohnCarradine, and Creator/LeeVanCleef. There was also a [[RadioDrama radio version]], running from 1958 to 1960, which starred John Dehner as Paladin; it was one of the last American [[AudioAdaptation radio dramas]] with regular characters. In addition, there have been three books published based on the TV show, and a movie is in the works, but has languished in DevelopmentHell since 1997. It was set for a 2013 release, obviously that didn't happen. All six seasons are available on Creator/{{Netflix}}.

* RichIdiotWithNoDayJob: Sort of. Paladin plays the role of city dandy in San Francisco and generally wears light-colored clothing there, but when he is hired for a job, he puts on an all-black ensemble. However, he calls himself Paladin in whatever location he's in, so there isn't a pure SecretIdentity here.

* ThePaladin: Of course.
* PlayingGertrude: In "A Proof of Love," Charles Bronson was about three years older than the woman playing his character's mother, Shirley O'Hara. (There was definite DawsonCasting going on here; though Bronson's character's age isn't mentioned, he's clearly supposed to be very young, and Bronson was pushing forty at the time.)

* DrugsAreBad: The show did a couple of absolutely brilliant episodes dealing with alcoholism. Creator/WilliamConrad's performance as a man desperately trying to go sober will break your heart.