Neither the TV series, nor the spin-off radio show, ever gave Paladin's real name.
There was a Have Gun Will Travel novel published in 1963 that adapted and expanded on the TV episode "Genesis" (Paladin's origin). It listed his name as Clay Alexander. I don't believe that book is considered canon, so this name really doesn't count.
Paladin is not even his real name Look up the history of the Paladins in Charlemagne's court. "Paladin" resigned his military commission, for reasons not fully explained and then changed his name. There may be an episode that explains more than the snippets I've seen in the first three seasons, but that's what has been revealed so far.
shareThe very first episode of the last season entitled "Genesis" has much of his backstory. Unfortunetly, it is not yet available on dvd. It sounds positively haunting and is an allegory of great signifigance. Some peeps may be put off by it because it is almost supernatural; in fact, you can say, he is chosen to be THE Paladin.
Sacred cows make delicious hamburgers.
I've been on the lookout for "Genesis" to show up on Encore Westerns, but I haven't seen it yet.
shareAs far as can be ascertained, Encore only shows the first 3 seasons so the wait will be long.
Nothing is more beautiful than nothing.
Summary of Genesis: Paladin is in his hotel in San Fran and a guy ambushes him in his room. Great fight scene in the hotel room. Once Paladin has subdued the guy, he finds out that the guy has been commissioned to kill him as the payment of a gambling debt. This starts the flashback as Paladin tell his story.
Paladin, too, had taken a job to pay off a gambling debt. It was either that or legal action with his family being embarrased. We do learn that Paladin is from a well-known, well-off, influencial, eastern family that he does not want to be embarrassed. He adds that this was a "time when my family was paying me to say away from home." Interesting, but not explanation.
Paladin accepts the job to kill "Smoke". Paladin is told that Smoke is terrorizing a town. In the flash back, we see Paladin dressed completely differently. He is in the style of the day. Smoke is dressed in all black. Smoke traps Paladin in an enclosure and lets him stew there a few days figuring out how not only to get out of the trap, but to kill Smoke as well.
As Smoke observes Paladin, he says, "you got a lot of tools in that bag" meaning Paladin was very skilled. Smoke also speaks of values, morals and how it relates to death.
Smoke ask his name, but Paladin does not answer. Smoke is the one who calls him "Paladin" referreing to mythical knights explained in an earlier post because of his extra-ordinary skills in dealing with this trap and his moral highground he thinks he's standing on.
Paladin figures out a way to smoke Smoke out. He literally builds a fire under the cliff Smoke had been on the entrie time and as the smoke and sun hit Smoke's face, Paladin is able to kill him at the appointed time for the duel.
Afterwards, in town, Paladin learns that Smoke was actually to good guy and the guy who gambled with him (played by William Conrad who also directed the episode)was the bad guy. Smoke had been protecting the town from Conrad's character.
Paladin is crushed; you can literally see him slump in grief as he sees how this death has affected the town. He assumes the persona of Smoke - all black and begins calling himself "Paladin".
At the end of the episode you see Conrad riding into town happy Smoke is dead. Instead he see "Paladin" waiting for him.
Richard Boone played both Paladin and Smoke.
Thanks for the synopsis. It sounds like a great episode. I hope that Encore Westerns shows it eventually. If not, I hope that season 6 makes it to DVD one day.
shareWow! That is amazing. Thank you for taking the time and care to bring it to life for us.
shareI got a different take on the smoke,,besides the sureal aspsct,,,using smoke to kill smoke. It showed his military prowess of using an advantage of the enemies weakness...The sun didn't blind smoke (it was behind him as paladin stated "I see how you managed to win your battles,,-with the sun behind you ),,,(one of the tests that smoke gave him...How to escape-kill smoke, how to battle unfair odds,-Paladin was prepared for a duel not a quickdraw gunfight, How to make up what he lacked in speed against a quicker gun...etc.. he was being groomed and tested. (probably not the first as the stockade wall was already built...and the location prepped)
The point I was going to make was that paladin used smokes' weakness against him...the smoke made him cough,,(he had listened to it for the whole time as a captive). Pladin knew he couldn't draw quickly or shoot accurately while coughing. ( as he said ' you have a wracking cough' ) The talk of the sun and all was just to let the smoke build up enough, when Smoke bent over to cough is when Paladin drew..As well as everything else he learned to think through a situation not just shoot through one ( a theme in the whole series). The whole 'Passing of the Gauntlet' {pun intended}
What interested me were the tears as the town carried the coffin away...realizing he had been duped, by conrad, And Smoke ( he now bore the responsibility) His aimless life, and that a man had to die for him to start living again and be able to look at himself in a mirror again. But most of all to see how a killing ( he was an accomplished duelist ) affected more than the man you killed.
He also realized the full definition of the title,,, Paladin,- a Protector - a symbol of Justice not law, a man with a Cause and a Responsibility.
The episode was really ahead of its time in ways..What would have really carried it farther is if the would be assassin was Boones' son or younger look a like.
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If you have NetFlix you can watch "Genesis" on the Watch It Now feature. You can watch episodes on your computer.
shareGenesis should be aired PM this Friday, Sept.24 on Encore Westerns if the series continues to be shown in order.
shareMY GUESS IS BECAUSE IN THE DICTIONARY PALADIN MEANS HEROIC CHAMPION. THAT WAS WHAT HE WAS, A PAID CHAMPION TO RESCUE THOSE THAT COULD AFFORD HIS $1000 FEE.
I THINK THE NAME JUST EXPLAINED WHAT HE WAS, AND WHAT HE DID.
Paladin took his name from his predecessor, Smoke in the episode GENESIS. We were never to learn his given name in the series. One wonders how it is that no one asked Richard Boone what Paladin was called. He would have known.
In the 1961 Fandango episode, Paladin meets an old friend from the war, Sheriff Ernie Backwater.
As they shake hands, "Hello Ernie", "Hello Bobby".
So one could presume his name during the war to have been Robert.
Mike1951: In the 1961 Fandango episode, Paladin meets an old friend from the war, Sheriff Ernie Backwater.
As they shake hands, "Hello Ernie", "Hello Bobby".
So one could presume his name during the war to have been Robert.
Thank you, lexyladyjax. I couldn't see Paladin as a "Bobby".
"It ain't dying I'm talking about, it's LIVING!"
Captain Augustus McCrae
You're not the only one to make this mistake. I've seen it repeated on websites as canon. :( I've sent updates to the webmasters to no avail.
Hate to see it go on. YW. Solving a puzzle is its own reward. ;)
In an episode called "Genesis" late in the series run told in flashback, the Boone character was given the name "Paladin" by the aged gunslinger he replaced (who was named "Smoke" also played by Richard Boone). So he had no first name.
This "origins" episode was written well after the show was established so it's more an after-the-fact explanation of the origin of Paladin.
And that episode was, indeed, mythic.
A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep.
His first name was "Wire". It's on the card. ;-)
shareHa! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
Like no one has ever heard that one before!!!!
Glad you enjoyed it, SFB.
shareI've been waiting for that one. After 2 pages of posts, someone finally came up with the old "Wire" chestnut. That's been a tantalizing myth for as long as the show has been around. Glad you brought it up. HG-WT was the first what they called "adult" western. Before that, westerns, like Roy Rogers and the Lone Ranger, were for kids. It's kind of surprising that HG-WT lasted as long as it did in light of its intelligence. I'm waiting for Encore Westerns to bring back Wanted: Dead or Alive with Steve McQueen or The Rebel with Nick Adams. Wouldn't mind some early episodes of The Wild Wild West (with Ross Martin) either.
shareWhen the show was in production, fan mail regularly came in sporting the salutation, "Dear Wire". (This reported to me by one who was there. Some people sent pictures of themselves with their guns, some going so far as to challenge Richard Boone to a duel. Although cranks have gone mainstream today, they are not a modern creation.)
shareIt was ' Irving '.
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