Customer Reviews

Have Gun Will Travel: Season Four, Vol. 1

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

For anyone not aware, Season Four of HAVE GUN-WILL TRAVEL was the second best season of the series (following the superb Second Season). Frank Pierson was the producer, having recently replaced Sam Rolfe, the creator of the TV western. Rolfe came to blows with Richard Boone and conflict behind the camera led to Rolfe leaving the series and quitting on CBS. Pierson got along VERY well with Boone, allowing the actor to take control of the series (including directing a few episodes). Season Three was mildly weak as a result of Boone's insistence that each episode be filmed in two days instead of three, so he and actor Martin Gabel could play the starring leads in Norman Corwin's THE RIVALRY on Broadway. The season's filming had to conclude early in order for them to appear on schedule. With Season Four, there was no rush-job and each episode was made with care. In fact, at Boone's pleasure, the series became a text book example of how an actor can explore the character he played and you see a number of different sides of Paladin. "Love's Young Dream" is a sequel to a third-season episode, with a pre-Festus Ken Curtis as Monk, applying his real singing voice before the camera. "Out at the Old Ballpark" is perhaps the silliest episode of the series, but the fourth season brings to life some of the best episodes of the series such as "A Head of Hair," "Saturday Night," "The Poker Fiend," "The Marshal's Boy" (which dealt with mental illness, tricky subject matter for the time), the series' only two-part episode "A Quiet Night in Town" which explores a darker side of Paladin and introduces us to Sydney Pollack as an actor before he became a director, "The Princess and the Gunfighter" which was clearly a rip-off of ROMAN HOLIDAY, "El Paso Stage" (with a crooked Buddy Ebsen), and my personal favorite, "Broken Image." (Keep in mind that a couple of these episodes were in the latter half of the fourth season and will appear in volume 2.)

"The Shooting of Jessie May" was the episode that brought William Talman back to Perry Mason. The actor was banned from the courtroom drama as a result of a drug charge, but after his appearance on this episode of HAVE GUN, CBS read the fan mail and reconsidered.

"The Long Way Home," which will probably appear in the second volume of this season, will have my interest. When Columbia House initially released the entire series on 56 VHS videos many years ago, that was the only episode that suffered damage to the original studio archival negative. The damage was during the closing credits but some speculate the closing credits had a mistake and for legal reasons the studio could not include the complete cast. So the closing credits was computerized and not the original closing credits as it aired on TV. My hope is that when this episode appears on DVD, CBS will go back to the original master and not the altered print. No one wants to see an altered version of the closing credits.

This fourth season is a welcome addition to my collection. If anyone wants to know how I know so much about the series, please consult THE HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL COMPANION by Les Rayburn and Martin Grams. The book was not released by a major publishing house, course those companies have no interest in books like these. But it's not only a wealth of information, but gives behind-the-scenes stories and details for each episode. Sydney Pollack recalled how the scene where he smashes Boone's hand was done too real and the actor had to have his hand mended. Betsy-Jones Moreland recalled how she thought she was going to die as a result of the behind-the-scenes parties. Even the musicians recalled working on the series. Lots of stories and memories and recollections. The book is available on Amazon.com (that's where I got my copy) so I recommend you get both and enjoy the fourth season.

After a couple years of hesitation, CBS has finally released HGWT Season Four. In my honest opinion, Season Four is the best season of the series. Hey Girl replaces Hey Boy (the actor departed for a career opportunity that ultimately failed) and there is chemistry between Paladin and Hey Girl. I think it should be noted that the radio program of the same name had Missy Wong before the TV version premiered Hey Girl and I suspect the radio program influenced the decision to replace Hey Boy with a female.

Some of the best episodes of the series appear in Season Four. I noticed that CBS also decided to release only half of the season. True, they will make more money splitting the season in half, rather than package the entire season in one box set as they did with the three prior seasons. It comes down to economics. The second and third season failed to meet the studio's expectations so this was a compromise. And God bless CBS for continuing the release of HGWT Season Four. Here's hope Season Five and and Season Six come out on DVD.

Oh, yes, I co-wrote the HAVE GUN-WILL TRAVEL COMPANION for OTR Publishing with Les Rayburn. It was a labor of love. Yes, the book is still available on Amazon.com. No, this is not a shameless pitch, but rather full disclosure of my credentials as a fan and authority on the TV and radio series. If R.G. Bright had not done a thorough job with his Season Four review, I would have done the same thing. So please accept my review as a second motion vote for encouraging people to buy the DVD set. And Radio Spirits has released the radio program commercially on CD. If you have never heard the radio program, I recommend you check it out.

Like many reviewers, I was not thrilled with CBS' decision to do a high-price split season with Season 4 of "Have Gun Will Travel". I did purchase the set, but it wasn't an automatic decision and I stalled on making the purchase for a few weeks to see if the price would be adjusted. However, once I received the set I did notice that the picture quality appeared to be superior to the quality of the first 3 seasons that were released. The picture and audio seem much crisper. And as far as I can tell, CBS did not mess with the original music, as they unfortunately have done with such a classic TV series as "The Fugitive". I was disappointed that they did not include the "Wire Paladin" feature that was a part of the first 3 seasons, which gave you background information on the episodes and the guest stars that appeared in a particular episode. Overall, I'm glad that the show is being released again and I hope that if sales for this half season are not as spectacular as CBS hopes for, that they recognize their own role in possibly discouraging sales by the split season treatment. However, the acting work of Richard Boone in this series, the excellent writing that dealt progressively with many social issues within the context of a Western still deserves to be seen and enjoyed by the public. Those are some of the reasons that motivated my 5-star rating. I hope this series continues to find a large, receptive audience.

We have a 40-inch television screen and as soon as I viewed the first disc of the fourth season it was immediately clear that CBS finally took the time to clean up the video. Also, the audio sounds clearer and no longer varies in volume so much from show-to-show as it does in the previous seasons. However, no extras and no captioning for the hearing impaired. And this is a minor gripe, the discs no longer have pictures on them, only gray labels with print (I thought the pictures were a nice touch in seasons one through three). It's good to know that the rest of season four, as well as season five and six will look and sound this good. But, this means CBS needs to go back and clean up seasons 1-3 and re-release them (which they will no doubt do in separate expensive double volumes). I give the show five stars. Many of the episodes feature wonderful writing, terrific guest stars and I can't praise Richard Boone's performance enough. This is not the definitive DVD set. CBS hasn't gotten it right yet and from what I'm reading they are losing business by so clumsily managing this release of a series that deserves so much better.

.
Five stars! Five stars for what it is...

Five stars for the content. Five stars for the fine stories. Five stars for the clean, crisp pictures. Five stars for the clean, crisp sound. And five for the packaging.

Oh, and five stars to CBS/Paramount for producing this quality series on DVD.

If you paid out your hard-earned cash for the old Columbia House tapes, you'd be correct in your disdain for them--now there you're talkin' "overpriced" and "rip-off."

These new DVD releases ain't them!

Also, five stars for Amazon... because frequently (like today) they have very nice sales on some good DVDs (like "Have Gun-Will Travel").

Happy viewing(s) everyone! :-)

.

I understand the complaints of some of the other reviewers regarding season four, volume one of "Have Gun Will Travel". I hope there are those out there who likewise will understand me. I was told that season three of this show did NOT sell well, hence, the long delay waiting for season four. Other studios have split up seasons of TV shows in order for them to sell better and these should be at least a little cheaper than a full season set. I for one missed new releases being released of this show after season three was released. If season four volume one sells well, then we will soon have season four volume two. I have seen other first volumes of series sell well and then the second half follows soon after. I would like to have all six seasons and frankly, if this is the way for it to happen, I am glad at least the show is being released on DVD again. I for one plan to purchase it when it is available.

The focal point of contention here is obviously the price and packaging that HAVE GUN-WILL TRAVEL is now being offered in.

Those who love the series and have awaited this release for four long years are irritated to find that they are expected to pay essentially the previous price for a full season, but will get only half the season for their money ....

True; many fans (who apparently have money-to-burn in this economy) are fine with that--they just want the series releases to continue, regardless of the terms.
Many fans argue that everyone should just 'shut up and be happy to have it' and pay whatever amount under whatever terms to make certain that the rest of the series is released.

Well, no one is a greater fan of HAVE GUN-WILL TRAVEL than I .... If I had my say, there would be a carefully re-mastered, FULL SERIES DVD set release available, RIGHT NOW without all this waiting, hoping and price gouging.

It is easy to see the corporate perspective here; The series is a 'niche' item, and thus not an easy sell to anyone other than a HGWT fan. The majority of the public has no idea of this series, ergo it does not scream easy profits for the manufacturer....
It does however, have a persistent and dedicated fan base, which means that it will sell...to some people.

The split season format is the manufacturer`s ploy to get as much as they can out of the existent fan base/buyers in order to guarantee their profit margin.

They have apparently not taken into account the fans` umbrage at being sheared like sheep in order to have the rest of the series.

The consistent mentality in classic tv series DVD sales is to ensure profits by offering such 'niche' series in individual season releases over time. This way the manufacturer can cut their losses quickly if the series does not sell well enough, and if it does sell adequately, they can continue releases. They count upon the classic series fan eagerly awaiting each carefully spaced-over-time release and gladly paying whatever they have pay to get it--much like a drug addict needing a 'fix'.

Whoever in marketing came up with this concept is not a classic series fan.
They are overlooking something very important...

FANS DO NOT WANT TO WAIT. FANS DO NOT LIKE TO BE CHEATED.

Frankly, I believe that if they offered the series in two formats: a complete series set and two half series sets (buy the first 3 seasons in one package, then buy the final 3 seasons in another package) they could sell the complete series set at $180 and the half season packs at $90 each and they would get their money and the fans would be happy...THEN,-- after they have made their primary profits-- down the road they could offer the series in $40. individual seasons for those who haven`t the ready cash to purchase the larger sets at one shot. They would make still MORE money.

Essentially this is simply a reversal of the current practice of timed seasonal releases culminating in a complete series release.

This would also work effectively in curbing some fans` "I`ve Seen This Happen Before" inclination to await a cheaper full series release that MIGHT happen later on...or might NOT, given the justifiable outrage over the present price-gouge-partial-season format.

The manufacturer`s need to re-think their marketing strategy.

Like the first reviewer, I've been waiting years for this, yet am angry and disgusted that the seasons are now being released in two parts to double the profits of the corporation. And CBS did not release the first three seasons with any bells and whistles -- no special features, not even English for the hard of hearing subtitles. The DVD transfers are also not remastered and far from pristine.

Yet I bought the first three seasons on DVD because I wanted to see the seasons in sequence. Then I sold them back as an Amazon seller (at a profit -- what a shrewd wheeler dealer I am -- ha!). Then I bought them again when Amazon had a price slashing sale.

I have all the Columbia House VHS tapes. There are four episodes a tape, but a random mix of seasons on each tape, totally out of sequence. Fifty-six tapes @ $19.99/tape (plus s/h and tax) purchased in 1999/2000. A lot of money, but worth every penny for the joy they gave me. And it was the only place you could get them at the time.

I guess I'll stick with the tapes till the next three seasons are all out for a while and Amazon sells them dirt cheap.

Have Gun Will Travel is one of the best westerns ever and Richard Boone as Paladin one of the greatest TV characters. May they NEVER do some lame movie "re-imagining," as they're doing too often these days. There have been threats of John Travolta (ugh!) and the rapper Eminem (?!?) playing Paladin. His version was to be a modern day bounty hunter in the urban Wild, Wild Midwest of Detroit! Why even call that HGWT? Kids don't remember this show so they wouldn't be cashing in on any name recognition factor, and Marshall Mathers is to Paladin what Moe Howard of the 3 Stooges is to Cary Grant -- the complete antithesis.

This is one of the best seasons ever of a Great old TV show. This is one of the greatest TV series of all time.

Have Gun-Will Travel Season 4 Vol 2 comes July 6th!!! Yes, I wish they would not split the seasons but I never thought we would get Season 4 after years of waiting. CBS Paramount, please give us Seasons 5 & 6 so we can have the whole set of this special TV show of TV's golden age.
We are too close to all 6 season's to quit now